Tips from The New Girl: Bill Withers had it Right All Along

by Kyle Stites

Piggybacking on my Coworker Michelle's Got Satisfaction? blog entry last week, I got to thinking about all of our clients and the reasons so many of them have strong franchisee satisfaction. The conclusion I came to was one word, support. To be cheesy, and steal from yet another great classic rock song, we all need somebody to lean on.

I have been reading many articles recently, relative to the economic climate, about franchisees struggling both monetarily and emotionally and ways in which franchisors can give them positive, effective support. One of these articles was from September's Franchising World magazine, and was especially helpful in clearly outlining tips and an action plan for zees in need of some TLC.

And, as I read more, it seems that in some cases TLC is really the most helpful solution. If you think about the emotional support side, zees just really need the reassurance that others are feeling the same pressure they are; the best way to address this - communication. And, as we all now know, the fastest way to communicate and hopefully relieve some of this added anxiety is through social networks.

So, as The New Girl, I have gathered some tips that might help your zees “see” that others are in their same boat (sans paddle):

• As a franchisor, start a group or internal network with your franchisees (ie. LinkedIn Group, Facebook page). This way they can be connected to other zees that might not be in their region, but are having the same doubts. This way you can all talk about solutions and support ideas/plans without it being behind anyone’s back. You can limit who joins the group to just zees, and that way it makes them feel as though you have started something just for them.

• Have your zees make Twitter handles with your system’s name and region they are in (ie. JoeShmoe’s_NYC; JoeShmoe’s_LA). You would be surprised at how rewarding it is to gain followers and connect instantly with others using Twitter. That support alone should boost some self confidence. They can also then search for other zees and organize dual promotions or RT relevant issues, and give each other kudos and advice. You, as the franchisor, should have a handle as well and this way, if problems and concerns arise, they can DM you immediately.

• Start a YouTube page and have franchisees send in videos of customers and positive feedback. Also, grand openings, promotion days, and just video of day-to-day operations will literally let them see what other zees are doing. Visualizing can be a great calming tool; it’s like when we see a happy movie, we come away emotionally happy as well. If they SEE positive occurrences, it will make them think positively.
The instant support they receive will start to help calm their nerves, whether other factors are involved or not. Choose someone in your system to take charge of these groups and networks and, even as The New Girl, I think you will see great results and some much needed relief from your zees. Afterall, they just need somebody to lean on.

Happy Franchising (and Friday!)

All my best,
Kyle Stites
Marketing Coordinator
 

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