Continue learning about franchising beginning with this free report: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Franchisees. Get it now by subscribing to my newsletter!
Are you . . . is your franchise . . . more concerned about crunching numbers than about converting customers, clients and franchisees into raving fans?
Big deal, you can count!
Everywhere I go, people (franchisors, franchisees and their “advisors”) are determined to demonstrate that they can add a row of numbers, divide by the total number and get an average or come up with a percentage . . . as though this is important work that puts more money in the bank!
What do the numbers mean?
That’s always my question, and most of the time, there’s not a good answer. Or, the answer doesn’t mean much because — well, things are what they are and sizing them up isn’t too difficult.
Spreadsheets tell only part of the story
It’s a lot more difficult to figure out why things are the way they are and how to change them!
And that’s what not happening in our franchise companies, both at the franchisor and franchisee levels. Am I saying it’s not important to track data and results? Not at all. But your spreadsheets simply do not tell the whole story.
Find out why things are the way they are
Put away the spreadsheets for a while and concentrate on finding out why things are the way they are. That means you’ll have to close your Excel file and actually talk to customers (franchisees, of course, are customers). It may mean a road tour, or a summit where you bring together customers to help you figure out what’s going on and what can be done about it.
When you put yourself into the mix and listen (which doesn’t happen with a spreadsheet) something else occurs. You convert customers, clients and franchisees from “average” clientele to raving fans. That’s when things begin to change.
Quit managing numbers and start leading!
Leaders know that victory in business is not in the numbers that appear on a spreadsheet, but in the numbers of raving fans who validate their business. The raving fans who follow your system (best customers always follow a system) will validate your business (which helps you sell more of whatever it is you do). If the raving fans are also franchisees, they will implement your training, techniques and strategies–all of which which leads to even more validation, satisfaction and profit.
Yea, so you’re 18% ahead of last month’s tracking for this or that widget. What does that mean?
What does that mean especially when your customers or franchisees don’t really care because they’re worried about the real issues? They don’t want to be managed, they want to be led!
Photo by: Life in LDN
Email this post
Tweet This PostSee more:
{ 0 comments… add one now }