Free Franchise, Part 2

Last week we discussed your sales peoples’ “free franchise”. One of our readers in Florida liked the idea so much that he is using it as the basis for a recruiting ad; “Free franchise available……”
            Did you know that not all franchisees experience the same degree of success? But more importantly, I’ve learned that it is the franchisee who makes the franchise succeed above and beyond expectations, NOT the franchisor!
            Here’s what your free franchisees can learn from the more successful franchisees across North America;
Embrace Change
          When a franchisor introduces new products, ideas or changes, it is because they firmly believe it will improve the results for the franchisee….and the success of the franchisor is directly dependant upon the success of its franchisees.
            Your station’s success is also dependant upon the success of its sales people. When management introduces change, it is because they are convinced it will make their salespeople and themselves, more successful…give change a chance.
Rally Behind the Flag
          In franchising, there is a thing called, The Franchisee Dependency Curve. When the new franchisee comes on board they are always happy and delighted, learning new things every day, managing their own business, and appreciating what the franchisor brings to the table.
            But some franchisees after time, go stale. As their learning curve flattens they begrudge the royalties they are sending the franchisor. These franchisees begin to fail when they say “But my market is different”.
            Your franchise is no different. When you say, “yes, but my account list is different” or, “I know a better way,” you begin to loose the power and benefits of your franchise.
Go Beyond the Call of Duty
          The most successful franchisees actually go beyond what the franchisor expects. If, for example, the franchisor expects them to participate in one local charity for publicity and networking, the most successful franchisees support two or three charities. 
          The most successful franchisees I’ve met actually improve upon and build upon management initiatives and volunteer to sit on franchisee project committees.
          And, when they do find an improvement that works they enthusiastically share it with the franchisor for the benefit of all franchisees. They recognize that a stronger company benefits their individual franchise.

 

 

 

 

The three keys to you making your franchise successful; Embrace Change, Support the Brand and Go Above and Beyond the minimum expectations management sets.

CLIENTS ARE NOT STUPID!

For the past few weeks, I have been responding to our readers’ overwhelming interest in taking customer relationships to the next level through moving beyond CNA’s (customer needs analysis) and getting to the heart of the matter with Customer Wants Analysis.
            In considering this series of relationship-building tips, it must be said that, “clients are not stupid”.
            Promising to “partner” in delivering a dream or vision is a very emotional territory. That’s the good news. Selling to these emotions and wants creates passion, commitment, loyalty and excitement.
            But here’s the bad news…..anger is an emotion as well. Nothing will arouse the anger of a client faster and more permanently than betraying a deep and personal confidence they placed in you.
There are three keys to maintaining that confidence…..
1.) Sincerity,
2.) Competence and
3.) Confidentiality.

 
Sincerity. There is a chemistry or aura which surrounds account executives who sincerely and genuinely put their client’s needs first….and your clients can detect this invisible aura.
     Everything from your body language to the recommendations you make will contribute to the confidence your clients place in you.
 
DREAM-WEAVING RULE NUMBER ONE:  Clients are not stupid. If you don’t care more about your client’s success than you do your own, your intentions will read all over you like ugly on ape.
    
Competence.  Media fragmentation, new technologies, increased competition, changing economies and consumer trends make marketing one of the fastest changing and most exciting fields in business today.
      If you are to become a trusted advisor and dream facilitator it is absolutely imperative that you can offer cutting-edge marketing ideas.
      Read every day. Keep up with trade journals and business books.
     Keep on the lookout for seminars and courses which will make you the clients’ C.K.O., Chief Knowledge Officer.
      And continue to do post-campaign analysis to learn how to make each campaign better than the last.
 
DREAM-WEAVING RULE NUMBER TWO:  Clients still are not stupid. If you have not kept pace with what works in today’s competitive marketing environment through reading, training and experience, clients will recognize the folly in your proposals.

Asking ‘Why’

When you are partnering in your client’s success through filling wants versus needs, there is one revealing question which should follow every question you ask….. “Why?”
           Even when you think the “why” is obvious, it is the answer to this powerful three letter word which will unveil what truly motivates your clients and prospects. It is this base motivation which will secure passionate long-term commitment.
            For example, a client may tell you her goal is to double her sales over the next five years. You may, in turn, may presume they simply want to make more money. But after asking “Why?” you may discover she really wants to create a more saleable entity so that she can sell the business and retire to Tahiti.
            Helping your prospect keep her eye on the ‘Tahiti ball’ will ensure more long term thinking and help you to avoid the desire for instant gratification.
            Often the initial answers to your traditional what, where, when and how, will only tell you the client’s proposed means to and end…..not their end or dream.
            By focusing on their vision instead of the means or methods, you are assured more buy-in, commitment and follow-through from your client. And more importantly, you may even be able to offer a better means to their end than the method they originally proposed.
            In that case, you will take your relationship to yet another enhanced level.
            You will notice that asking “why?” will always provoke more thought and more passion than the simple what, where, when and how traditionally asked in needs or solution-based selling.
            Don’t be afraid of the silence that follows “why?”…..it means you are really getting to the heart of the matter. In fact, even after you’ve gotten the deeper more meaningful answers to your prospects inner motivation, you might want to dig even deeper by asking, “Are you sure?”
            Remember, these are deep partnering discussions….discussions your client probably had with themselves in the past, but in the day-to-day realities of running a business they often loose sight of their original dream or vision.
            As the facilitator to re-visiting their dreams, your meetings will be like a breath of fresh air to your new-found “partner”.

 

Your Free Franchise!

Does your sales staff fully appreciate their FREE franchise…that’s right, they have a free franchise!
Think about it, what do you get when you pay for a franchise;

A recognized name and trade mark…..like your call letters

  • A protected territory….like an account list
  • Continuous product or service improvement…like your format and your audience
  • Training…..like the training you offer your sales people
  • Proven systems and procedures….like your traffic, ordering and billing systems
  • Advertising and Promotion….like the on-air listener contests you run
  • Market Research …..like Arbitron, TOMA and other research you pay for.
I have had the privilege of consulting several national franchise organizations and their franchisees, and can tell you that many franchisees pay $50,000 to $100,000 or more just to buy the franchise, then pay for real-estate, equipment, support staff and ongoing royalties for life, often to earn LESS than the top biller at your station!
One of the main selling benefits franchisors promote is, “You get to be in business for yourself but not by yourself.” ……don’t we offer the same benefits?
In most organizations, productive sales people are given the latitude to manage their own time, their own accounts and account strategies, but they have good management supporting them every step of the way.    

WOW! A free franchise with all of the benefits, none of the upfront costs or ongoing royalties, and an income potential that is greater than the average small business or franchise……makes the commissioned sales person feel a whole lot better about prospecting and developing new business for THEIR franchise, doesn’t it?

Surprise! The Low Hanging Fruit Has Already Been Picked

If you get the same kick out of seeing your clients succeed through your campaigns as I do, let me share a secret with you.
          It is based upon a principal that we all know….

                 share of voice = share of mind = share of market
Some of us however, under-estimate the power of share of voice, and how easy and inexpensive it can be for some business categories to capture.
          Old school sales training taught us to “Pick the low hanging fruit” or to “Go where the money is”.
          It’s that kind of thinking that guarantees every commercial you air will have a quarter hour average of at least 10 media sales people….each and every one of them knocking on the client’s door tomorrow telling them they made a bad media choice.
          One of the first things I have always done when entering a new market, is to seek out categories which did not harness the intrusive power of radio to capture market share.
          If, for example, no florists advertised on your station, someone in that category has a golden opportunity to “own” your audience. If one florist advertises on your station consistently over time, she can capture a one hundred percent share of mind with your audience with a relatively low investment.
          If on the other hand, ten car dealers each spend $75,000 on your station,  depending upon the message, each will probably only command a ten percent share of voice and ten percent share of market with your audience.
          Granted, getting a prospect in a new category to break from the pack and indulge in a consistent radio campaign is not easy, even though breaking from the crowd of competitors is exactly what they should do.
But here’s the good news;
1-    75 to 80 % of businesses in your market do not currently use radio or TV advertising. And because of old-school sales training these businesses have not been bombarded with the “we’re number one” media presentations that traditional advertisers have seen. You can be the media rep with dominant share of voice among current non-advertisers.
2-    Rate-cutting is not at the top of the non-advertisers’ lists because as non-advertisers they have not been exposed to the “we’re cheaper” media sales people.
3-    Results! Results! Results! Share of voice really does equal share mind and market. And it is more cost effective for your clients to get results in a media where they have no conflicting voices than it is in a media where everyone in the category is fighting for share.
So pick the high and hard to reach fruit. It is harder to get at, but sweeter when you get there……. for you and for the client!