Written by Lindsey Fischesser
Franchisees always support and agree with every Franchisor initiative…said no one ever.
This is a common theme of retail marketing and promotions in the franchise world and an important one to address because franchisee participation is vital to the success of not only launching a new initiative, but also to the brand in general.
So how do you gain more buy-in from franchisees? You need to appeal to their pocketbooks.
Money talks
Develop a variety of regional or store-by-store case studies for different types of locations so it applies to all franchisees, including non traditional locations. Be clear about the monetary and time investment required for franchissees and most importantly, show them what they can expect as in ROI from the initiative.
Communicating through peers
Franchisee-to-franchisee conversations can make or break retail initiatives. Create testimonials from fellow franchisees. Have them deliver information on the results and benefits that they experienced from a program. It is one thing for the franchisor to talk about potential franchisee ROI… and another if it comes from their peers.
Turnkey solutions
Provide a clear, simple path for execution so franchisees can focus on running their businesses, while you will help drive people there.
If all else fails, you can always go with the non-velvet hammer approach.
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