Author Archive for Tracy

02
Sep
10

How can social media to help your patients, not just your hospital?

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Communications, Facebook, Health care marketing, Hospital, Social Media, Social Networking, business to consumer, healthcare and healthcare marketing
Tags: , , ,

A lot of space has been filled on The Side Note with information about how hospitals can use social media to help the help grow business, improve community relations, prepare for a crisis and provide general health information. In fact, many hospitals are embracing the use of social media to fill these particular communication needs. But, what about the patients?

Because we have a general policy of not writing about agency work on this blog, full disclosure is required for this posting. Weise Communications was involved in promoting the story I am referencing.  While we worked with the media to get the story placed, we were not involved in the social media outreach I am referring to.

The 7 News, Denver’s local ABC affiliate recently ran the story, “Doctor, Facebook Give Hope to Sick Ethiopian Teen.” It is a heart-warming story about a physician, Dr. Paul Sakiewicz, at The Medical Center of Aurora who stepped up to provide charity care for an Ethiopian teenager sure to die without kidney therapy and ultimately a kidney transplant. It is a beautiful story that crosses countries, languages and boundaries.

But here is the kicker. A potential kidney donor was found through the use of Facebook. According to 7News:

“Sakiewicz said Haile’s kidneys are now functioning at just 6 percent, which means she’ll need a transplant. And like most teenagers, she uses the social media site Facebook, where she made a plea for help. Her post reads: ‘Hey everyone, as many of you already know, I’m in search of someone whose blood type matches mine who’s willing to give me a kidney.’

And surprisingly, a single mother from San Diego responded [a friend of a Facebook friend], indicating that she had the same blood type … and would be willing to donate a kidney if she was a match.”

This comment struck me. Many of us, those of us that maintain a skeptical and cautious view of the world and those around us, would see a posting like this on Facebook and immediately recall the dozens of scam emails we received over the years about someone in desperate need of money or medical assistance. But from a positive perspective, this time a life may TRULY be saved.

Can hospitals harness the power of social media to make a difference in the lives of their patients? Requesting organ donations is probably way out of the scope of anything many hospitals would be willing to consider (although organization such as the Donor Alliance or Bonfils might want to look into this option if they are not already), but there must appropriate tactics that fall within hospitals’ scope of services to help patients.

It is time to consider looking past Twittering the locations of the mobile mammogram vans or the dates of the blood drives and health fairs or your ER wait times.What can your hospital do to truly make a difference in the lives of your patients? Is your hospital, healthcare organization or association doing something that is truly unique? Tell all of us about it here.

24
Aug
10

Franchise Marketing: Social Media Policies to Avoid Creepy Behavior

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: B2C, Branding, Ethics, Facebook, Franchise, Social Media and Uncategorized
Tags: ,

An account coordinator in our office experienced a highly questionable encounter with an individual at a franchised barbershop. I am not going to mention the specific name of the company, I think it will be sufficient to say it’s a franchise. It’s a barbershop. There are locations in Denver. That only leaves four or five options. Any of them could be a culprit.

The issue at hand concerns an employee using social media to directly contact customers. Here is how the situation unfolded:

“Yesterday I went to [name deleted] to get a “fresh cut.” Upon entering the store I was asked for my first and last name. I gave it to the girl without objection, but wondered why she needed both. I understand needing a name to call you when they are ready and occasionally people have the same first name, but there were only three other people in the shop and I was the only one waiting. I got my haircut, said goodbye to the receptionist and walked out.

“Last night I received a Facebook message from the receptionist asking if this was the same person that was at the shop. She wanted to connect on Facebook and get to know me.”

Creepy. Stalker-like.

This incident raises a lot of questions about the ethics of employees using social media to connect with customers. How does a Franchisor dictate the appropriate social media behavior of employees in stores that are “individually owned and operated?” Even if social media guidelines are in place, are they available and known by all of the employees in all of the stores nationally and internationally? Are the rules enforceable and do they address this type of behavior?

These are issues for franchisors to consider when developing social media policies. Protection the brand is more than just making sure tweets are appropriate and the right logos are used. The BRAND is seen in every detail of employee interactions with customers. Allowing one employee to go rogue with the use of social media can create a huge issue for any company that could destroy even the most well-established brand.

What do you think? Was this behavior appropriate in a world of blurred social boundaries? What does your franchise system say about social media interactions with customers? Tell us here.

To find out more Weise Communications and how we handle social media, follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook account.

17
Aug
10

Don’t Blame Advertising: Influencing Risky Health Behaviors in Youth

By Tracy Weise 2 Comments
Categories: Ads, Advertising, Health care marketing, healthcare and healthcare marketing
Tags: , , , , ,

Consumer Affairs published and article today titled, “Do Advertising Bans Deter Bad Habits in Youth?” The article raises some interesting concepts, most notably that bans on alcohol and tobacco related advertising does not quell these high-risk behaviors by youth.

The focus of the article is on the review of studies conducted to support advertising bans. Jon Nelson, professor emeritus of economics at Penn State is quoted in the article as stating,

“The studies, in fact, are deficient in so many respects that the big question is whether there’s any influence of marketing at all, especially the mass media.”

Well, Mr. Nelson, I can tell you, without a doubt, that if bans and regulations were lifted, the marketing of tobacco and alcohol products to youth will have a dramatic effect. Usage will increase. This is because smart marketers know how to get people to do the things they want them to do. And that is precisely why the limitations are in place.

We know that effective marketing will push behaviors in a certain direction. I believe what Mr. Nelson is trying to convey is the absences of marketing does not necessarily push behaviors away from risk taking. While I agree with the sentiment, when it comes to teenagers smoking and drinking, a stalemate is a pretty decent, albeit not perfect, solution.

And how can you expect more? There is a proliferation of “adult” advertising that teenagers resonate with. 17-year old girls are not trying to emulate other 17-year old girls, they are trying to emulate sophisticated and beautiful adults. Like the women these ads:

Even if you take advertising out of the equation, look at what teenage and young adult movie stars are show doing on a regular basis. Images are prolific of the “it” stars Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart smoking. And what teenage girl isn’t currently in love with Pattison? (Marlboro must simply love this image of Pattison).

The bottom line is you can blame advertising for getting people to do something. But can’t blame the lack of advertising for unsuccessfully preventing action. Community hospitals, government agencies and other healthcare organizations that want to decrease risky behavior in youth should spend money on “anti” campaigns. Because, like I already said, good marketers can make people do what we want them to do.

A couple of anti-smoking “youth” ads found on the 10steps.sg website…

02
Aug
10

Health Care Ethics and Communications Online: When Doctors Google Patients

By Tracy Weise 7 Comments
Categories: Communications, Ethics, Google, Health care marketing, Marketing, Social Media and healthcare
Tags: , , ,

These days patients are almost expected to Google their medical providers. Does the same hold true for physicians regarding their patients? I recently read an LA Times article “You, your doctor and the Internet,” written by Judy Foreman. In an short excerpt of the article, Foreman writes about a physician, a psychiatrist none the less, who Googled a patient. The article states:

“’There may be times when it’s appropriate for doctors to Google patients,’ says psychiatrist Benjamin Silverman, chief resident of the McLean Hospital adult outpatient clinic.

“Silverman has a patient who stopped going to therapy without explanation. ‘I was concerned,’ he says. ‘I Googled her.’

“The patient was not upset, but Silverman felt he had crossed some kind of boundary. So he told her. ‘If we were going to continue treatment,’ he says, ‘I thought it was necessary for her to know that I had done this.’ “

Since I did not write or research this article, I don’t know what information we are missing. For example, what happened after Silverman Googled the patient? Was a personal contact made? Why did the patient come back to therapy? Was it because of a contact made or was it simply spontaneous with no connection to the online actions? And of course we have no idea why the patient was in therapy to begin with, but does it matter? McLean Hospital is an outpatient treatment facility for mental health and substance abuse issues. That tells us enough. Having worked with numerous mental health practitioners on developing PR and marketing programs, I know the influence these professionals carry and the hesitation most have with putting undue pressure on their patients.

Which leads me to disagree with Silverman. I believe there are no times when it is appropriate for a physician to Google a patient. While the Internet goes a long way of breaking down personal boundaries, if a patient is choosing to leave therapy or to leave a certain practice, that choice is the patient’s and the doctor should leave it alone. While the debate in my office continues about the efficacy of Silverman’s actions, I personally would not approve of physicians, especially psychiatrists, looking into patients personal lives through channels that were not approved for disclosure in an official therapy related capacity.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Health care facilities need to clearly distinguish what online behavior is appropriate and what isn’t. While your social media rules may be clearly written (or maybe not), it is important that you don’t forget to include reminders about overall acceptable behavior with online communications – behaviors that didn’t exist before “Google” became a verb.

What do you think? Is it OK for doctors to Google patients? What about when the intent is clearly to influence a patient to return to treatment? Does it depend on the type of medical service being provided? Let us know your thoughts!

12
Jul
10

The All Too Often Forgotten Marketing Rule

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Ads, Advertising, Marketing, PR, Social Media and healthcare
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The All Too Often Forgotten Marketing Rule: Don’t Forget What Makes Your Hospital Different

Here on The Side Note Blog we write a lot about how and why to implement certain aspects of marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns. We have covered SEO, mobile marketing, social media, outdoor advertising, TV advertising, branding, crisis communication and so on. It should not be forgotten however, that all of your marketing and advertising should never lose focus on what makes your hospital unique. What is the one thing that your hospital can hang its hat on? Is it quality product, service, price, convenience, atmosphere or location? Never lose focus on the one thing that makes your hospital – the reason patients will change doctors to have treatment at your facility. This reason needs to remain a fundamental part of your marketing message.

Take for example a full-service hospital known and recognized by the community for its excellent oncology services that is focused on growing the orthopedic service line. This hospital should write messaging targeted at getting people to remember that a hospital with great oncology services most likely has other world-class services as well – in this case orthopedics. Anchor yourself to your key differentiator whenever possible.

Maybe the thing that you can ride on is your location. Consider a fundamental focus on outdoor and radio advertising and put directional information on every billboard and in every radio ad. Regardless of what the overall message is, never run an ad without information on where the hospital is located.

Maybe the very best thing that your hospital offers is the quality of nursing care. Focus on this. Nurses spend more time with patients that physicians do, so talk about the care of nursing in all areas of your hospital. Use your nurses in your campaigns. Talk about the difference they make every day.

Regardless of the goals of individual campaigns, try to include your distinguishing component. Don’t ever let your audience forget what makes your hospital different from your competitors.

23
Jun
10

5 Principles for International Franchise Sales: It’s More Important to Find the Right Fit than Sell to a Willing Buyer

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Branding, Business growth, Franchise, Franchising and Legal
Tags: , , , ,

At Faegre & Benson, Brian Schnell is the lead corporate franchise lawyer for more than 80 franchisors. He helps franchise systems navigate the legal process of expanding internationally, including understanding the ramifications of international marketing and sales decisions and how those decisions can effect your established brand.

Brian has taken the time to provide the readers of The Side Note insight into his experience.

Many U.S. franchisors are looking to overseas expansion as a way to continue growth for their franchise brand and system. Franchisors who have successfully expanded internationally always emphasize the importance of finding the right international franchise candidates, rather than emphasizing getting a deal done and collecting a big upfront fee.  In order to maximize the opportunities for successful international deals with long-term success, franchisors are encouraged to focus on the following principles:

1) Award (Do Not Sell) International Franchise Rights

The key distinctions between awarding and selling are the attitude and resulting relationship both parties have once they sign an agreement.  If the international franchisee buys the rights to their country or a territory within their country, they likely believe they own those franchise rights. This is particularly true when the franchisor tells the international franchisee to modify the operating system for local customs.  This purchase mentality is reinforced if the international franchisee has master franchise rights and immediately begins subfranchising.  Subfranchising often happens before the master franchisee truly understands the business, the marketplace and in general, what it means to be a franchisor.

Contrast this sell/buy mentality with awarding franchise rights. The difference starts in prospecting. It needs to be clear in the beginning that the international franchisee will own its business assets, but those business assets include a license to use the franchisor’s trademarks and operating system, which is being awarded to the franchisee. The smart franchisor focuses its presale discussions with the international candidate on the franchisor’s brand opportunity in the country, the roles that the franchisor and franchisee will play in rolling out the brand and the importance of collaborating in building the brand and the brand’s customers.  This subtle difference channels both the franchisor’s and franchisee’s efforts on mutually working together, rather than the behaviors that ensue when the international franchisee believes it has purchased something.

2) Build an Emotional Bond with International Candidates

With the appropriate awarding mentality in place, the franchisor can spend less time on selling its franchise opportunity and more time on determining if the international candidate is prepared to make an emotional commitment.  Successful brand building and successful franchise building is more about emotion than pure economics.  Most international franchisees have the financial strength to do the deal, but if the international franchisee is not fully invested emotionally, than the chances of long-term success in the country are greatly diminished.

Too many franchisors overlook this key issue in their search for international candidates.  Statistics show that most international franchisees fail to meet development schedules throughout the life of the deal.  One reason this occurs is that the international candidates have been sold, not awarded, their rights. No emotional bond exists between the franchisor and franchisee. Therefore no emotional bond exists between the franchisee and the brand.  If the emotional connection is not established in the beginning, the international franchisee struggles, loses confidence and interest, and likely makes a half-hearted effort in developing the brand in the country.

3) Establish the Importance of Your Culture and Brand

The franchisor must emphasize the culture of the company and the role it plays in the franchise system, both domestically and internationally.  An international franchisee can properly change certain aspects of the operating system when it expands in its country, but they should not change the franchisor’s culture.  Further, a franchisor’s culture is akin to the brand culture, as this is the foundation for promises that are made to brand customers (we promise/we deliver).  The emphasis on the culture is often overlooked in the international sales process, when it should be a core component. If the international franchisee does not understand and embrace the franchisor’s culture or brand, frustration and miscommunication will result and breakdowns will occur.

4) Focus on the Mutual Fit

During the initial conversation with an international candidate, the franchisor should clearly explain the objective is for both parties to determine if the fit is right. Is the candidate a good match for the franchisor and is the franchisor the right fit for the candidate?   In the end, if both parties have determined a mutual fit exists, then the next steps of the relationship (building, expanding and operating the brand in the country) take on a collaborative tenor. Furthermore, when a challenge arises (and challenges will indeed arise), the established relationship will allow the parties to work through those challenges quicker and more collaboratively.

5) Be Prepared to Walk Away

If the focus is in on mutual fit, then the parties should have an understanding that if at any time one of the parties determines the fit is not right, then both parties will part ways and wish each other the best.  International failures are often results of signing deals instead of walking away. Often the franchisor gets too focused on finalizing a deal and receiving the upfront franchise fee that warning signs against the match are missed or ignored.

The bottom line is that successful international franchisors understand the critical nature of the approach they use in their development.  The franchisor should design an approach and structure conversations with potential franchisees that focus on fit above all else.

About Brian Schnell

Brian Schnell is a leader of the Faegre & Benson franchise practice. He counsels both emerging and mature franchisors in a variety of industries on all aspects of their franchise programs. He is the lead corporate franchise lawyer for more than 80 franchisors, ranging from companies with thousands of locations worldwide to companies in the initial stages of building their franchise systems. Brian is a past chair of the International Franchise Association Supplier Forum and a member of its Legal and Legislative, Awards and Membership committees. As the first male to receive the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee Crystal Compass in 2009 based on his leadership in franchising, he is recognized nationally as a leading franchise lawyer and is a frequent speaker and author on franchising topics.

15
Jun
10

Maybe you need better advertising. Maybe you need a better tampon box.

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Ad Agency, Ads, Advertising, YouTube, business to consumer and commercials
Tags: , , , , ,

Yes, this is a blog about tampons. And it is especially relevant for art directors who constantly wear black and get all broody when clients ask to see “something a little bit different, please.”

For years, I have had issues with what I refer to “tampon box creative.” If you are not familiar with my personal reference to tampon box creative, all you need to know is that tampon box creative is not compelling. It is not noteworthy and it is not interesting. And it is most likely not worthy of my blog writing time.

So my day started out on a bang when Jay, our creative director, forwarded me a link to the American Advertising Federation 2010 National ADDY Award Winners, specifically the Best of Show Winner. It’s a mini-movie about Tampax. Even better, the story is about a boy learning to appreciate Tampax.

If you ask me, figuring out how to advertise tampons from a boy’s perspective is pure genius. I applaud the Leo Burnett agency for a superior concept and final execution. It is truly stellar and deserves the accolades it receives.

It is worth mentioning, however, that it is not just the P&G tampon movie that talks about tampons from a new and different perspective. A slew of recent tampon ads for U by Kotex prove a point that tampon commercials have traditionally been inside the world of “tampon box creative” – nothing notable or memorable. Let’s face it, in the list of “Best Ads Ever” you don’t find any tampon commercials. But these are better than their predecessors.

I love the fact that Kotex and Tampax are stepping out and truly letting their creative agencies come up with different, unique and interesting ideas to generate brand awareness and drive sales in a traditionally stale market.

The lesson we can learn from this is that regardless of what the product is and no matter how traditional the advertising HAS been, when you hire people who literally think “outside the tampon box,” you can develop compelling creative that gets noticed.

What do you think about the P&G movie? Do you have examples of tampon box creative you want to share?

Are you looking for compelling, out of the tampon box creative? Call me. I can assure you that nothing we do here looks like a tampon box.

04
Jun
10

Hanes and Michael Jordan – Another Integrated Marketing Campaign Done Well

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Ad Agency, Ads, Advertising, Branding, Marketing, business to consumer
Tags: , ,

I would like to start this blog with a few personal comments. While my husband may not think I know who Michael Jordan is, I do. I may not be an over zealous basketball fan, but who doesn’t want to be like Mike? And to top it off, I love his Hanes Commercials. And don’t judge me, men love Victoria Secret commercials for the same reason women enjoy seeing Jordan in his Hanes.

So when I read the New York Times article about the new Hanes commercials (sans Charlie Sheen) it took me about 15 seconds to blurt out, “I love those commercials!” And now there is even more to love. Hanes has fully integrated the TV and radio campaign to include Rick’s blog (its rather lame, but so is Rick). The website promoting the story of Rick and Michael (stuck on a flight to Sydney together) is terrific. I especially like the comfort demos.

You can also follow Hanes Comfort on Twitter and on Facebook. I feel like the Facebook page could be a bit more Jordan-esque, but what is cool is that you can sign-up for Hanes weekly giveaway for a chance to win two round-trip JetBlue Airways certificates.

All of the commercials can be seen either on the website or on YouTube. I especially love the “bacon neck” ad.

The beauty of integrated campaigns, such as the Hanes campaign, is their ability to make use of multiple media channels – TV, radio, and social media to name a few. Messages reach larger audiences and can more specifically target service and product audiences.

What do you think? Will Jordan convince you to purchase some Hanes? Will you get involved in following Hanes in their social media campaign? What do you think about the campaign?

Is your business ready to utilize the power of an integrated campaign? Visit Weise Communications for help in making your campaign a success.

17
May
10

Healthcare Marketing: Social Media in Practice at One Community-Based Hospital

By Tracy Weise 4 Comments
Categories: PR, Public Relations, Recruiting, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube, healthcare and healthcare marketing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

North Suburban Medical Center, located just north of Denver, is a community-based acute care hospital. At its helm is CEO Jennifer Alderfer. A small minority of hospitals are choosing to engage in social media. While other industries are learning to push and extend boundaries of online communications, many hospitals are frozen out of participation by either fear or lack of knowledge. North Suburban Medical Center is taking a conservative, yet forward moving approach to engaging audiences in social platforms.

I had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer about the hospital’s social media programs. Below are her responses. If you have additional questions for Jennifer, please post them here.

Question: How have the marketing initiatives at North Suburban changed in the last 18 months?
Answer: We have seen a shift in the need to engage in social media.  For example, we developed of a facility Facebook page to enhance recruitment efforts and to help promote and celebrate our upcoming 25-year anniversary.  Additionally, we’ve revamped our external website, making it more interactive, to engage the public surfing the web.  We also added highlights of our major service lines to the website.  

Q: How have your public relations initiatives changed in the last 18 months?
A: From the PR standpoint, we began to receive and respond to patient and customer feedback from online submissions on the website.  Online submissions have increased slightly in the past 18 months. This has enhanced our connection with the community.

Q: What are your corporate goals with social media?
A: I attended a seminar “Best Practices for Applying Social Media to Healthcare” at the American College of Healthcare Executives 2010 Congress held in Chicago in March. At the seminar I learned that according to the American Hospital Association, only 297 out of 4,987 hospitals (or 5.95 percent) are engaging in social media. I believe at North Suburban we can use social media to effectively connect with our community audience in a meaningful way. I know that we should be somewhat proactive within the social media realm, understanding that conversations about my facility will take place without me initiating them or even participating in them! Social media will provide us with the venue to be included in conversations we may have missed if we shut out social media from our communications network.

Q: What is your current opinion of social media and its ability to drive business opportunities?
A: I feel that social media is not a fad but rather a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. As an organization, we can’t be everywhere (an active participant on every social media outlet). Clearly we must be somewhere and we must select a few social media networks that work for us.  I do believe in the ability of social media outlets to drive business for certain services, especially for elective procedures.

Q: What social media outlets is North Suburban actively using?
A: North Suburban has a Facebook page and a YouTube channel which is linked from the website to post videos of employee testimonials. As part of the larger HealthONE organizations we have a Twitter account, but we don’t have a Twitter account specifically for the hospital. We tried to establish a blog internally but it had limited response and interest from the employees. iTriage is an Apple iPhone application the facility is using as well.

Q: Who is responsible for implementing your hospital social media programs?
A: Our hospital-based social media programs are managed by our director of marketing and public relations.  As a health care system within HealthONE, the public relations / community relations strategist manages the HealthONE social media programs.

I appreciate Jennifer’s insight into what North Suburban Medical Center is doing with social media. What is your hospital doing? Is your hospital in the minority of those participating in social media? If not, what is holding the institution back?

About Jennifer Alderfer

Jennifer Alderfer is the president and chief executive officer at North Suburban Medical Center and has been with HCA/HealthONE since 2000.  In April 2010, HCA/HealthONE promoted Alderfer from the North Suburban Medical Center chief operating officer role, a leadership position she held since 2006.

Prior positions include associate administrator and chief operating officer of HealthONE’s The Medical Center of Aurora North Campus, as well as administrative fellow and associate administrator at HCA’s Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan.

Active in the community, Jennifer is a member of the Board of Directors of the Metro North Chamber of Commerce, Mapleton Education Foundation and Colorado Health Administration Alumni Association.

Jennifer is board certified in Healthcare Administration and is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.  She earned her Master of Health Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees at the University of Colorado – Denver.

She is married, the mother of two daughters and a son, and enjoys camping, fishing, hiking, and motorcycle riding with her family.

22
Apr
10

When Franchise Communications Break Down…Three Steps to Get Back to Basics

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Business Strategies, Communications, Franchise, Franchising and Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Leanne Deister, president, Supper Solutions Franchising, Inc. We spoke about communication issues between the franchisor and franchisees, especially when challenges arise that effect the entire system, such as when the economy tanked in late 2008. 

“In franchising,” Deister says, “no news is not good news. No news is always bad.”  She learned (the hard way) that if franchisees are not talking to you, they are talking to each other. And when they begin to vent frustrations with each other, the fire of animosity grows hotter and larger. To make matters worse, during a challenging time for the entire system, not only did the franchisees quit communicating with her, she quit communicating with them. “The entire organization went silent out of fear,” Deister said.

Because of the issues she had to overcome, Deister learned and now offers some great insights into how to solve communication issues for both small and large franchise systems.

Build a Bonfire: Call it a tribal council, a fireside chat, a come to Jesus meeting, it’s time to gather the troops and talk. When things are breaking down, the first step to salvaging the system is figuring out where the issues lie. If things are bad, this needs to happen face-to-face. For larger systems these meetings are going to have to take place in several locations and in smaller groups. For all system sizes determine the format that best fits the style of the organization. The communication needs to happen in a “get it all out on the table” atmosphere. Find out what the franchisees fears and concerns are and let them know what is being done (or will be done) to help. And listen to them. REALLY LISTEN. Make sure they know their voices are heard.

Make the fireside chat as open and transparent as possible. As the franchisor, determine the rules of play and manage the communication process. But do it with honesty. Hiding information or not being truthful will lead to greater animosity and distrust later.

In most franchise systems decisions are not necessarily democratic – everyone doesn’t get a vote and the majority doesn’t necessarily win. But if the franchisees know and honestly believe that the decisions are being made for the whole of the organization and that all opinions were heard and addressed, acceptance and follow-through will be easier.

Look Them In the Eyes: When one physically looks up to someone to speak, the person spoken to maintains a nonverbal position of superiority. The same is true for the franchisor/franchisee relationship.  When a franchisee is spoken down to as an inferior partner in the relationship, they know it and they feel it. So it is necessary, especially during times of fear and struggle, to find ways literally and metaphorically get on the same level as the franchisees and maintain eye contact. Show your franchisees the respect that they deserve as hard working business owners. They often have the same concerns and stress levels as the corporate leadership does, so there is no benefit to purposefully maintaining an air of superiority. For the franchise partnership to prevail, franchisees need to know they are supported, as opposed to looked down upon.

Keep Proving The Point: There is a reason why the line “talk is cheap” gets repeated ad nauseum. Talk is cheap. Saying communication is better and that work is being done to solve issues means nothing if a few months go by and the era of silence begins again. At which point all integrity is lost. To prevent this over communicate (while at the same time respecting everyone’s time constraints), be transparent (to the extent that is truly feasible) and focus on fixing the big issues you learned during your fireside chats (without getting bogged down in the details of individuals).

Fixing a broken system may take months… or even years. But the process can start when you get back to the basics of good communication.

Has your franchise system broken down? What process were taken to repair the damage?

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