Creating Brand Believers Builds Brands

Who are "brand believers"? They're owners and employees who know what the company stands for, appreciate the value of the product or service offered, and have a genuine desire to create satisfied customers. They help drive retail customers in the door, keep them coming back, and for the franchise system, help recruit new franchisees so that the brand grows exponentially faster. Sounds obvious, but many franchisors really struggle when trying to get owners or their staff to help recruit new franchisees. Most franchisors ask employees to display recruitment materials throughout the stores, we do that. Most franchisors offer a referral bonus, we do that, too. But, "believers" are the difference makers. Recently Heather, a Great Clips stylist on the east coast, talked positively about the Great Clips franchise with one of her customers. The customer picked up some recruitment literature that the owner made available in the salon, inquired online, and eventually joined the Great Clips family of franchisees. Heather received a generous $2,000 referral bonus, which she admitted was going to help her quite a bit, but she also pointed out that she would have done it anyway--she really enjoys working at a Great Clips salon. Heather is a happy employee; she's a brand believer. Franchisors have to earn that from their employees. They can't buy it. But it's certainly worth rewarding.

IFA Convention: President Clinton warns, “Don’t bet against America.”

At the recent International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention in San Diego, thousands of attendees had the privilege to hear from a former President of the United States, Bill Clinton. Regardless of political affiliations, it seemed me that the reviews for his presentation were quit favorable, particularly as he broke down the current challenges into easily digestible “chunks," and then proceeded to remind everyone that America has been through challenging times before, and come through as a stronger and better country. In his words: “Don’t bet against America." (You can read about his speech here). Of course he shared some other key messages, but those two seemed to resonate most with the audience. I left the room encouraged at the prospect that small businesses can help lead the charge in the effort to “fix” things. During my conversations with other franchisors, we agreed that there's an opportunity to take advantage of lower rents, readily available staff, and market share that's up for grabs. The franchise community is ready to strike while the iron is hot.