The Power of Appreciation in Franchising

An important part of our vision is to contribute useful information at franchising sector events in an engaging manner. FRI’s Founder, Greg Nathan, recently delivered two interactive sessions for franchisor executives on how to build and manage healthy franchise relationships.

Recent Contributions to Franchising Events

FCA Convention session on the power of appreciation

In this workshop on "How franchisors and franchisees can show greater appreciation for each other", Greg made two important points based on extensive psychological research.

Firstly, the need for respect and appreciation is a powerful human drive. When received, it increases motivation and engagement. Secondly, practising an attitude of gratitude in our dealings with others has been found to promote better mental health, and enhance the quality of our relationships.

Participants then shared real experiences and examples of giving or receiving positive feedback and appreciation. You can see a short video excerpt from the session in this LinkedIn Post.

IFA webinar on The Franchise E-Factor

In this interactive webinar, Greg reminded everyone that the franchise relationship is interdependent rather than transactional. This means franchisees and franchisors are firmly connected legally, commercially, and emotionally, and can’t just walk away when the relationship gets strained.

He also explained that interdependent relationships generally start with optimism and hope, move to disappointment and frustration, and with appropriate effort on both sides, improve to acceptance and mutual satisfaction.

Participants then worked in break-out groups to share strategies on how to keep relationships in a healthy state during these three broad stages of the franchise relationship. You’ll find 10 useful tips that emerged from these discussions in this LinkedIn Post.

4 Powerful Questions Every Franchisor Leaders Need to Ask

Paul Mastrapa is a highly experienced franchisor executive, recently appointed as President and CEO of Caring Brands International. Paul oversees 600 franchised offices that generate $1.3b across four countries, and he has a passion for building profitable partnerships with his franchisees.

In a recent visit to Australia, Paul said he asks the following four questions when meeting franchisees to quickly get to know them and gain useful information.

#1. Tell me a little about yourself. This enables him to get to know who he’s talking to and build a personal relationship.

#2. Tell me about your journey with our brand. Franchisees are often passionate and proud of what they’ve achieved, and this enables Paul to show respect and appreciation for their commitment to the brand and the work they do.

#3. What do you like about what’s been happening? This is a quick way to get some positive and useful feedback on what’s working.

#4. What could we do better? This is a constructive way to also get important feedback on areas needing attention.

And a reminder. It's not just about the questions. How you ask them and how well you pay attention to what franchisees are saying is just as important.