![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c-suitenetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/tin-can-238488_1280.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I\u00a0<\/span>was visiting\u00a0<\/span>the office of a franchise owner<\/span>\u00a0a few months ago. While we were chatting, he happened to be\u00a0<\/span>checking his email.\u00a0<\/span>I noticed that h<\/span>e ignor<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0some\u00a0<\/span>messages,\u00a0<\/span>open<\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span>others for a quick look<\/span>, forward<\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span>some without look<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0at them<\/span>, and deleting others<\/span>. In other words, he was processing the contents of his in-box just like you and I do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>I started asking\u00a0<\/span>about\u00a0<\/span>the messages he was getting from franchise headquarters.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Problems like those are not uncommon in franchises.\u00a0<\/span>And let me s<\/span>ay<\/span>, they\u00a0<\/span>represent<\/span>\u00a0serious\u00a0<\/span>issues<\/span>\u00a0because c<\/span>ommunication is the lifeblood of every franchise system. If your message<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0don\u2019t get through and you\u2019re not truly being heard, your business \u2013 and theirs \u2013 will suffer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s why i<\/span>t\u2019s time to break the mold. My goal in this article is to help you turn communications from your biggest headache into your most important asset.\u00a0<\/span>Here are\u00a0<\/span>solutions that are not theoretical \u2013 I have seen them work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n P<\/span>eople\u00a0<\/span>today\u00a0<\/span>are bombarded with more and more information than ever\u00a0<\/span>before, thanks to emails,\u00a0<\/span>Facebook, Twitter, blogs,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>websites.\u00a0<\/span>In an effort to be heard, it is tempting to respond by sending more and more\u00a0<\/span>communications. The problem is,<\/span>\u00a0your<\/span>\u00a0franchisees\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0<\/span>become\u00a0<\/span>more\u00a0<\/span>overwhelmed and tune you out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One solution is to post detailed information on your company intranet. Then<\/span>\u00a0short\u00a0<\/span>emails\u00a0<\/span>from headquarters\u00a0<\/span>can simply say, \u201cClick here to learn how.\u201d You can even track how many people click through and know how many of them have actually looked.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Avoid\u00a0<\/span>opening emails with\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>effective immediately<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>or \u201c<\/span>do this<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>trumpet a benefit that reader<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>want and\u00a0<\/span>need.<\/span>\u00a0One example?\u00a0<\/span>Your reader\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0<\/span>increase store-wide profits by $100,000 a year because y<\/span>ou are offering a training\u00a0<\/span>program<\/span>\u00a0that has\u00a0<\/span>already\u00a0<\/span>achieved that\u00a0<\/span>in every store and region where it has been tried<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Information and instructions come to life when you don\u2019t just deliver<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The key is to communicate your\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWhy\u201d and \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for Me?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0in positive ways that\u00a0<\/span>deliver\u00a0<\/span>excitement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before you send each communication, review it and\u00a0<\/span>find\u00a0<\/span>opportunities to express more excitement.<\/span> I have recently found that videoconferencing (such as the Zoom.com platform) offer a real opportunity to tell exciting news in energizing face-to-face to people. They see you<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and can feel your excitement directly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can\u2019t fake a positive company culture. To supercharge the effectiveness of your communications,\u00a0<\/span>concentrate on building a company culture that is genuinely positive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Over the last few years, I have discovered an approach to becoming more positive that I call \u201cThe Three Things.\u201d I first started using it in my family.\u00a0<\/span>I asked\u00a0<\/span>each person in my family to come to dinner prepared to talk about three things that happened during the day that made them feel happy. At first, my kids resisted<\/span>. So did one of their friends, who happened to be staying with us<\/span>. But then\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0began to notice that as\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0went through\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0days,\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0were on the lookout for good things to talk about at dinner. That process of always looking for good things, not bad,\u00a0<\/span>got us to\u00a0<\/span>begin to see the world in positive and motivating ways,\u00a0<\/span>not negative.\u00a0<\/span>The results exceeded all expectations, and <\/span>I believe that similar approaches can reorient company cultures.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I would like to conclude this article with a case study.<\/span>\u00a0Back in 2013, t<\/span>he managers of a\u00a0<\/span>national\u00a0<\/span>consumer brand approached me. Their annual convention was coming up, an event attended by owners of their brand-specific stores across America. The executives were planning to unveil a new store design, and they wanted me to help them increase attendance at the convention.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In previous years, only about 20% of storeowners had\u00a0<\/span>attended.<\/span>\u00a0And it was a very big priority to get as many of them as possible to attend. Without their buy-in on the new store design, its adoption and use would not be as successful as the company leaders were hoping.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Company leaders were hoping that I could get as many as 40% or 50% of all store owners to come to the convention. But I surpassed that number and was actually able to get more than 85% of them to be there.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How did I help this company achieve those dramatic results?\u00a0<\/span>I asked management a simple question.<\/span> Instead of simply pulling the curtains off a new design at the convention, would they consider bringing three or four designs in progress and then allowing franchisees to make suggestions about them? Management agreed and showcased several new designs. After franchisees reviewed them, we encouraged them to make suggestions and refinements.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In that way, I was able to shift the dynamic from, \u201cThey\u2019re going to talk\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span><\/i>\u00a0me\u201d to, \u201cThey\u2019re going to talk\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span><\/i>\u00a0me.\u201d That changed the whole meeting from \u201c95% listen and 5% contribute\u201d to \u201c50% listen and 50% contribute.\u201d What a difference.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
Send Fewer, Better<\/span><\/b>, Shorter<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Emails<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Open Each Communication with a \u201cWhy\u201d and \u201cWhat\u2019s in It for Me?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Communicate in an Energized and Positive Way<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Cultivate a More Positive Company Culture<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Ingage Everyone in the Process of Change<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n