If you open your franchise in a smaller community away from the competitive arena of the big cities, you may find your customers comparing your business to other independent competitors.
The franchise system you invested in was designed to provide your customers a unified, consistent method of doing business: offering an excellent line of products and/or services, a training system that uses progressive customer services strategies, and a buying power that independent businesses can’t compete with.
The methods you use to exercise your franchise’s strengths can make all the difference in winning a larger market share. Here are some suggestions:
Superior Customer Service
Your competitors will likely challenge your business with their preaching of “personalized and friendly service.” There is no reason why you cannot emphasize this key aspect of your business practices. While your attention to the bottom line should be paramount, providing your customers with the personalized attention they need must always come first.
If you have a staff, you should consider offering a seminar or training session that outlines important techniques on customer satisfaction and maintenance. If that is not in your budget, there are many books written on the subject by experts in the field. One to consider is Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell.
Diffuse Price Comparisons
You and your staff should always be prepared for those price-conscious customers who comparison shop. While your franchise agreement may not allow you to adjust pricing at will, diffusing a price haggler requires patience and professional confidence.
Always champion the quality of your product or service. Encourage any guarantees the system supports. If your product’s or service’s pricing is not subjected to frequent fluctuation, conduct a survey of your competitor’s pricing grid and see how closely your franchise compares. Your franchisor may provide some modifications to your pricing grid if the local market justifies it.
Community Involvement
Independent businesses are well-known to be community friendly. Don’t hind behind the franchisor’s brand. The easiest way to get involved is to stay connected with local community groups and even become a part of them. Let your customers see the person behind the franchise system.
Holding fundraisers, free events, or donating some of your products and/or services for a worthy cause will increase your profile as a community members. Your franchisor may have special programs set up to support such community initiatives.
Enhance Your Loyalty Program
If the franchise system has an established loyalty program, it should be promoted to every customer that walks through the door, makes an appointment, or calls for information. These programs should appear on every local and regional ad campaign you conduct.
Enquire if you can enhance the quality of your loyalty program by introducing personalized touches to how you do business: offer incentives on customer birthdays, discounts or offers for your best customers, or free delivery from time to time. These efforts will help to make your customers see beyond the glossy outer shell of your cookie cutter business.
Label Yourself an Expert
People tend to patronize one business over another when they know there are qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced representatives behind the brand. Don’t just rely on your operations manual to be the backbone to your expertise; think outside the box and make yourself an indispensable asset to your customer’s needs.
Your staff should be equally knowledgeable of the products and/or services of your franchise. They are your voice in your absence. To be recognized as an expert will set you apart from your independent competitor – and garner your franchise a respect that may translate into increased sales.
