Semantics of the Franchise Relationship According to a Franchise Consultant in Hialeah, Florida

Rick Bisio is a friend and business associate of mine.  He was happy to allow me to repost his article; I hope you enjoy it as I have...Written by Rick Bisio and reposted by Mark Maupin:

by Rick Bisio - Franchise Consultant

& Author of the Franchise Book -The Educated Franchisee

Are franchises "purchased", "sold" or "awarded"? Is the franchisor's representative in the "franchise development" department or "franchise sales" department?  This may seem like semantics but it constitutes the essence of what a healthy franchise relationship is all about.

If you "buy" a franchise it would imply that you take control over the process, much the same as if you were buying broccoli at the grocery store store. You simply appraise the different franchises that are for sale then walk up to the cash register and "buy" the franchise.

If a franchisor "sells" you a franchise it may bring to mind dealings you could feel at a used car lot. You would face a heavy handed sales person whose goal is to ‘close' the deal well aware, of course, that they will never see you again.

The good news is that you should have neither experience in today's franchising world. Today, high quality franchisors focus on "awarding" franchises to the best candidate. The franchise development person's job is to find a partner for the franchisor - someone who displays potential to be successful in that particular franchise system.

The term "awarding" came into common use in the 1980s.  It reflected franchisors' collective realization that it was in their best interest to work with superior franchisees who would constitute assets to the brand.

This is a logical change from the early days of franchising. When franchising was young, many franchisors believed that if they offered a successful model and sufficient training, anybody could succeed. Although the model and training are critical, the other key ingredient is the franchisee. An introvert in a business that requires extroverts, for example, would tend to struggle, and that doesn't help anyone. Quality franchisors want happy and successful franchisees because they make the system thrive. Even a top-notch business model run by a brilliant franchisor could fail if it was populated with the wrong franchisees.

Today, you should never feel that you are being "sold" or that you have the mere choice of "buying".  As you collect franchise information and look into franchises, you should have the feeling that the franchise development person is investigating you, too. S/he will enquire about your skills, your priorities, your past experience, and may probe for weak areas so that you can work together to decide if they are issues. You might even be given a skills or personality inventory, which will compare your scores to those of successful franchisees already in the system. The franchise education process will be one of mutual discovery.

Once you find the system that's right for you, and you reach the end of the discovery process, you should have the feeling that you will be working with people you like and trust, and who share your drive to be successful.

Sign up for our FREE monthly newsletter at - http://educatedfranchisee.com/signup.aspx

The Educated Franchisee is dedicated to franchise education through the sharing of franchise information.  Our objective is -

‘To create educated franchise buyers that have clearly defined objectives and are able to recognize the right, or wrong, franchise when they see it.  An educated franchise buyer will move into the franchisee role with their expectations properly set and will have a heightened potential for success within the franchise system creating a win/win for all involved.

To get more franchise information about how to stack the deck in your favor -

Visit our website at www.educatedfranchisee.com or

Purchase our franchise book - The Educated Franchisee by Rick Bisio, Franchise Consultant or

Contact author directly at rbisio@educatedfranchisee.com or call 941 778 4660.