I’m always amazed when a franchisee tells me that they don’t think they will go to conference. Excuses can range from I’m too busy to I just can’t afford to go.
In my mind, this is complete insanity.
The reason is that I don’t think people – franchisees – understand where the true value of conference is. It is not necessarily who is speaking or what content is being presented that will give you the most value. In fact, I believe the best lessons you will get are generally talking with another franchisee, over a beer, at the bar, after the sessions are done for the day. It might also be over a scone with jam and cream and cuppa at morning or afternoon tea. It could be when you are having a discussion at a table during a session. The value comes when you get together with the other franchisees!
One of the franchisors that I work with took this thought to the next level after we discussed this very fact. They changed their conference around to actually encourage this franchisee engagement – not only with the brand, but with each other. They implemented panel sessions where they had a topic of relevance to the franchisees (business and technical) and then had three successful franchisees on that topic to sit up on bar stools at the front of the group. Each of the three expert franchisee shared their top thought or tip on the topic – just 2 or 3 minutes each – then it was opened up to the room to ask questions or give additional thoughts. This was a raging success and still almost 8 months on, franchisees are discussing things they learnt in those panel sessions.
The other item they added to the conference was a round table session. They had 5 tables with a topic on each table (so 5 topics total). An experienced/expert franchisee for each topic was placed at that table to facilitate the conversation (in the end they didn’t have to do much other than say, ‘So who has a thought or question on this topic?’ and then the conversion just flowed). They had 15 minutes per table and the total session ran for an hour so they could visit 4 of the 5 tables. Well, the franchisees have asked if at next conference they could do this again, but…… could they have 2 sessions like this (one on each day of the conference) and could we double or at least extend the time on each table as 15 minutes wasn’t long enough! They loved it!
But more to it, they didn’t only love it, they learnt lots! The results are always in the pudding and the increase in franchisee turnover after the conference was huge in the coming 8 months. You can’t tell me that it didn’t have lots to do with the conference.
When in a franchise group, you are at a conference with other people running similar business to you. They are not always the same because people are different, but they are as close to your business as possible! This means they have the best information to help you grow and build your business.
So even if you don’t have the time to attend conference, make the time. Even if you don’t have the money to go to conference, invest the money as it will be the best way to turn your financial situation around. Even if you don’t like what the content or the speakers are, then go anyway because it is the conversations with the other franchisees that will make all the difference to your business!
I speak at a lot of conferences and I use this fact to my advantage. I like to include table discussions in my presentation where time and location allow. I often say when I’m speaking that I’m just starting a conversation. It will be when they are talking to other franchisees that the conversation will continue. I’m there to get the thought process started, to get them to talk to each other.
Conference – the best investment in time, money and effort for any franchisee.