“all franchisees are not created equal and they will not all learn the same way,” says Dr. John P. Hayes, Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University
“It doesn’t make sense,” said the franchisor. “We deliver the same quality training to all franchisees and yet, some of them just don’t get it. What’s wrong with them?”
The franchisor who asked that question was frustrated because an increasing number of his franchisees said that his business model didn’t work. The franchisees were dissatisfied with the money they were earning from the franchise and they didn’t hesitate to say so when prospective franchisees contacted them. “If this keeps going,” said the franchisor, “I won’t be able to sell franchises.”
The franchisor was certain that his training team was stellar, but that some of the franchisees weren’t smart enough to “get” the training, or they weren’t willing to develop the skills needed to succeed as a franchisee. Regardless of what the franchisor thought, he had a problem. The good news is that many franchisors face this problem, and the better news is that it can be solved.
The first step is to realize that all franchisees are not created equal and they will not all learn the same way. The problem is not that the franchisees aren’t smart enough or that they’re unwilling to develop skills. The problem is the way the stellar training team delivers the information!
In fact, the problem may be the way the training program was developed. If it wasn’t developed to include different learning styles then it’s not stellar and it won’t be effective.
Every franchisor (every educator) needs to realize that there are visual, auditory, read/write and kinesthetic learners, and all four learning styles are present in every training session. However, if the training is delivered only in a kinesthetic fashion, or an auditory only fashion, it will not be effective for everyone in the room.
Visual learners want to see pictures, not words. They process information effectively when they see charts and graphs. Auditory learners require the spoken word. They process information effectively when they hear it and have the opportunity to talk about it. Read/Write learners require reading text and writing notes. They process information via written words. And kinesthetic learners require tactile processes. They process information by recreating it and practicing.
Franchisors who want to help their franchisees succeed, or to “get it,” need to begin by re-engineering their training programs and including the four learning styles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. John P. Hayes is the Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fl.
