One of the most important tools in a franchisee support representative's problem-solving toolbox is a well-developed questioning strategy.
Thoughtful, well-crafted questions will help you define a franchisee's problem and determine their needs. But a good questioning strategy has a far broader purpose: it will help you gather useful information about the wider forces surrounding the problem.
Your questions should be crafted to help you to find out:
- The scope of the problem.
- The dollar cost of the problem, i.e. how is it affecting the franchisee's bottom line.
- Any preconceived notions that the franchisee has as to how to solve the problem.
- The time frame and logistics of implementing a solution,
- Whether the proposed solution can be carried out with currently available resources.
- The degree to which the franchisee is open to change.
- The franchisee's key decision-makers and the role each one plays in the business.
- The internal and external conditions affecting the problem-solving process.
Gear your first set of questions to determine the scope of the franchisee's issue.
Sometimes a franchisee does not adequately convey the urgency of the problem in your initial conversation. You need to probe beneath the surface by asking "feeling-finding" questions constructed to determine the degree of importance the problem holds for the franchisee.
Some good examples of these probing types of questions are:
- "On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is ____________________ to you?"
- "What is the most important reason to solve this problem now?"
- "Do others in your company feel as strongly about ___________ as you do?"
- "How valuable would a solution to this problem be to you?"
Get the franchisee to consider how the problem is impacting their bottom line.
Economics are a strong factor that will sway a franchisee either towards a given solution or against it. Therefore it is important to determine the difference between present costs versus the costs of the solution you are advocating.
To determine this difference, you should be asking fact-finding questions regarding finances and the assumptions the franchisee is using to arrive at an estimation of those costs. Later, you can use these same assumptions in justifying the costs of your solution.
For instance if the franchisee is having problems relating to outdated, malfunctioning or insufficient equipment, some typical questions might be:
- "How does the occurrence of the problem impact operations (e.g. does it shut down all or part of operations)?"
- "What is the average out-of-pocket cost of each occurrence?"
- "Does that include maintenance and insurance costs?"
- "How much do you lose in sales on average at each occurrence?"
- "What is your total labour cost for employees during each occurrence / shutdown?"
- "Does that include employee benefits?"
Important factors to talk about are: labour, waste, lost sales, maintenance and repair costs, supplies, depreciation, and cash flow.
Uncovering the franchisee's preconceived notions.
Franchisees will often have preconceptions of a solution to the problem. Before you offer your solution, assess what they are thinking by asking questions such as:
- "What experience have you previously had with this problem?"
- "How would you propose to solve this?"
- "What impressions did this experience leave on your employees?"
- "Do you think any of the people involved might have some ideas about the way this problem should be handled?"
Always give serious consideration to your franchisees' thoughts and preconceptions in implementing or modifying a solution.
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