Do You Have Excellent People Skills?
As a franchise owner/operator, you have to interact with employees and you may also have to interact regularly with your customers. It is, therefore, essential that you already have or plan to develop excellent people skills.

“How a franchisee treats their employees is the single most important factor in predicting eventual success,” according to Discover the Secrets to Selecting Great Franchisees, from Dynamic Performance Systems, Inc., developer of a franchisee selection tool. Your employees are one of your most important business resources. How you respond to and manage them may influence how well they perform. Your customers are also an important business component. Both positive and negative interactions with your customers may contribute to how successful your business will be.

In any business venture, previous management experience and a proven record of successful customer relations is always helpful. If you don’t have previous experience, however, you can learn how to be effective as a franchise owner. You can be successful if you:

• Believe that employees are a valuable resource and not just a business expense
• Believe that employees are an integral and important part of the business
• Hire employees who can work well together
• Build an employee team by allowing employees to participate in the decision process, whenever possible
• Share your vision and commitment for the franchise with your employees
• Have the ability to identify and address employee attitudes that may have an adverse affect on your team
• Treat both employees and customers with respect
• Are comfortable dealing with people
• Have a positive attitude

These are some of the characteristics of an effective people person. Many books and magazine articles have been written on the subject. And, business organizations in your community and local community colleges and universities also have business management classes and seminars that can help you.

Sources
Dynamic Performance Systems, Inc.