How much time in your diary is taken up by one-to-ones? As a franchisor, you may be having regular one-to-ones with your franchisees. One-to-ones might even be part of your franchise recruitment strategy. If you’re a franchisee, one-to-ones might be an essential element of your networking strategy, helping you make new business connections and, potentially, find new clients.
One-to-one meetings can be incredibly valuable. However, they can also drain your time, taking chunks out of your calendar and delivering little return. With some planning, preparation and a proactive approach, you can turn one-to-one meetings into a powerful tool for your franchise.
First up, plan ahead
Time is precious, and you need to spend it wisely. Approach one-on-ones strategically. Who do you want one-on-ones with, and why? What is your objective for the meeting? It’s helpful to have an open mind when it comes to networking, but that’s not the same as having no objective.
I love meeting new people and am always fascinated by their experience and their jobs. But I also always have a strategic objective: what connections do I want to make? Who am I trying to target? This isn’t about moving on the minute you think someone doesn’t meet your needs. It’s about giving them your full attention but ensuring you listen for the right elements and build on them.
Preparation is everything
Once you have agreed to have a one-to-one with someone, it really pays to prepare. For my regular one-to-ones with my Get Ahead franchisees, I look at their latest monthly figures and reports. I will check back on what we agreed on in our last meeting to ensure I have completed any actions and identify any areas we need to revisit. I expect franchisees to do the same preparation so they come ready to maximise the value of our time together. By ensuring I come prepared, I set the right expectations and tone for the meeting.
For networking one-to-ones, remember where you met the person and why you wanted to meet. Look up their LinkedIn profile or website. Think about what sort of connections they might be looking for, if you know anyone who could be of use, and any introductions you might ask them to make for you. This research shows the other person that you are genuinely interested in them and have made an effort to invest in the meeting, not just turn up for a chat. This creates a positive, lasting impression.
Be present
Have you ever sat in a meeting with someone and felt like they weren’t really there? Especially if you’re meeting online, it is easy to be distracted by emails or things happening in the background. But this sends completely the wrong impression. The point of a one-to-one is to give someone your full attention and really listen to what they are saying. This might be supporting a franchisee in resolving a business issue they are struggling with. It might be finding out what a prospective client does and how you can help. If you have bothered to make time for the meeting, you need to make it count.
A franchisee who shows up to every one-to-one without fail and has clearly prepared for the meeting is fully committed to leading a successful franchise and deserves your full support. Vice versa, if a franchisee appears to be struggling to commit to regular one-to-ones or giving them their full attention, you need to tackle the issue. It may be a symptom of an underlying problem that you need to address together.
If something genuinely comes up and you feel you can’t give a one-to-one meeting your full attention, it is always better to contact the person, apologise and ask to postpone. People are human and will appreciate your honesty instead of you appearing distracted or rushing them through a ‘quick chat’ before you move on to something else.
Don’t forget to put a time limit on your meetings. This will manage everyone’s expectations and help keep you on track while you are together.
Complete your follow-up actions
Doing what you said you would do builds trust. It demonstrates integrity and professionalism. By completing any actions following one-to-ones with your franchisees, you set the expectation that they will do the same. They see you mean business, which often prompts them to do the same. It puts the ball in their court to deliver, just as you have delivered for them.
For networking one-to-ones, completing follow-up actions cements that positive impression you have built by preparing for the meeting and then really showing up to listen.
Don’t waste more time on one-to-ones that aren’t driving value for your franchise. Give people the attention they deserve through planning, preparation, presence and follow-up. Transform those meetings into power hours for you and your network.
