During a recent sales training seminar held at the New Orleans Regional Support Office, I had the pleasure of working with a dozen franchise owners on sales methods to grow their businesses. As with any seminar that I host, the hope is that those that take time out of their busy schedules – especially on a Saturday – take some gold nuggets away from their time invested. Whether it is a step to take, or a method to embrace, or the realization of a simple truth – each person owes themselves an ‘Ah-Ha’ moment. This article is to help you focus on what I feel is the first ‘Ah-Ha’ moment you need to experience.
The best thing about the sales side of our business is that you get to tell YOUR STORY
You made the decision to do what others only talk about – you invested in your future by starting a business to become an Authorized Jani-King Franchise Owner. That has to be the first ‘Ah-Ha’ moment – pride in the big step you took.
Once you have that locked down, the rest becomes much easier, because you are selling yourself as a part of both Jani-King , and the franchise you invested in. Why you bought YOUR business, the work YOU will do, the performance level YOU expect from your team, the motivation YOU provide each day to your staff, and the end result of solving the prospective customer pains, fears, and wants that YOU will accomplish.
Now you better be armed with all of the information about Jani-King and the services we offer, because that is the brand you invested in. You received this information during your franchise training and your Regional Directors are prepared to provide you more, if needed. But remember that each sale is a transfer of trust, and that prospective customer has to believe in YOU, and YOUR STORY as well as the Jani-King brand. So be proud and tell your story whenever you can – I promise you it’s a good one!
Below are some helpful methods and points that may help you in cultivating your story and making you more comfortable with sharing it.
Storytelling, as it applies to business, isn’t about spinning a yarn or fairy tale. Rather, it’s about how your services exist in the world. It’s who you are and what you do for others – how you add value to people’s lives, ease their troubles, meet their needs. A compelling brand story gives your audience a way to connect with you, one person to another, and to view your business as what it is: a living, breathing entity run by real people offering real value.
In that way, your content is not ‘storytelling’ at all – it’s simply telling what’s true, and telling it well. So how do you pull stories out of your organization and tell them in a way that relates to your customer? Let’s start with a few characteristics of a compelling story: It’s true. Make truth the cornerstone of everything you create. Your marketing content as a franchise owner about you and should feature real facts, real situations, and genuine emotions. As much as possible, it should show, not tell. It should explain – in terms people can relate to – how your franchise adds value to the lives of your customers.
It’s human. Your business sells to other businesses, focus on how your services touch the lives of actual people. “I provide a better work environment for your employees…, I want your business to shine when your customers visit…,it’s original.” Your story should offer a fresh perspective: What’s interesting about you? Why are you in this business? Why are you the right choice? Armed with these fundamentals, ask yourself some questions:
- What is unique about your business?
- What is interesting about your decision to purchase a
Jani-King franchise? - It’s a good story!!
- What problems does your franchise solve?
- What ‘Ah-Ha’ moments have you had since your business
started? - How has your business evolved?
- What about your business that you consider normal and
mundane would other folks think is cool?
Your story is an extension of Jani-King. It tells an amazing story about your professional journey – go out and share the good word.
