Do You Hear Me?
By Gina Petrone

There are many steps involved when investigating a franchise opportunity: determining if the concept of franchising is truly for you, researching and locating particular franchises which appeal to you, establishing contact with those franchises you'd like to learn more about.

Once you've read through the documents and pinpointed one or two franchise companies for further inquiry, you are now ready to take the next step: investigation of the company through its franchisees. Call at least six of the franchisees listed in the UFOC to find out how happy they are to be operating their franchises. Questions to ask: Given the opportunity, would you buy your franchise all over again? How much did it cost you to buy and operate your franchise for the first year? What was your net income for the first year? The second? Are you satisfied with the franchisor's commitment to your success?

These and other questions will lead to many more and you will undoubtedly discover many pertinent details about the franchise. Your next stop is a visit to the headquarters of the franchise company. Spend a couple of hours meeting the executives and staff. Make it a point to find out who you can call with a problem. While you're there, observe as much as you can about how the franchise works. Is there a spirit of cooperation and support for franchisees? Keep in mind that a franchise is only as good as the support a company gives to its franchisees.

Finally, if it still looks like this opportunity is the one for you, the last step is consultation with franchise experts. Though you may believe with both heart and soul that you've found the business you've always dreamed about, do not sign anything until you've consulted a franchise attorney and/or accountant. A qualified franchise attorney will explain the finer points of information contained in the UFOC and review the franchise agreement. Your accountant can help you work up a pro forma showing the total costs involved in buying and operating the franchise.

But an often overlooked part of the investigative process inevitably comes down to a very basic human function--communication. When we think of communication, we immediately focus on a speaker's ability to convey ideas effectively, i.e. the franchisor explaining the franchise offering. What we often forget is that without a listener, the speaker may as well be talking to the wind. Just as effectual speaking is an acquired skill, so is good listening.

Listening is a skill most of us never learned in school. We assume that listening is something that comes naturally. Too often we listen for what we need to hear rather than what we should be hearing. Deciding to buy a franchise is a major step and the results can be disastrous if a breakdown in communication has occurred prior to signing a contract. If all you hear are dollar amounts or if you are so excited about indulging a hobby that you fail to pay attention to all the details that must be covered and understood, you could end up making a costly mistake.

Franchisors do not want their franchisees to fail. It's that simple. But I well remember an "expose" aired on a television news program several years ago that targeted a well-known franchise company. They interviewed several franchisees who had failed in the system in an attempt to discredit the franchisor. However, one common thread that ran between the failed franchisees was that all admitted they hadn't really read the UFOC or franchise contract carefully. The franchisor did not fail in his responsibility to disclose all the details and requirements--the franchisees failed because they didn't listen effectively.

Think about what happens when you hear someone talk. You may be concentrating on the person's appearance, to activity in the background, to what you did earlier in the day, to a conversation you had with someone else, or to your own questions and how you will present them. Your mind flits from topic to topic. You may comprehend only fragments of what the other person says.

According to Dr. Robert Simmonds, Ph.D., a San Diego psychologist, real listening is a skill that takes practice and an honest look into how you deal with the world. The first step in mastering good listening skills is to become aware of why listening is such an important factor in your business decision, whether you are communicating with the franchisor, existing franchisees, attorneys, or even family members. The next step is simply to start doing it. Practice listening whenever you can. Here are a few rules to start the process:

* Never interrupt when the other person is speaking. Allow the speaker to complete his or her thought.

* Eliminate distractions--stop tapping your fingers on your leg or staring at the clock.

* Maintain eye contact while the other person is speaking.

* Pull your chair closer and lean toward the speaker.

* Keep your posture open--directly face the speaker and keep your arms and legs uncrossed.

* Give verbal and nonverbal responses to what the speaker is saying--"yes, I see", nod your head, smile or frown when it's appropriate.

Listening is more than passively remaining silent while the other person talks. It is the other half of an active collaborative process. The first level is attentive listening. In this mode, we take the position that we are genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. We accept the fact that we have something to learn from the conversation. However, this level of listening has its limitations. Even though we are attentive, we still make assumptions about the message and we tend to fill in the gaps with whatever it is that we want to hear. At this level, we don't check to see if what we have heard is what the speaker really meant to say.

The second, and more powerful, level is active listening (or reflective listening). This assumes that communication is truly a two-way process which involves giving feedback. Active listening requires that the listener paraphrase, clarify and give feedback.

* Paraphrasing is the most important element of good listening. When you hear something that interests you, restate in your own words what you just heard. "What I'm hearing you say is that…" or "So if I'm correct, you are telling me that…" Paraphrasing allows us to correct misconceptions as they occur and helps us to remember what was said.

* Clarifying provides more depth to the listening process that merely paraphrasing. Your purpose in clarifying is to ask questions about what the speaker is saying in a helpful way. "So I should plan on working weekends?" or "My royalty fees will not increase for the first ten years" and so forth are ways to tell the speaker that you are engaged in listening and want to know more about specific points.

* Giving feedback involves providing your thoughts, opinions, and feelings. Now is the time to express any doubts or concerns. This gives the speaker yet another chance to see if you got the message and to check out the accuracy of his communication.

Without these skills, you could fail in your responsibility to both yourself and the franchisor in making a business decision. It's never too late to learn how to enrich our own listening skills.