One of a franchisor's biggest expenses is providing operational support for franchisees in the field. So how do you measure the effectiveness of your field support?

Greg Nathan, author of The Franchisor's Guide to Improving Field Visits, says effective field managers make a difference in eight ways:

1. They motivate franchisees to set and achieve meaningful goals.
2. They provide empathy and encouragement so franchisees feel valued.
3. They deliver practical advice to help franchisees improve their productivity.
4. They influence franchisees to embrace change and give new initiatives a go.
5. They help franchisees analyse and understand their business metrics.
6. They train franchisees and their teams to be more capable to deliver the customer experience.
7. They give feedback on compliance to brand standards.
8. They show franchisees how to increase their sales and local market share.

Nathan says these all directly or indirectly drive franchisee profitability and satisfaction, which are the ultimate measures of a successful franchise network.

However he believes effective field managers are like General Practitioners who need constant training in a broad range of skills. 

"Field managers have one of the most challenging, but also one of the most satisfying, jobs anyone could ask for," he says. 

"Because of the stressful demands of this role, field managers need to be supported with high quality professional development or they will get stale or burnt out."

The Franchise Relationships Institute offer Foundation and Advanced Field Manager Bootcamps that equip field managers with the skills and confidence to sustain high levels of effectiveness in their demanding work with franchisees. 

The next Advanced Bootcamp will be held in Sydney on June 28 and 29.