The Biggest Critics of Your Franchise Brand Name

The biggest critics of a franchise brand name comecar of a construction site foreman and land a
from two groups of people and neither of them arewell-paying post construction clean up (we did). They
you customers. If our brand is lousy your customerscan't make money, servicing offices and open up the
will most likely simply not say anything, after all everydoors to whole other kinds of business, which can all
day average brand names are a dime a dozen in thebe done with the same equipment off the same
market place. No you biggest critics are of coursetruck that just cleaned out a cell tower site. We can
your competition, who will never miss a swipe if youand this is clear in our presentation and materials. We
make the smallest mistake; you can bet they willare here to stay and to dominate our marketplace."
mention it in high-volume conversations, jabs and"But it would not be fair to mention the strengths of
snickers. But that is to be expected of course andCWGs without mentioning your strength, Lance. Your
who cares what they think, especially if you a lightcharisma, excitement, vision and energy pours out of
years ahead of their mediocre best efforts.the materials. 'This guy is excited about what he is
Your very biggest critics and the one's you betterdoing', comes across LOUD AND CLEAR and is (I
play careful attention to is you own team. So eachthink) a large part of what attracts people to the
quarter I ask the team to hold nothing back and letfranchise. And when people meet you, they don't
me have it, the whole truth and I listen, sometimes itfind a fake. You live and breathe CWGs. It's a
is not pleasant sometimes it is, but in franchising truthmission, a lifestyle and a business all in one."
about all else is essential for honest evaluations. HereIncidentally (CWG) stands for Car Wash Guys, our
is what one team member asked when I askedbrand name; . The reason for this example is that
about our brand.when we talk about Brand Names, we must take
". . . and that is the point. We are different, we areabout "buy-in" and hear the truth straight from the
the best, we accomplish what others in this industrygut of the biggest critics, the one's who know the
can't. Sparkle Wash can low-ball prices and hit up ainside scoop and lay it on the line everyday for the
handful of fleet accounts, but they can't detail theteam. Think on this in 2006.