
Probably one of the biggest pet peeves of this industry is the practice of “ghosting”… particularly when there has been an effort to set up a meeting with a franchisor who is evaluating you as a prospective owner. If you cannot be bothered to take the time to cancel or reschedule a meeting, why would the franchisor consider awarding you a franchise where your responsibilities to them (and your employees) would be tenfold?
As a veteran of franchise consulting, I have been ghosted dozens of times. It’s the nature of this part of the process because it’s understood that taking meetings means that things are becoming “real”, not just conversation. Each meeting is a step closer to making a potentially life-changing decision. As a consultant, my time is free to my clients… however, I have the option to choose whether to work with a client who does not respect my or my franchisor’s time. That’s why it’s vitally important if you are serious about potentially making a change and working for yourself… do not ghost a scheduled meeting.
Perspective is everything! It is a mutual decision to be awarded a franchise and it is a mutual decision for us to work together to find options that match your goals. If it’s no longer of interest, be professional and say so. We will be much more likely to pick up the conversation again in the future if you’ve proven you respect the process.
Don’t take the process seriously and we won’t take you seriously… seems pretty simple, doesn’t it?