4 Effective Franchise Communication Skills to Have

In terms of business, communication comes into play as you talk with coworkers, managers, clients, and more. Without proper communication, 86% of employees say the lack of effective collaboration and communication is the main cause of workplace failures. These failures can come in all forms—money, time, and efficiency.

At Blue Moon Estate Sales, we believe effective communication is the key to running a successful business, and we’re dedicated to providing our franchisees with ample tips for interacting professionally with others. Take a look at these four things to consider when conducting business as a new estate sale franchise owner.

Active Listening is Important

Not all listening is the same. There are two forms of listening: passive and active. While passive does involve hearing what the other person is saying, it doesn’t always involve retaining the information. On the other hand, active listening includes responding in a way that demonstrates you understand what the other person is trying to tell you—asking questions, providing additional information, and more.

Active listening is an essential skill for success in the workplace. It can have a huge impact on communication, collaboration, productivity, and overall client satisfaction. In fact, active listening increases collaboration and productivity by up to 25% and reduces misunderstandings by 40%. 

By ensuring you’re thoroughly engaged in conversation with your estate sale clients, you’ll not only improve your success rate but establish meaningful relationships that will be long-lasting. Additionally, as an estate sale franchise owner, you’ll be responsible for managing a team. When you incorporate active listening into your day-to-day operations, you’ll be able to foster positive teamwork and overall influential management processes—leaving you and your team excited to come to work each day.

Solve Conflict Respectfully

No franchise owner wants to admit there will be hiccups and low points throughout each year of business. But the truth of the matter is that conflict doesn’t have to be negative and can lead to better creativity, understanding, and innovation when dealt with properly. In order to ensure that any form of conflict is resolved respectfully and productively, you can incorporate these four steps into your daily operations.

• Address issues immediately: Don’t avoid the conflict when it arises. Accept it, listen to what’s going on, and talk about it in a calm manner.
• Set clear expectations: Manage expectations by expressing what your clients can expect from you and what you will expect from them.
• Use open body language and neutral terms: Be sure to remove the other person from the conflict by refraining from using “you” language. Such language typically results in the other person getting defensive and the conflict lasting longer than necessary.
• Respect personal differences: You’re not always going to agree with every decision clients make, and that’s okay. Keep that in mind when working toward a meaningful solution.

Be Enthusiastic

As a franchise owner, it’s your responsibility to not only make the clients feel comfortable with your services but showcase your personality. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Reading the room is the easiest way to gauge how an estate sale client prefers to interact—cracking jokes, laid-back, straight-forward, direct responses—and you can adjust your communication with them accordingly. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help

While every estate sale franchise owner would love to say they know it all, the bottom line is simple, they don’t. But that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Sometimes, clients will ask questions you don’t know the answer to or will request a specific service that you’ve never encountered before. The best way to approach situations such as this is to let the client know that you’ll look into the matter or take time to gather more information. Blue Moon Estate Sales offers franchise owners an outlet to research and gain further knowledge with an abundance of resources and assistance.

If you have questions or concerns or just want to bounce ideas off another franchise owner, Blue Moon Estate Sales makes that opportunity available to you. Asking for help allows you to advance your knowledge and bring a more positive and helpful experience to your clients.

The Difference Between Face-to-Face & Email Conversation

In the age of technology, running a franchise business can be overwhelming with the varying forms of communication. In terms of face-to-face and email correspondence, there are specific ways to conduct yourself in order to run a successful estate sale business. In-person communication is the most popular way in which you’ll talk to clients and is the most effective. This form of conversation helps prevent miscommunication and gets your feelings across more easily.

In contrast, email communication will be common among future clients who are reaching out to gain a better understanding of what you offer and how you operate your estate sale business. In order to communicate effectively via email, be sure to break it down into multiple parts: an introduction, the main concern and answers to questions, and a friendly conclusion. Ensure you’re professional with your tone and be patient while waiting for a response. When in doubt, directing a potential client to call you can be a quick and easy way to answer any questions and schedule follow-ups. 

Getting the Communication Skills to Succeed in Franchising

Don’t leave your reputation as a Blue Moon Estate Sale franchise owner up to just sales. Let your ability to communicate effectively be the reason why clients recommend you to friends, family, and neighbors. At Blue Moon Estate Sales, we provide our franchise owners with comprehensive industry knowledge, training, and resources to help them run a successful estate sale every single time.

Elevate your communication skills and become a friendly business owner in your area by joining our team of dedicated estate sale franchisees. If you’d like to learn more about our franchise program and our business model, get in touch with us today at (248) 781-8821.

Become a Franchisee Today!

Blue Moon Estate Sales is a nationally recognized estate sale liquidation company dedicated to providing homeowners with a caring and compassionate downsizing solution. If you love helping others and are ready to make your own hours as a business owner, estate sale franchising may be for you! Contact us today to get started.