e x pert a dv i c e
6
TIPS to BECOME
A MASTER COMMUNICATOR
Franchisors are very aware that both brand and profit are influenced by the communication skills of their people. Rapport, connection and an ability to influence are sought-after attributes in this complex environment we are all navigating. Having said that, so much of what we communicate these days is delivered at a distance. We send text messages instead of picking up a phone; initiate marketing campaigns directly from databases; and fire off emails rather than scheduling a meeting. Even those Zoom calls that we’ve become so familiar with over the past 17 months or so don’t quite compare with the face-to-face interactions that were once our modus operandi. As a result, one could argue that our ability to communicate and collaborate has deteriorated, ironically, as communication technology has developed. Yet according to the World Economic Forum, so-called ‘soft skills’ – like communication – are especially relevant in the current and future workforce. After all, despite a surge in technology-driven displacement of jobs, we humans still have the advantage over machines when it comes to our ability to manage, advise, make decisions, interact, reason and communicate. Franchisors are telling us that they are mindful of the disruption and innovation that is going to occur over the next 18 months regardless of the industry they are in. They want to ensure that they are setting
24 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand