Author: Rebecca

By Nancy Friedman

A long time ago, we at Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, decided to remove whatever negativity in our life we could. We removed as many negative words, negative thoughts, and, yes, even negative people as we could. This has proven to be fortuitous during the current pandemic crisis. Many of you are probably giving some not-so-greatnews to your customers and maybe even to your employees.

Even during normal times, every once in awhile, owners, managers or staff will need to share negative (bad) news with their customers. We asked ourselves how we could do that effectively without saying, “I have some bad news.” receiving bad news. So what we did was remove the words “bad news.” We just don’t say it. The customer NEVER hears it. When the ‘you know what’ hits the fan and you need to call a customer to explain something that’s not just right, try our Telephone Doctor “mission possible” technique. It works faceto-face, as well.

It simply goes like this. “Mrs. Jones, I have some good news, and I have some not good news; which would you prefer to hear first?” You let the customer decide what they want to hear first. Good news or not so good news first.

Here’s an example: Let’s use the premise that their order did not come in time to make the original appointment.

You: Hi Mrs. Customer. This is Dan from XYZ. Do you have a quick moment to talk? (Without that question, your call is always an interruption.)

Mrs. Customer: Sure, Dan.

You: Good, thanks. (WITH A BIG SMILE) I have some good news, and I have some not good news; which would you like to hear first?

Mrs. Customer: Well, I like good news. Let me hear the good news first.

You: Hi Mrs. Customer. This is Dan from XYZ do you have a moment to talk?

Mrs. Customer: Sure, what’s going on? I was looking to hear from you.

You: Well I have some good news and some not so good news; which would you like to hear first? (Notice we always give the client a choice of what they want to hear first.)

Mrs. Customer: Well, let’s get the bad news over with.

You: Me, too. The good news is your product has been ordered and is alive and well and on the way. All is good on that end. The not so good news is there is a 3-day delay. A bit later than we had anticipated.

If you can offer something to ‘smooth’ the feathers, this is a good time to do it; however, shared positively, it usually works well.

You: The not so good news is the product you ordered has a three-day delay making my promise to you not so good news. The good news is you are first on the list to get it installed on the same day it comes in. Certainly, we apologize, and I know you understand the delay is not on our end, but we do take responsibility for it.

Now let’s try it when the customer wants the not so good news first.

“I’m not sure about you, but I’ve never met anybody who enjoys receiving bad news. Every industry has situations that call for delivering bad news. (Or rather ‘not so good news.’) And this technique will fit every industry. I’ve used it for years. And a bonus? It’s GREAT in your personal life as well! It has always lightened the load and made things much easier.

KEY: Delivery, tone of voice, confidence and smiling are all critical in delivering this statement. There can be no “ummmms” or “ahhh” or over-apologizing.

What bothers people the most is when you don’t offer them an alternative, or you just give them “bad news” without helping.

REMEMBER: No one wants to hear “bad news.” And most people can adapt to “not so good news.”

The other day my husband came to me and said, “Hey Nancy, I’ve got some good news and some not so good news; which would you like to hear first?”

I fell for it and said, “Well, give me the good news first.”

He said, “Well, the good news is our new puppy is doing very well on potty training; the not so good news is – his mistakes are on your side of the bed.”

Laughter lightens the load. Especially now.

Nancy Friedman, Founder and Chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a sought-after speaker for franchise and corporate conferences, sharing tips and advice in customer service, communication and sales.  As a former franchisor, she brings the good, bad and ugly for us to review.  Author of nine books,  Nancy can be reached at www.nancyfriedman.com, or email her at nancy@telephonedoctor.com or call: 314-291-1012 CST.

Do You Qualify?

by Elizabeth Denham

Bethany Barnes, Director of Business Development at Rapid Business Plans, is using her experience to help businesses navigate the process of applying for stimulus monies to keep them afloat through the pandemic crisis.

“I write business plans every day for people who are applying for SBA loans for their businesses,” Barnes said. “I know what banks are looking for and how to help them through the process.”

When Barnes realized the impact the coronavirus was going to have on the economy, she knew her skillset could help people try to weather the storm and stay in business.

“We are doing whatever we can to help,” she said. “We are sending out information, resources and links as we get them. Some people are great at doing it all themselves, and we guide them to resources. Others hire us to complete the process from start to finish and send their documentation to our Dropbox so that we can do all of the heavy lifting.”

The process Barnes takes people through is fairly simple. There is a questionnaire on her website to help you determine if you qualify. Credit is a factor in qualifying. If your credit score is below 640, she will recommend that you do not apply, and she will suggest other options. Once it is determined that you may qualify, Barnes will help you research what you qualify for in your state and through federal programs.

“We have been recommending businesses apply for as much as eight months of expenses,” Barnes said. “We think that is a reasonable timeframe to expect to be impacted by the crisis.”

“We have been recommending businesses apply for as much as eight months of expenses. Disqualifying Factors • Credit below 640 • An arrest within the last six months • Previous defaults on government loans Programs State Bridge the Gap Loans Programs vary from state to state, but in Florida, for example, you can apply for up to $50,000, 12 months, interest-free. This money would be paid back from proceeds from business interruption insurance or federal disaster assistance. Barnes can let you know what your state is offering. Federal SBA Disaster Loans – EIDL and PPP7(a) Loans Economic Injury Disaster Loan- The federal government has set aside $50 billion (possibly more in the future) in SBA disaster loans that you can obtain for your business or for personal disaster assistance. Low-interest loans up to $2 million are available at a proposed 3.75% rate amortized over up to 30 years. A credit score of under 640 will be immediately rejected and we cannot recommend applying. PPP- Provides up to two months of payroll, rent and utility expense that can be forgiven. If you have received an EIDL loan for different purposes, you are also eligible for this loan. If you have access to other traditional lending, you may not qualify for this program. Traditional SBA 7(a) Loans The CARES Act passed by Congress on Friday, March 27 has a provision providing six months of payments for all SBA 7(a) loans—existing and new—which are not deferments, but rather full payments of principal and interest to the lender for which the borrower will never be responsible again. For new SBA 7(a) borrowers, six months of payments of principal, interest and any associated fees beginning with the first payment due on the loan is available for new loans made within the first six months starting from the date of enactment (3/27/2020).

All in all, Barnes is helping people in whatever ways she can. She has done everything from sending out recipes to helping set up grocery delivery for people. She even helped an ICU nurse get set up with a trauma therapist.

 

“It’s important to look at ways we can help during this chaotic time,” she said. “I believe the franchise industry will be resilient, and these loans can help them get through the crisis. When they get through it, there will be more of the market share available to them, and they will come out stronger.”

For more information, visit www. rapidbusinessplans.com or text Rapid Business Plans office line at 904.999.3133.

by Elizabeth Denham

The Crisis

“Mentorship is absolutely critical, especially in this time of coronavirus. It goes back to the idea of never stopping learning.”

IFA Chair and FASTSIGNS® CEO Catherine Monson has taken her leadership roles to a new level during the COVID-19 pandemic which has impacted every business across every industry. From webinars to videos and from early preparation to constant communication and support she has not, for one moment stopped trying to protect her people. She continually supports her franchisees and ensure the franchising community will weather the storm and come out strong and intact.

“We have had to address issues from both a practical standpoint and an emotional one,” Monson said. “And the principles of success that I speak about are even more critical right now, especially the one about never stopping learning. While I always knew we would face another recession, I didn’t know it would be due to a worldwide health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, so we have had to continue learning and adjusting and pushing forward.”

Monson often speaks about what she believes are the Five Common Characteristics of Highly Successful People. Those characteristics are:

1. Positive Mental Attitude 2. Goal-Directed Behavior 3. Self Motivation 4. A Sense of Urgency 5. Never Stopping Learning

Emotional Support

When the pandemic began, Monson had a conference call with 500 franchisees to discuss the issues and offer reassurance. Her usual “Connect with Catherine” conference calls with her franchisees took place every eight weeks and have now become weekly calls. She began creating weekly videos for her franchisees to build their skills in focusing on what they can control, perseverance and resilience; she shared those with the IFA, which posted them on their coronavirus site for membership. IFA members responded positively and at the request of the IFA senior team, she has made and distributed videos specifically for the IFA membership discussing courage, self-talk and keeping a positive mental attitude, to name a few. She has shared her story of overcoming struggles, and she has encouraged bravery.

Scared is what I’m feeling. Brave is what I’m doing. “

“Scared is what I’m feeling. Brave is what I’m doing,” she said in one video as she continually encourages leaders to rise to the challenge. She guides organizations to use the power of courage and positive thinking to push out fearful and negative thoughts and meet each day anew.

Practical Support

 

As FASTSIGNS® CEO, Monson has analyzed operations, supply chain and the reality of remote working and social distancing. She has provided guidance and instruction to her franchise network on how to pivot and produce COVID-oriented signage and other products19-. She has provided guidelines for using remote platforms, offered best practices for working from home and helped with navigating a recession.

“A year-and-a-half ago, I had the team begin working on a document called, ‘How to Weather the Next Recession,’” she said. “It was 95 percent done last summer. Seventy-five percent of it applies to all businesses and the other 25 percent to the signage industry. We pulled it out, polished it and renamed it, ‘How to Weather the Next Economic Storm or Time of Uncertainty.’ We sent it out several weeks ago. It includes specific and detailed action steps to build sales, reduce expenses and improve cash flow.”

FASTSIGNS® created a special website solely to support franchisees during this pandemic called the “Prepared” site. It includes a deep collection of information on operations, technology, supply chain, real estate support, sales support and COVID-19-specific marketing materials. Franchisees send in photos of the signs and products they are selling and share success stories, all of which are posted to the “Prepared” site, inspiring and motivating fellow franchisees. The site also includes educational information about social distancing and provides artwork for the stores to sell to customers about social distancing, new business practices, etc.

FASTSIGNS® has also begun offering sneeze guards and safety barriers to protect employees of essential businesses, face guards for essential workers and even intubation shields to keep medical workers safe. gressional Leadership, the White House and with Steve Mnuchin on legislation to help save small businesses; the IFA was instrumental in getting many franchise businesses protection in the CARES Act. The IFA is providing daily webinars— often two to three a day— for everyone on the IFA member list. The webinars are designed for franchisees and franchisors and provide ideas and advice on how to navigate this crisis. The IFA has brought in franchisors, suppliers and franchisees to offer advice and provide tools.

“Our goal is to provide value to every IFA member,” Monson said. “We want them to know we are here for them during this crisis and beyond. And together, we will get through it and come out even stronger.”