Tag Archives: communication

Always Coming Up With the Next Big Thing: Social Media Pushed Further



Companies are now finally taking advantage of all the benefits that social media has to offer and using it as an effective channel to reach out to their consumers in their personal space. As social media advances, brands should always be looking for the “next big thing” in the industry—a way to WOW their loyal customers.





Verizon has just launched two new products that will be sure to intrigue their customers: the Widget Bazaar application store and Internet Video on TV, which both are communication sources through social media, increasing the realm of communication, becoming commonly known as social TV. Using Verizon’s new social media service, FiOS, people can update their status messages through their TV and read people’s thoughts about a specific topic. Social media is now being pushed from the computer to the TV, giving consumers’ access no matter what room in the house they decide to sit down.





Internet Video on TV is a collection of widgets that allows FiOS subscribers to connect with other users while they are watching TV and follow information released from those people about the specific program they are watching. Users can also select from a list of most popular topics that allow them to view “tweets”, threads, and articles, on a certain topic or trend. This can be used through Twitter, Facebook, ESPN and other social networking programs as well.



This is just one example of a brand innovating themselves to appeal to their audience and as a business owner or franchisor, this should be something that your brand is always striving for. These newsworthy new developments are what get your customers talking about your brand and always waiting for the next product/service you launch. It is very important as a business owner to have your team constantly developing new methods of reaching your audience because you want to be communicating with your consumers, wherever they are communicating.



-Posted by Carrie Magelowitz @CarrieMag

When Looking for the Perfect Sales Team – Improvise

Headlines. Born to reel you in. Built to make you last. Well, at least built to keep you reading the story. Did mine successfully do that? If you have made it this far, then, well, yes – mission accomplished. Let us roll.

When looking for the perfect sales team, improvise. What exactly does that mean? Well, more so look and hire conversationalists who understand the art of improvisation, or if you must, backtrack and teach your team the art. Hmm. Where am I going with this?

I was thinking about what makes sales teams fail. What characteristics are missing from franchise sales teams that say, “we get 1,000 leads a day,” but then only close, well, zero. Leads but no sales intrigues me. This means there is some strong characteristic missing from the sales process. A communication characteristic.

If someone walks into a Panera, they are looking to buy a meal or a coffee. They are wanting to spend their money. Can’t the same be same for franchise sales? If someone, qualified of course, makes it to discovery day or even a phone call, that means they want to spend their money on your brand. As CEOs, examine how many leads get to second base but never score (no I am not being dirty). Is your sales team closing the deals?

I have an idea – and it all circles back to full circle communication – this progressive communication process I am pushing on my clients. Send your sales team to a improvisation class. In fact, send anyone who communicates with customers or potential franchisees to a class – or bring someone in house. Let me continue.

Think about how many conversations you have in a day, whether that be telling a story about your weekend or communicating an annoyance with unit sales. The bottom line is that you communicate all day long. If you are a bad communicator, that can make for a bad brand. How do you communicate?

Your franchise sales team can practice their sales pitches all day long, but when another person (potential franchisee) is added to the equation, how do they close the deal? Can they turn a list of questions into a conversation?

When I was working as a journalist, I never brought notes to an interview, whether that be on the phone or in-person. I felt that if I had questions written out, the interview would become very stagnate and boring. How, do, you, feel, about, being, famous? BORING. But if I could turn the interview into a conversation where notes were not necessary, chances were I was able to get my interviewee to open about any topic I wanted. I was like a puppeteer at that point. I was a closer.

That is the art of improvisation: Reacting to what the other person does, rather than scripting the outcome and thus stumbling.

So, again, I ask: How many leads are your sales teams closing? If the percentage is low, try something different. Teach them the art of improvisation, the art of communication. Perhaps these leads are getting lost at, well, “hello”. And perhaps if you had better communicators for your brand, ie. sales team, then perhaps you would close many more deals and live up to the large expectations you have for growth.