Franchise New Zealand | Autumn 2026 | Year 35 Issue 01
52
Greg Nathan reveals what makes the top
performers stand out in any franchise
In this issue, there’s lots of information about what makes particular franchise
systems successful, as well as interviews with some of the country’s top
franchisees. So, what do they all have in common – and what can you take
away that will increase your chances of success in your chosen franchise?
A few years ago, the Franchise Relationships Institute asked some senior
franchisor executives what their highest performing franchisees do that
enables them to achieve superior sales performance. Here’s what we
discovered about the seven habits of top franchisee sales performers.
1. They actively engage with their local communities and collaborate
with other local businesses.
Rather than passively donating money or products, top franchisees find a way
to extract value from their relationship with community groups. They turn up
to football matches to present prizes. They find ways to encourage kids and
parents to use their business. They also network vigorously with other local
business owners, particularly those that share a similar type of customer.
The Franchise Association of New Zealand considers this to be such an
important aspect of creating successful franchises that they present an annual
award to the franchisee and franchise system for Excellence in Community
Contribution. Last year that award was won by Kelly and Jess Bain of The
Coffee Club Ōmokoroa, who then went on to win both the Retail & Hospitality
Franchisee of the Year and the Westpac Supreme Franchisee of the Year awards.
2. They coach staff on the specific behaviours that drive sales and
customer satisfaction.
Top franchisees understand their customer journey intimately. They know
the moments of truth that, if handled well, delight their customers and, if
handled badly, alienate them. For instance, the warm welcome immediately
as a customer enters their shop, as opposed to being ignored while staff are
looking at their phone. Or the paraphrasing of what a customer needs, as
opposed to assuming and getting it wrong. And they constantly reinforce
these behaviours.
3. They set challenging goals and seek feedback and ideas from their
field manager and peers.
There is a thinking style called a Growth Mindset that enhances performance.
Top franchisees have a Growth Mindset. They enjoy putting in the effort
required to achieve success, and they enjoy setting goals that stretch
them. They also adopt an attitude of genuine curiosity to learn from other
franchisees who are achieving sales success, and they seek feedback from
others on how they can improve.
4. They create a vibrant internal culture that inspires high levels of
brand passion in their team.
Every business has a culture – an accepted way of doing things. This includes
how people approach problems, talk about customers, and work together.
Top franchisees understand that the culture starts with them, and they model
the behaviours they expect from their team. They understand that how they
show up each day is probably the single most important factor for inspiring
their team to do their best.
5. They obsessively focus on understanding and staying connected to
their existing customers.
Top franchisees never take existing customers for granted. And they
understand that some customers deserve extra attention because they are
more valuable to the business. Maybe they spend more, buy more often,
promote the business to friends or family, or are just a pleasure to deal with.
Not only do these franchisees take the time to understand the profile of these
customers and categorise them in their CRM; they put aside time regularly to
stay in touch.
7 HABITS
OF TOP
FRANCHISEES
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