Optimizing your conventions

Earlier this year, Ingage Consulting, Speak! and Franchise Business Review conducted a survey of 200 franchisors regarding their franchisee conferences. With those results as the catalyst, we put together a three-part series of articles for Franchise Update on how franchisors can improve their conferences and use the momentum and knowledge gained from those events to improve operations year round.For example, one key tidbit (we don’t want to give away the entire article) is about focusing the key messages at your convention. You want to narrow down the key messages of your conference to three key points or less. All the activities and speakers over the course of the conference should reinforce those points. You want to avoid the trap of trying to communicate too much. Too many messages almost always assure poor communication.Recently, I attended a convention where and I listened to a speaker deliver 17 key points in 15 minutes. I was more engaged than most of the attendees and I would have flunked the quiz at the end if someone had asked me what I was supposed to remember.I know it is very difficult to keep an organization to three key points, however, it is extremely important. As an additional thought, if you can’t keep your conference down to three key points, you have strategic and focus issues, too.