5 Behaviors of Truly Genuine People in Franchising

Whether you’re building a franchise, a network, or friendships, you always want to look for people who are genuine. Genuine people are more or less the same on the inside as their behavior is on the outside. They're authentic, sincere and truthful. Unfortunately, it's can be a tough quality to discern. To help you identify these genuine people in franchising, 1851 Franchise recommends keeping your eye out for the following.

They speak the truth, and their actions reflect what they say

A genuine person will do what they say they’re going to do, and they don’t tend to exaggerate. They meet their commitments. Sean Fitzgerald, Chief Development Strategist at No Limit Agency*, offered some insight.

“With potential franchise candidates, don’t always go off of what they say, go off of what they actually do. If someone can follow your process, that’s great, but on the other hand, if they miss phone calls or go back and forth on things, that could be a sign that they’re not ideal for following your system,” Fitzgerald said.

They value themselves without being overly modest or boastful

If someone is confident of their strengths, they don’t need to brag about them. They’re also straightforward about what they have to offer. A genuine person won’t let you get away with cutting them a bad deal. That's because they know their worth, and they won't stand for being devalued. But that doesn't mean they're self-serving—by setting these standards for themselves, they're ultimately speaking up for the greater good of the company, too.

They’re consistent

You might describe genuine people as being reliable and predictable (in a good way). If someone is interested in joining a franchise system, they’ll go through several conversations before both the franchisee and franchisor will decide if it’s a good fit. Unlike a typical job interview, a franchisor could have up to 20 conversations with someone before the candidate even comes in for a Discovery Day.

Noelle Burak, Franchise Development Manager at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK*, believes that enough conversations and time spent with someone will provide enough insight into how reliable and consistent they really are.

“Everyone has to go through the same process when joining our franchise,” she said. “Each step of the process is equally important and works together to confirm if someone is a good fit for the brand and the brand is a good fit for them.”

They place meaning over money

Putting your entire life savings into a franchise can really pull at the heart strings—that’s why, it’s important to seek a balance between what will work financially and what your heart really wants to be a part of. Genuine people have a firm understanding that money is not a measure of anyone's worth, but rather, it's a tool meant to help people pursue their dreams. They know how to make decisions with both their head and their heart.

They surround themselves with like-minded people

You're only as good as the company you keep. It might be an overused phrase, but it still holds huge meaning—especially in the world of business, where dishonest people can be a dime a dozen. Ultimately, the best way to judge the worth of a person is to look at who they relate to. If their social and industry network is filled with honest, well-intentioned people, chances are they embody those same characteristics, too.