INTERVIEW
but using Sandler assessments we found Shaun is big-picture person; he always has a clear destination in mind. I need detail and process. But now we know this, there are no (well, not many) accusations of ‘why are you doing that?’ More ‘would the big-picture person mind sharing what is in his mind so that we schedule some time to put the details and the timeframe together?’”
“I wasn’t sure we could work together. Shaun is a big-picture person – I need detail and process”
The future of Sandler Training in the UK certainly looks bright. Fiona and Shaun hope to continue the steady growth they have experienced so far: “We are looking to increase to 52 in the next five-to-seven years. Geographical coverage is important to us so that our clients can all be serviced locally, but we need the right people.”
they see them, but to be successful they need to practice over time with help and support.”
Fiona and Shaun ran the pilot Sandler UK business in Oxford, and have tailored the franchisee offering based on their experiences. Fiona says: “We have never asked anybody to do anything we have not done ourselves. We understand how scary the first few months can be in a new venture, and how support needs to be ongoing. As a franchisee’s business evolves they will have different requirements. If there are new products or tools available, we need to make it easy for them to use them.” Sandler in Oxford is still very much a family
affair – arguably now even more so – as the couple’s daughter, Anneli, has joined the training centre as managing director. “Our daughter runs the business with flair and enthusiasm, and apparently she does it much better than us! We had not expected to become a family business but we love it. We are a member of FIB [Families in Business] and there are some amazing family businesses out there – over two million, generating a total of £540billion!” Family businesses are well established in
the franchise world as family members will often have in-built loyalty and a shared end- goal. Couples can work really well since each half can take on a different role according to their strengths, which seems to be the case for Fiona and Shaun. She explains: “I wasn’t at all sure we could work together,
This is perhaps why Sandler UK has been so successful thus far – Fiona and Shaun have a clear idea of the character franchisees need. “We look for individuals who have experienced success in the past. They need to enjoy speaking in front of a room of people. They need drive and ambition and humility – I say that because in our business we are the Sherpas; we do the heavy lifting for our clients; they are the climbers, not us. There is no room for ego in our world.” n
Franchisee Nick Menege Franchisor News | 29
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