July Franchise Coach of the Month: Susan Scotts

We’re proud to introduce career coach Susan Scotts as our July pick for Franchise Coach of the Month!

Susan is a highly respected Career Transition Coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source with many awards under her belt, including 2018’s  Consultant of the Year.  With nearly 30 years of experience in franchising, Susan’s been involved with just about every aspect of the industry,  including publishing books, hosting presentations, conducting public speaking/sales training, marketing- and everything in between! She focuses her coaching around the idea that anyone can have their dream career and life, and helps to manifest this mindset in her clients as well.

Susan’s transition into career coaching stemmed from years of frustration in her own career;  an experience that has helped her relate to her clients as they come out of corporate America and work toward owning their own business, where they can feel fulfilled, have a sense of purpose and experience the freedom and flexibility that come along with it as well!

Susan’s introduction to the franchising industry came at a franchise trade show she was attending. Her glowing personality and natural sales ability caught the eyes of a Franchisor who was so taken by Susan that she asked her to come work for her company. At a crossroads in her career and on the lookout for a new venture, Susan felt everything had perfectly aligned for her to take this position. During her 14 years in franchise development there, Susan established a strong relationship with The Entrepreneur’s Source, assisting in recruiting new Franchise Owners to their system- an experience that opened her eyes to career transition coaching.

Though Susan thoroughly enjoyed how her position in franchise development allowed her to empower others to achieve their professional dreams, she felt that there was little room for her to grow beyond her current role. Coaching with TES would allow her a more dynamic opportunity to look at a variety of different concepts for her clients and match them with the perfect one. She also enjoyed the freedom and flexibility to create her own schedule, work from home, care for her mother, travel, and enjoy other hobbies.

Since joining TES in 2009, Susan has helped hundreds of people better their lives through business ownership. While every single person she worked with has touched her life in one way or another, one of her favorite “stand-out” moments in her franchise coaching career was receiving a cookie bouquet from a client with a note that said “‘Thank you for changing my life! You’re changing the world one person at a time!’ She keeps this note on her desk to this day.

Susan has many takeaways from her time as a franchise career coach, but her top 3 MUST-DO’s for coaches are:

1- Listen
It sounds simple, but it is so true! Susan explains, “I don’t talk – I listen when I need to.” When people are looking to completely change their lives by investing in a franchise concept, there will inevitably be fear and concerns, and as a Coach, it is your job to address them in such a way that instills confidence and demonstrates that you genuinely care. Every client is different. This is not a “one size fits all” type of situation. The answer for one will not be the same as the answer for another. By truly learning about your client and discovering what makes them tick, their “why,” and their motivations, you will be able to answer them in a way that instills trust and strengthens the relationship.

2- Involve the Spouse
Whether or not your client has a spouse that will be involved in the business, they are still 50% (or more!) of the final decision. By involving the spouse from the very beginning, they will get to know you and see that you want the very best for them and their partner. You will also be able to address their concerns earlier on in the process, rather than have a roadblock come up just as they’re getting close to the finish line.

3- Excellent Follow-Up
Being in close contact with the development team as your client progresses through the education process and even beyond as they work through the steps to open their business is imperative to thriving as a Coach. You never know if they may want to expand their portfolio down the line, and you want them to come to you when they decide to do so. They should have full confidence that you are truly interested in their future. For this reason, Susan is highly appreciative of the communication between Raintree’s development team as they work with her clients, providing deep and detailed information following each call. It makes a world of difference. As Susan puts it, “a great consultant is genuinely interested in the success of their clients, so they appreciate the follow up from the development team more than you know!”

Consistently implementing these three key imperatives has been instrumental in Susan’s long-term success.

Congratulations, Susan, on being named Raintree’s July Coach of the Month and adding this title to your list of prestigious awards! We look forward to continuing to work with you as you “empower individuals to ‘make a life, not a living’ through franchise self-sufficiency!”