1851

Any of you who have followed me or this column know that I am highly focused on the power of longevity, especially as it relates to relationships. While partly na&#239;ve, I have this vision of only working with brands and people who desire a long-term relationship, not a short-term solution. This vision is not easy to attain. Just like every other business, we still lose customers, even when we feel we did everything right, because frankly, it just wasn&#8217;t a match. Two years ago, we put in a quarterly grading structure at our agency, No Limit, to try to gain insight into what was working and what was not. I have written about this in many previous columns. While collecting feedback last year, I saw an incredible hole in our grading system. We were asking for relationship, service and results, but had been leaving out the score on strategy. Since adding strategy to the grading process, I learned that strategy was not just in the positioning of a brand, a story, a product or a growth plan&#8212;it was also in the strategy of leading relationship, service and results. Within my discovery, even when we, as an agency, were delivering higher quality in each of the initial three categories, we were still missing the value of the hard reset at the grading points. We were asking them to grade us, but not asking us to have a clean slate to start fresh and earn a better score. Perhaps part of this is me being hard on our agency&#8212;but, we have this collective vision to be the best midsized agency that ever existed, therefore, this was necessary to improving our relationship, service and results. I think the hard reset is not used enough in business. Far too often, businesses let things go until the situations just run their courses. I, however, believe stopgaps can be put in place to protect the possibility of a forever relationship. Stopgaps can also come in all shapes and sizes: Customer service solutions, in-person meetings and, most importantly, listening. This philosophy doesn&#8217;t just have to be applied to business&#8212;it can be applied to every part of life. The hard reset should give everyone involved in a business relationship or personal relationship the opportunity to take a deep breath, talk through constructive criticism and come out of that moment in better shape. The hard reset certainly works (most of the time) with technology. It should also work with us as humans. Many of us are afraid to hear that feedback, but fundamentally and foundationally, feedback, stopgaps and hard resets can be a simple solution to continuing a relationship.<div>The point is, in life or in business, don&#8217;t let things run the course&#8212;interject. Whether it&#8217;s with an agency partner, a franchisee, a co-worker, a boss, a friend, a neighbor, a husband, or a wife, there will never be any danger in asking for another try. The worst thing that can happen is a &#8220;no.&#8221;&nbsp;</div>

1851 Franchise

A hard reset can give your business a clean slate. 

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

The Value of the Hard Reset   

the-value-of-the-hard-reset

Right at Home

Right at Home franchise, senior care franchise, in home senior care

Right at Home Senior Care Franchise Expands In-Home Services Across St. Louis

right-at-home-senior-care-franchise-st-louis-missouri

Homewatch CareGivers

How Zahra Humecki Found a New Career As A Multi-Brand Franchisee Via Homewatch CareGivers and The Cleaning Authority

zahra-humecki-homewatch-caregivers-the-cleaning-authority-multi-brand-franchise

Mellow Mushroom

Chatham Star-Tribune: Local Operators to Bring Mellow Mushroom to Danville in 2026

mellow-mushroom-danville-franchise

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of two HomeTeam inspectors standing together, looking at tablet

HomeTeam Inspection Service Closes 2025 With 10% Revenue Growth, Poised for Stable Winter and Busy Spring

revenue-growth-2025

Dillas Quesadillas

Beyond Fast Casual: How Dillas Primo Quesadillas Is Leading the QSR+ Revolution

beyond-fast-casual-how-dillas-primo-quesadillas-is-leading-the-qsr-revolution

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

California Pizza Kitchen’s Sale Is the Latest in the Era of PE-Backed Turnarounds in Franchising

california-pizza-kitchens-sale-is-the-latest-in-the-era-of-pe-backed-turnarounds-in-franchising

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

Do You Qualify? A Look at the Chick-fil-A Franchise Requirements

do-you-qualify-a-look-at-the-chick-fil-a-franchise-requirements

The Top 15 Pet Wellness and Vet Care Franchises for 2025

top-pet-wellness-franchise-opportunities

The Top 15 Pet Supplies and Retail Franchises for 2025

the-top-15-pet-supplies-and-retail-franchises

The 15 Top Pet Grooming Franchises To Consider for 2025

the-15-top-pet-grooming-franchises-to-consider

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

The Value of the Hard Reset

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS