Yes We Can! And Yes We Will!

John Hayes opens Annual Convention with a vision for HVA John Hayes tells franchisees "Yes We Will!" 2008 CONVENTION PHOTO GALLERY   If determination can dictate success, then the now-famous slogan of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is a perfect mantra for the HVA vision. That’s how HVA President and CEO John Hayes opened the general session of the 12th Annual Convention. While acknowledging a tough year and a shaky economy, Hayes rallied a room full of franchisees at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He emphasized that “no one is entitled to a successful business.” But he quickly followed up with the fact that even the biggest obstacles couldn’t keep top franchisees down this year. “We’re optimistic, creative, determined, persistent and passionate about our business,” Hayes said.  The challenge, he explained, was learning how to manage change. And then he inspired the crowd with examples. “Many people here do get it. They made more money in this current market than in the old market of the cherished past,” Hayes shared. Take Todd Reid of Nosara in Atlanta, GA. Reid’s goal began a year ago. He wrote on a piece of hotel stationery and gave it to Hayes at the HVA convention in Orlando. There, on a tiny piece of paper, was a road map for the entire next year: to buy 72 houses, an 85 percent improvement over the previous year, and to sell 72 houses, a 71 percent improvement. He did even better when he bought 112 houses during the convention year! “Yes we can. And, yes, they did.” Hayes said. From left, Ken Channell, Scott Bowling and Paul D'Angelo whip the crowd into a frenzy with their version of "Viva, HomeVestors!" during a general session performance. 2008 CONVENTION PHOTO GALLERY   Too over-the-top? Okay, then there was David Bickford in Richmond, VA, a person who didn’t Get It until a challenge came his way that coached him in the right direction…literally. Hayes, who visited Bickford in February, told him to work with an FSM for six months. If the business didn’t improve, Hayes promised to pay for the FSM fees. “Unfortunately, we will not be able to collect,” Bickford wrote in the end. That’s because regular calls with FSM Holly Puig resulted in buys, sales and profits as the franchisee learned to follow the system, hire effective talent and work with determination. “Yes we can. And, yes, they did.” Hayes said. These stories were just a small glimpse of what franchisees achieved under the toughest economic conditions. And they did it with the help of the HVA system, FSMs, coaching, marketing, and an unquestionable amount of determination. “We’ve been through another ugly year,” confessed Hayes. “Blame it on whatever you want.” But it was clear that many people built a beautiful business in response. Now was the time, according to Hayes, to look to those peers as mentors, to look to coaches and FSMs at corporate, to address change successfully and profitably like others. “Our job at HVA is to help more franchisees Get It,” Hayes shared. “No one has ever achieved peak performance without coaching. “Tiger Woods once fired his coach and went 18 months without a win, losing his top money position,” Hayes said. “What did he do to remedy that problem? He hired a new coach.” Then he went on to do even better. Hayes was enthusiastic that HVA could do even better too. With coaching, determination, the ability to address change and working together – the slogan in next year’s general session could be: YES WE DID! . . . Monica Feid is vice president of BizCom Associates, HVA’s public relations agency.