In my role at Graff Retail, I speak to Store Managers on a daily basis.  At some point in the conversation we end up “talking shop” and managers share their biggest challenges with me (kind of like a retail therapy session!). 

I’ve learned over time that the challenges aren’t unique from manager to manager and, since I am in charge of our award-winning online retail training system at Graff, I happen to have access to a ton of tried and true techniques to take a manager from struggling to ALL-STAR!

In short order, here are 8 things you need to do to ensure you’re an All-Star this Christmas selling season.

1.       Start conducting shift starter meetings

Shift Starter Meetings are your first and best opportunity each day to coach your staff and get better results. They are short, high impact meetings or one-on-one conversations that happen at the beginning of each shift. In just 3 to 5 minutes, you get your staff started out of the gate quickly by clearly defining expectations and goals, providing feedback on performance, informing your staff of key promotions and new products, recognizing top performance and more! Store management should run about 25% to 35% of the meetings. Have your staff lead the rest and keep them involved!  In a nutshell, they are perfect coaching opportunities to increase your store’s results.

2.       Walk the store with your team every day

After your shift starter, commit to talking a brisk walk through the store with your staff every day.  Along the walk, discuss new products and new product placement, point out any standards issues that might need attention throughout the day, identify items that are sold out or are low in inventory, and if there’s time, choose a few hot items and get your staff to ‘sell’ them to you to keep them on their selling toes!

3.       Get out of the backroom

If you are bogged down by paperwork and find that you spend most of your time buried in the backroom, get out of there right now!  A backroom manager is never a successful manager.  Administrative functions are not your priority.  How can you run your store successfully when you can’t even see or hear what’s going on? 

4.       If you aren’t talking it up, start talking it up!

We know that whatever gets talked about the most, is what your staff will focus on.  So, if your sales are down, ask yourself, “Have I been discussing sales and sales goals lately?”  Selling has to be talked about…goals for total sales and key metrics like average sale, items per sale and conversion rates. Don’t forget to coach the sales behaviours that are behind these metrics.  If you want to see your sales increase, you have to talk about all-things-selling all the time. 

5.       Know that you are only as good as your team

If you aren’t continually growing and improving your team, you aren’t growing and improving either.  When I was a Store Manager, I would always be striving to work myself out of a job.  The more developed and cross-trained my staff was, the better my store performed and it always reflected back positively on my own individual performance.  So, if you aren’t continually training and coaching your staff (even staff who have been with you forever), you’re losing at this game.  You have to know that you are never done developing your team. 

6.       Don’t try to do it all yourself

Once you get on board with the whole idea of continually training and coaching your staff, you can start to delegate with confidence.  Don’t play the martyr role and try to do everything yourself.  We all know that you’re just doing that because you don’t trust your staff to do it as well as you.  If you don’t start delegating, you’ll end up with an un-promotable team…and that looks bad on you!

7.       Don’t be afraid of conflict

Conflicts are usually very stressful for a Store Manager.  Little things like a staff member repeatedly coming in late, or a sales associate not dressed appropriately for his/her shift, or even two staff members bickering on the sales floor, can stress out the management team and certainly get in the way of productivity.  Most people are afraid of conflict, but when it comes to leading your retail team, it’s in your best interest to learn how to have these more difficult conversations with your staff and don’t procrastinate.  Have the discussion in the moment each and every time.  You’ll find that these non-productive behavioural issues will start to subside and you’ll find yourself with more time to deal with your top priorities!  If you need help with this, we dedicate an entire lesson to it inside our Get Managing online training system!

8.       Selling stuff is your #1 priority

Retail Store Managers wear a lot of hats and sometimes, despite your best laid plans, your day will often go off the rails.  If you really want to be a retail ALL-STAR Store Manager, implement these 8 best practices today and you will notice successes in every area by Christmas…if not earlier!  And, if you want to really get serious about it, I encourage you to find out more about our Get Managing online training system!

Mary Gordon and Kim McCutcheon have been supporting retail front lines for as long as they can remember. A dynamic duo, Mary and Kim understand what it takes to make training work at store level and know how to inspire, coach and support retail teams in all of their training endeavours.

The title of this blog is actually contained in my signature line on my emails.  That’s a pretty recent addition that began a couple of months ago when we changed the tone of ‘why’ we do what we do here. 

When I put that addition into my signature line, I wasn’t expecting to move mountains or create a lot of discussions.  But, I’ve had more than a few comments come back my way related to it.

The funny one was, “I touched my phone, moved my coffee cup, and inspired myself to take a nap!”.  Loved that one!

One client called and asked me if I was now growing a beard, moving to the mountains and meditating.  No to the beard and mountains, but I have been meditating for a while.

I’ve had more than a few reply back that it made them think, and best of all act to actually try to ‘touch, move and inspire’ someone in their life.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it?  Not of the signature line, but our life.  And it’s so simple to do on a daily basis if we can just, for a moment, stop thinking about ourselves.

Can you make the cashier or barista in front of you smile, feel important, appreciated?

Can you call someone special and let them know you believe in them?

Can you share something about your life with someone that would help them open up?

OK, let’s step back into the business of retail for a moment and apply this same philosophy to what we do every day.

Treat your customer like a real person … and be real yourself. You’ll be amazed at how often you can touch and move someone when you’re real.

Inspiring in your staff a brighter future because of your belief in them.

Sharing more about yourself with your teams, being more vulnerable, and in the process moving them to be more open themselves.

Explaining the ‘why’ behind the training you’re doing … to provide them with the skills and confidence they need in their life not just in the store, but outside of it too.

Whether you’re in Leadership or working the front lines, your true success will lie in your ability to do more than just drive sales, as important as that is.

So, ask yourself, “Who have you touched, moved and inspired today?”

Kevin Graff is the main guy behind all things Graff Retail. A renowned retail expert, Kevin is recognized in the retail industry as a speaker, author and expert trainer. Kevin’s main passion is to help retailers drive staff performance.

In the retail sector, we’re pretty good about holding our store managers accountable.  We crank out all kinds of objectives and measurements to make sure that each location can ‘hold its own’ as a separate business unit … and heaven help the Store Manager who isn’t up to snuff!

But are we just as diligent in holding District Managers accountable? 

Generally speaking, the answer is “No”.

When a district or region is under-performing compared to others, retailers aren’t nearly as quick to assess and address the impact of the territory manager.  Whether it’s because that role is perceived more as a supportive function than one of direct responsibility or we simply don’t establish and collect the necessary metrics to complete a proper territory evaluation, somehow the DM involved isn’t always held to task.  It’s time to correct that situation.

Now we’re not advocating that you go out tomorrow and ‘lower the boom’ on your DM’s.  They play a critical role in the success of your organization and their job is definitely not an easy one.  Such an important position, however, must be objectively reviewed on a regular basis.  Good performance must be recognized and poor results must be immediately addressed.

When stores are not hitting their assigned targets, the staff and managers are not always entirely to blame.  There are some fundamental basics beyond employee diligence, effort and attitude that have an impact on results.  For example, how does staff turnover compare with the rest of the company?  What emphasis is placed on consistent recruiting efforts?  Do employees receive regular and relevant training?  How is their compliance with company procedures and standards?

These are some of the areas where District Managers can and must focus significant and specific attention.  Where they are found lacking, poor store performance is sure to follow.  So don’t let things deteriorate.  Include these responsibilities in your DM evaluations and demand improvements as soon as deficiencies are identified.

Every position in your organization makes a substantial contribution to overall results.  If it didn’t, you would have eliminated it (hopefully!) a long time ago.  Therefore, it’s only fair that each one is held accountable for its results. 

Reward your people for their achievements at every opportunity … and establish an action plan for anyone who isn’t cutting it.  These are a few of the critical ingredients for long-term success.  Ignore them at your peril!

We’ve trained thousands of District Managers over the years.  What’s amazes us is that very few had ever had any training on how to do the job of a DM.  What also amazes us is that very few had a system in place that clearly defined objectives for success and a process for evaluating their performance.

What amazes us even more though is how critical the DM position is to driving results in the territory.  There are thousands of DMs out there working hard every day.  Give them the support they need to succeed … and measure them to ensure they are delivering the results you need.

Kevin Graff is the main guy behind all things Graff Retail. A renowned retail expert, Kevin is recognized in the retail industry as a speaker, author and expert trainer. Kevin’s main passion is to help retailers drive staff performance.

Last week I had a chance to spend five days out on the sales floor of one of our favourite retailers.  I wasn’t selling or servicing customers, if that’s what you’re thinking.  The Graff Team was invited to produce a custom training video, so naturally, we used the actual store as the backdrop for the video.  But, I’m not here to talk about the amazing video we were producing.  I’m more excited to dish on my observations from the sales floor. 

I have to say, I’ve been in retail for over 25 years and it’s been a while since I’ve seen a store run so well.  The trade secrets I’m about to share are not-so-secret.  These are the basics that are so easily forgotten.  But, it’s these basics that will ensure your store runs like a fine-tuned machine…and let me tell you, this store ran like a fine-tuned machine! 

1.       The Management Team Leads by Example

No “backroom managers” at this store!  Every day, the leadership was out on the floor talking to customers, “directing traffic” and supporting their team.  They weren’t cozied up in the backroom.  I saw managers joining their staff in tasks, working with customers and doing on-the-floor coaching with their team members…every day like clockwork.  This set the tone for the store and was a very strong part of their culture.  

2.       The Store was Pristine

When our production team arrived a day ahead of schedule to scout locations in the store, their feedback said it all.  Our cameraman thought for sure the store was brand new; set to open the next day.  That’s how great the store looked!  Asides from general housekeeping, the shelves were replenished, signage was perfect, and every item on every shelf was front faced.  Of course, we had asked that the store be prepared for the shoot, but when I complimented the Store Manager on just how fantastic the store looked, his response was “Thank you, but this is the way it always looks so we are always ready for our guests!” 

3.       Everyone Took Ownership

One of the more rare things I noticed was how everyone on the team took ownership over their area of the store.  Everyone knew their role and played it so well.  It felt like a family-run business, but on a bigger scale.  It was as though everyone had a personal investment in the store and took pride in even the smallest of tasks.  If you can achieve this type of culture and attitude amongst your team, I believe the rest will just fall into place. 

4.       Cashiers Greeted Everyone

The check-out area was at the front of the store.  This is a typical layout in a store with a larger footprint.  It’s common to see the cashier team busied by just clerking customers through the till and the idea of greeting customers entering the store isn’t even on their radar.  Not here.  The cashier team greeted everyone, every day…including our team, without fail.  This was actually amazing to witness. 

5.       The Staff Was Genuinely Happy

I had the pleasure of speaking to the majority of the team during our visit last week.  Whether chatting with them on their break in the backroom or asking questions to gain some insights on our video project while out on the sales floor, this team was actually happy.  You could tell they were happy to be at work.  When we’re on location like this, inevitably we get to know the staff as the week unravels.  Sometimes, guards come down and the “truths” come out about how they feel about their jobs, their tasks, or even their leadership.  This team had only positive feedback across the board.  For me, this was quite telling.  This is a tell-tale sign of a retailer who knows what they are doing! 

It was a true pleasure to see this retail team in action.  I’m thankful to be reminded of the simple things that make for a winning retail environment.  So, if you have forgotten what it takes to run your store like a fine-tuned machine, look at these five areas and work on getting back to the basics!  

Mary Gordon and Kim McCutcheon have been supporting retail front lines for as long as they can remember. A dynamic duo, Mary and Kim understand what it takes to make training work at store level and know how to inspire, coach and support retail teams in all of their training endeavours.

I’ve ranted and raved for years about the lack of compliance on standards at store level.  Retail’s inability to have the stores meet basic store standards costs the business sales, margin, customer loyalty and more.  Doesn’t it seem to be simple enough to get the staff to greet customers, maintain merchandising standards, dress properly, show up on time and sell properly?  Well, apparently not!

For years we’ve preached about the 5 things you need to do to get compliance on standards:  Ensure your staff Understands the standards, has the Ability to meet them, are Engaged, Measure compliance rates continually and instill Accountability measures.   That’s still absolutely right and what’s required. 

However it’s not enough. Obviously.

Two essential elements are typically missing:  Personal Accountability and a Culture of Accountability.

You’ll never get your stores, or anyone, to be accountable unless you’re Personally Accountable.  Playing the ‘blame game’ is the norm, where everyone and everything else is to blame for everything that goes wrong.  Unless you begin with “What could I do to make this better?” you’ll never move forward.  Stop asking who’s to blame, why it happened and when it will be fixed.  Start asking how you can fix it and what you can do to make it better.

A Culture of Accountability is created when you move from a scenario where you hold your people to ‘account’, and they begin to feel ‘responsible’.  That’s a massive shift, and one that results in, finally, your stores running the right way.  What’s at the core of this Culture of Accountability?  Creating a relationship with your teams that is so strong that they would run through walls for you.  Not for the company.  For you.

So, ask yourself if you truly hold yourself Accountable, first.  Then, do some soul searching and ask yourself if your staff would run through a wall for you.

If you’re failing at achieving Accountability, then you’ll probably not like your answers to the questions above.

Kevin Graff is the main guy behind all things Graff Retail. A renowned retail expert, Kevin is recognized in the retail industry as a speaker, author and expert trainer. Kevin’s main passion is to help retailers drive staff performance.