Retail Contrarian

Jen, Jen, Jen: A Case Study

2010-02-03T11:45:31-05:00

Today's blog posting is an interactive case study to help you identify your coaching aptitude and skills. I encourage you to invest a little bit of extra time in yourself and complete the exercise.

Situation
Jen is one of your most productive, if not the most productive, part-timers. She's fantastic with customers. Jen's monthly UPT (units-per-transactions) and ADS (average daily sale) are always almost number one in the store.

Jen is very outgoing, almost outspoken. Her customers love her and are known to wait a longtime just to work with her. Jen's kids are grown and she's really only working for the fun of it, something she doesn't hesitate to remind everyone.

You recently announced to the staff that you want to put a higher emphasize on following-up with customers. You asked that all customers that made a purchase of $100 or more be sent a thank you card, and you'd like to see those who spent $500 or more receive a telephone call.

A month later most of the staff has gotten into the swing of the new guidelines. Just about everyone is getting their thank-you cards done, and although the calls aren't going as well as you hoped, there is some progress.

The only exception is Jen. Jen has only written a couple thank-you cards and hasn't attempted even one phone call. When you casually mention to Jen that she needs to get her thank-you cards out she snaps, "I know."

Two more weeks have passed and Jen still isn't setting the world on fire with customer follow-ups. You've also heard from two different employees that Jen has said how much she dislikes the new follow-up program and is thinking of resigning.

What would you do?

Share your response below on how you would address this situation. But here's my challenge for you. Don't tell what you think you should do or what you believe is the correct answer; tell me how you would really handle this?

If you have managers that work for you what would they do? You might send this to them and find out. This case study will also make a great conversation at a manager's meeting or on a conference call.

I will give you my thoughts and insights from our newsletter readers next week.

- Doug

Biorhythms, Moodiness, and Life's Ups and Downs

2010-01-27T06:16:57-05:00

Let's be honest here. There are days especially in late January that you want to look your customer in the eye and say, "I really don't care today" and walk away. You might even want to say something worse but since this is a family-friendly Weekly we won't go there. There are some days you simply aren't in the mood to do what you do.

Believe me, I can relate. Every now and then I want to publish a one-sentence newsletter that reads, "Had nothing to say." And I'm sure you've read a Weekly here or there and wished I had done just that. We all have a job to do, even when we're not in the mood to do it.

Wouldn't it be nice if, when you were in one of those moods, you could go up to your customer and tell him/her that you're mentally taking the day off? "Go ahead, look around and since I won't be helping you much it will be nice if you'll buy something to help me make my numbers." Then you could go back to thinking about that vacation you're planning or watching the clock tick so you can get on with your day.

Obviously we don't really say that to our customers. Or do we?

The biggest challenge for any retailer is consistency. It's difficult to deliver an extraordinary retail experience to every customer who walks in the door. We're all human. Call it biorhythms, moodiness, life's ups and downs, or whatever. The fact is that it is difficult to be Mr. or Ms. Retail Perkiness every minute of every day.

Unfortunately, customers don't plan their shopping around our biorhythms, moodiness, or life's ups and downs. We never know which customer walking in the door might be the biggest spender of the month or the most likely to tell others about their experience.

Think about how many times you've gone into a store in a good mood thinking you'll buy something and walked out empty-handed and in a foul mood. Yep, you got tangled up in some retail employee's biorhythms, moodiness, or ups and downs.

If your store is blowing away goal every single month then maybe - maybe - you can afford to have a "who cares" kind of day every now and then. Personally, I don't know any stores like that.

The biggest challenge for any retailer is to be consistent with every single customer who walks in the door. The key to success is to be consistent with every single customer who walks in the door. I think we know that it isn't easy to do.

There is, though, a list of actions you can take when "who cares" creeps up on you. It just so happens to be the same list of actions you should take with every customer or employee. There is only one fix for when we're not in the mood to give our best to a customer: trying to give our best.

So let me ask, do you attempt to deliver a great experience to every single customer no matter what kind of mood you're in?

It's okay to fall short in your delivery. It's not okay to fall short in the effort.

- Doug Fleener and Brian Sullivan

Aligning Expectations with Your Actions

2010-01-20T08:05:24-05:00

Last Thursday's Daily Retail Quote was one of the most downloaded and printed quotes in quite a while. The quote was, "A leader leads by example, whether he/she intends to or not." That clearly resonated with many of our subscribers.

As leaders, we know we lead by example, but we often think it is a timely or conscious decision. This quote reminds us that we're always leading by example. It's not something we turn on or off. Instead, it is something we're either aware of or not.

Any leader who tells his team, "do as I say and not as I do" is only fooling himself. Your team determines what's important by a combination of your actions and expectations. If the two aren't aligned, it communicates a lack of commitment and, not surprisingly, your employees aren't committed either.

Let me give you an example. When I was at Bose, a requirement of working in the store was to do a scripted product demonstration at the end of the Bose Music Theater show. One day I was watching one of my employees do a show and I noticed he left out part of the script.

I pulled him aside and asked why he didn't do the script as written. Much to my surprise, or maybe I should say horror, he said that I had been shortening up my script so he figured he was allowed to do the same. Yes, I had deviated from the script when I had other work to do but I never realized that anyone noticed. I learned my lesson on that one.

Aligning a leaders expectations and actions are especially important to the customer experience. A great customer experience is the result of many small actions, and if employees see a manager or owner not doing what's expected they will internalize, either consciously or unconsciously, that these small actions aren't important. The opposite is true when employees consistently see a leader do what is expected.

Do they see the leader warmly welcome customers when they enter the store? Do they hear the leader ask a customer a series of questions before they show a product? Do they see the leader always come out from behind the counter to present the customer their purchase?

How about you? Are your actions and expectations aligned? Remember, a leader leads by example, whether he/she intends to or not.

Download this leadership quote as a reminder.

Have You Told Them How Good They Are?

2010-01-13T06:18:12-05:00

At the end of Sunday's New England and Baltimore football game (well, actually it was more like a pounding than a game) the television commentator said that the Baltimore coach wouldn't have to work as hard this coming week as he had the previous week. It seems that Coach Harbaugh spent an awful lot of time telling his team how good they were, and clearly the 33-14 final score proved his point.

It reminded me once again that good storeowners and managers need to tell their teams that they're good at what they do. Most owners/managers fall into one of three categories.

Some owners and managers constantly let the team know how good they are but the performance doesn't necessarily reflect that. At first you might think it's because the team isn't as good as the owner/manager says it is. While that can certainly be the case, more often than not it's because the owner/manager isn't expecting enough.

I know I keep saying this but I'm going to say it again - there is a direct correlation between high expectations and specialty store results. People too often confuse mediocrity with high-performance. Managers and owners need to motivate their team to keep reaching for higher performance by nailing the basics of an extraordinary experience with every customer.

There is another group of owners and managers that have a really good team but never let them know. I once worked for a manager like that. He was a nice guy but the man never, ever, praised anyone or gave any positive feedback. He didn't give any developmental feedback of any sort. While this manager/owner may expect more from their team than the first type of owner/manager, the staff will never know it because no one ever tells them.

The best owners and managers tell the staff how good they are because, well, they are. They've set daily goals and the staff is either achieving them, or at the very least they're taking the actions necessary to reach the goal. Everyone on the team knows why he/she is being praised. Usually it's a combination of both team and individual focus and development.

I'm big on telling people how good they are because they're demonstrating right behaviors. This way, even if the results right now aren't always what we want to see, they eventually will be if the staff keeps showing that they're taking the actions necessary to get there. It's a big old wheel that the leader has to keep spinning.

Here's what I want you think about. In what area could you walk up right now and tell your team how good they are? Wait; before you head off to do this, what do you think they will say? Okay, now ask them. If their answer matches yours, you're right on the money. If they don't match, think about what developmental work you should be doing with the staff.

Go ahead; tell your team how good they are. I'm sure they've earned it.

-----------

At Dynamic Experiences Group we help good and even great companies to dramatically improve their sales and customer advocacy.

How? By

Dramatically improving the customer experience.
Help managers and owners to become better leaders.
Coach owners and executives to improve their organization.
Present high-energy high-impact programs

Your 2009 Difference - Part Two

2010-01-06T16:23:23-05:00

Last week I described the top five things the retailers I've worked and engaged with in 2009 learned and developed throughout the year. I hope you invested the time to identify your top five so that you can leverage them in 2010 and beyond.

But as I noted last week, it's just as important to see where you fell short, maybe missed an opportunity, or didn't take action when you should have or could have. I know a few people won't look at these shortcomings because it makes feel like they failed.

I think it's only a failure when you don't address areas that need improved. Call it a delayed reaction! It's all perspective isn't it?

So here are the top five things the retailers I've been engaged with this year need to improve on as they move into 2010.

1. Be more strategic in how they run their businesses. While this is true for both high-performing and struggling retailers, it's vital for those stores who aren't doing as well as they hoped. I still see too many companies that are in a slow death spiral and no one is working a well-defined plan to reverse it.

2. Address a major problem that is having a negative on the company and results. Most of the time this is a person, and sometimes it's a family member. Problems rarely go away on their own, no matter how much you try to avoid them or sweep them under the rug. It's not fun to deal with people issues but the pain of not dealing with them is a whole lot worse.

3. Become more aggressive in capturing and using customer contact information. Maybe obsessive is a better word. If you're not obsessive about building and adding to a customer database, you're not maximizing your opportunities and leaving money on the table.

4. Hold people more accountable. Way too many managers and owners let employees opt out of what are supposedly required activities and behaviors. If there's no accountability and consequences then those behaviors and actions are not required, they're optional. Rewarding and recognizing people is also important to maintaining high expectations and high performance.

5. Continue to challenge the staff to become even better. At the end of every month (or quarter) you should be able to review with every employee how he/she has grown and developed. A lot of people do this with under-performing employees, but they don't always push the good or great employees to become even better. It's amazing how great people can be if leaders encourage and lead them.

What about you? What can you learn from in 2009 and do better in 2010? Again, I encourage you to write them down and share them with someone else. Even more important, determine what one or two actions you'll take on each one to ensure you create the success you deserve.

So let me ask, as you close the books on 2009 are you ready to parlay that into an extraordinary 2010?

Your 2009 Difference - Part One

2009-12-30T12:55:18-05:00

Everywhere you turn this week you'll see stories about 2009. The "remember when" of top news stories, who died, who was arrested, politics, and just about any other topic from Tiger Woods to the economy.

Personally, I don't read or watch these stories since I've already lived through it once. Why spend time on something when you already know the outcome?

What's more important is to review your own story of 2009. That's the one that can make a positive difference in 2010.

Most people learn and experience more in a year than they ever realize. And therein lies the opportunity. By taking an inventory of how you developed as a leader, manager, employee, parent, spouse, and friend, you're able to see how you have grown in those areas.

Just as important is seeing how you fell short, missed an opportunity, or didn't take action when you should or could have. Many people can't do this because they internalize it as failing, but it's only failure when you don't try to learn from it. It's better to see whatever it is as a shortcoming that can be corrected and leveraged in the coming year.

I have worked with and engaged with a number of retailers over the last year. If I had to collectively sum them all up, these are the top five things these individuals learned and developed in 2009.

1. To create high performance you must have high expectations. As simple as this sounds, most people have high aspirations with little expectations.

2. Fix or remove under-performers. I can't tell you the number of times a client or reader told me they wished they had fixed or removed a problem employee sooner. No one ever told me they took action too quickly.

3. You have to be responsible for your own traffic. This was the year that a lot of specialty retailers figured out that hoping for walk-in traffic is not an effective strategy. Retailers who worked hard this year in communicating with and engaging this customer base on a regular basis were rewarded this past holiday.

4. Daily success comes from developing and motivating employees every day. Not a week or monthly meeting, not a memo or an email, but leaders leading at every opportunity. Not surprisingly, these are the staffs that performed at the highest level.

5. It's always, always, about the customer. This isn't something these retailers learned this year - it's something they've always known and have continued to put into practice in spite of the economy and other challenges.

How about you? What are the top five things you learned and experienced over the last 364 days? Invest in yourself and write them down. Even better, write them down and share them with someone else. (I'd love to hear them.) Celebrate your list as you carry these lessons and personal growth in to 2010.

Next week we'll look at the areas that retailers fell short, and what they can do to correct and benefit from in the year ahead.

That "Crazy" Lady with the Return

2009-12-22T17:48:39-05:00

I will never forget the "crazy" women who came in to The Sharper Image store I was managing. It was the day after Christmas and as the woman, accompanied by her college-age daughter, made her way towards the counter you could see she was not happy.

I met her before she made it to the counter and asked how I could her help her. She demanded to see the manager. When I told her I could help her she asked if I was the manager. I told her no, but I was the manager on duty. She looked at me with disdain and said, "I guess that will have to do."

She informed me that we had "ruined her Christmas" since the gift she had bought from us for her son didn't work when he plugged it in. She demanded to know what I was going to do about the ruined Christmas. Of course I apologized and told her how sorry I was that the product didn't work but I would be happy to replace it. She looked at me and said, "That's fine but I asked what you're going to do about the ruined Christmas."

I was pretty speechless. Other than replacing the product and apologizing I wasn't sure what else I could do. Long story short, she stomped out of the store with her new product but angry because we couldn't fix her ruined Christmas.

After she left I was standing on the floor talking to one of the sales associates about the crazy lady who wanted me to fix her holiday, ruined because of some defective product. While we were having a good laugh about the lady the daughter walked back into the store and approached me.

She said to me, "I want to apologize for how my mother just acted. Usually she's a very nice lady but she just gets so upset when everything at Christmas isn't perfect. You see, she didn't have much growing up so she now overcompensates with us kids. She was just so excited about giving my brother that pinball machine and when it didn't work she was more upset than my brother. I'm sorry." And she left the store.

It made me realize that our customers often have a big emotional investment in the holidays and when things don't go as they hope they can be extremely disappointed. The result is that they sometimes take out their disappointment on us. After the daughter left the store I realized I felt badly for the mother and decided that I would try to fix things. Later that day I called the mother and invited her to bring her son in the next day.

When they came to the store I presented her son with two small gifts that we had specially wrapped for him. You could tell he appreciated it but was a little taken back by the attention. I looked over at the mother and she was beaming from ear to ear, clearly pleased that we had fixed her Christmas. At that moment I knew we had done the right thing.

Remember, doing the right thing and making the customer happy doesn't mean you're admitting that you or your staff did anything wrong. You're just admitting that you like to do the right thing.

Our goal for the rest of December is:

1. Try to make as many customers happy as possible.

2. Turn returns into exchanges, and exchanges into sales.

3. Always try to do the right thing from the customer's perspective.

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas - or Happy Hanukkah - or if you have no holiday preference a Happy Day!

Doug and Brian

7 Ways to Maximize Every Holiday Opportunity

2009-12-16T06:15:47-05:00

Hard to believe it's a little over a week before Christmas. What you say and do with every customer between now and the end of the year has a huge influence on their experience and how well you maximize your customer opportunities.

Let me share with you some things to consider saying and doing with your customers - although I'd think long and hard before I actually used the first two.

You could try the threat method. "You either spend more or I take a hairdryer to the snowman."

The guilt approach does work but might be hard for most of us to pull off. "Only you know how good a husband you've really been. Should I keep showing you more items?"

Now for some more serious suggestions.

1. One way to be successful this week is to change your mindset about how you approach the customer. Instead of "showing" the customer something to buy, approach the customer with the attitude that you are there to help him/her select the right gift. Nobody should walk out empty handed. Here are some quick hits that will do just that and are sure to lead to an additional sale.

"This will be perfect."

"She/he will love this."

"You have to see this."

"I've got the perfect gift for him/her right over here."

2. Since you're helping the customer select gifts you should also assist them with their decision to buy. You also need to do this so you can serve as many customers as possible. To do so successfully, try a few of these effective lines.

"Shall I gift wrap that for you?"

"Why don't I put one behind the counter for you?"

"That's a great choice. Shall we go with that?"

3. One very effective way to sell more during the holidays is to ask questions that the customer will answer with a yes. When they do, it gives you perfect opening to complete the purchase of that item.

"Don't you think he's really going to like that?" (Customer answers yes.) "Great, I'll grab one so they don't sell out."

"Will she be thrilled to receive that?" (Customer answers yes.) "I agree. Do you want that gift wrapped?"

4. After a customer has decided on one item don't offer to show them additional similar items. Just keep showing them the rest of the fabulous products you sell.

"This will go perfectly with that."

"Now you just have to see this."

"I've got something else I know you'll want to see."

"Now look at this. . . . "

5. Once a customer decides on a product you can also find out if maybe that isn't also a good gift for someone else on their list.

"Do you have someone else on your list who would appreciate receiving this?"

6. And even though most people are out shopping for gifts, we all love to treat ourselves as well.

"How about treating yourself today?"

"Would you like one for you?"

"Now how about something for you?"

7. And last but not least, here are some things you don't want to say:

"Will that be all?"

"Feel free to think it over."

"If they don't like it they can always return it." I'm guilty of this one but it really is the lazy way to make sales. Why plant the seed that the gift will not be appreciated? If you need to say something at least say something like, "I'm sure they're going to love it but if for some reason they don't they can always exchange it."

Have an awesome week. Good luck and happy holiday selling.

- Doug Fleener and Brian Sullivan

Three and Sixteen Days to Go

2009-12-08T17:07:34-05:00

With three days until Hanukkah and sixteen selling days until Christmas, here are some quick thoughts and ideas to consider:

1. Take time over the next few days to check in with each employee and review his/her seasonal performance to date. Ask each employee to identify how they've best contributed to the results so far, and what one or two actions can they take to improve their performance even more. It takes constant improvement by each member of the team to create extraordinary holiday results.

2. Are you and your staff recommending or showing multiple products? Sometimes when associates show multiple products they unwittingly lead the customer to choose between products, not two or more of them. Avoid using the word "or." Say "and" or "both."

3. This is a great week to call your best customers and invite them in for some personal shopping time. You might consider having a special gift for them to demonstrate your appreciation for their loyalty.

4. If you have a business crowd who shops during the lunch hours you might offer sandwiches or a buffet to keep them in the store longer. If you have an email list you can promote this with a quick invitation to join you for a "holiday lunch while you shop."

5. Make a list of what you'd like to accomplish this week if you have a little extra time. Whenever the store is slow and you have plenty of staff, spend fifteen minutes working on your list. Then go back on the floor and wait for the next opportunity. You'll be amazed how much you can get done when you're ready to take advantage of a brief lull.

6. No matter what you're doing, if you are the owner or manager you need to always be the reference standard when working with a customer. Whether it's recommending multiple products, introducing yourself to the customer, or adding on, you can never fall short of excellence. Believe me, the one time you do it the entire staff will be watching.

Here's a final thing to consider.

7. If you raised all of your prices 10% tonight, what actions could you take tomorrow to keep your sales from falling off? Think about it.

Now if you take those actions without raising your prices I bet you can increase your sales 10% or more. Right? Hmmm...

Have a great day and be extraordinary!

Learn how we can help you grow your sales at http://www.dynamicexperiencesgroup.com

Needs, Wants, and an Extraordinary Shopping Experience

2009-12-02T06:29:14-05:00

I had an interesting discussion about the holiday season with the owner of an independent store. I'll do my best to recreate it as I think the topic is worth sharing with you and your team.

Owner: Our goal during the holiday is to sell our customers what they want and quickly get them on their way.

Me: How do you know what the customer wants?

Owner: They tell us.

Me: But do you know that's what they really need?

Owner: Isn't it the same?

Me: Not always, especially during the holidays. What most people want to buy during the holidays is a gift that will make someone happy. What they need depends on what product they should buy to make the recipient happy.

Owner: But don't some people know what they need to buy?

Me: Absolutely. Someone who has done her research before coming into a store knows what she needs to buy. Or if you're asked to pick up a specific item for someone then obviously you know what you need to buy. But most customers at this time of year have more of a "want" than know precisely what they "need."

Owner: So our goal of having what the customer wants is incorrect?

Me: I wouldn't say it's incorrect. Your goal should be to understand more about the customer's wants so you can then help him choose what he needs.

Owner: And how do we do that?

Me: First things first. Don't focus on what you're selling until you know a little something about who your customer is shopping for. I like to think we should sell the same way the customer makes their list. That means working with the customer by who, not what, is on their shopping list.

Owner: But who has time for that during the holidays?

Me: We all do. It only takes a few seconds to ask a question or two about the intended recipient of the gift; less time than we take droning on about products that may or may not be what our customer needs.

Owner: Can we really do that when we're busy?

Me: We can and I think we have to. It will not only help you sell more of whatever it is the customer needs but it also helps keep your return rate down. Granted, as the season gets busier and busier you may not be able to do this with every single customer but if you can, you should.

Owner: I'm just concerned that we won't get customers out the door as fast they want.

Me: I question your assumption that every customer wants to get out of your store as fast as humanly possible. What almost all customers want is to have a pleasurable shopping experience, especially in an extraordinary specialty store.

While getting checked out quickly and efficiently is certainly part of it for many of them, it's not the only part. They want to feel good about their purchase and their experience in your store. As an example, thanking a customer and presenting them their purchase is more important than hurrying them out to wait on the next customer.

Owner: But won't that upset others in line?

Me: Not if the people waiting can see that the process is moving quickly and efficiently as well as pleasantly. It's easy to strike a balance if you focus on the customer and making sure that her entire checkout process is enjoyable. So if you think about it, your goal is to know what the customer wants so you can help her buy what she needs and make sure the shopping experience is one the customer enjoys.

Okay so it wasn't a life changing conversation, but I can guarantee that if you sell by who and not what you'll sell more. Our clients who did this were up 30% on Black Friday weekend. It works!

So let me ask, how well do you and your team know what the customer needs so you can help him/her buy what he/she needs and to make sure the shopping experience is an extraordinary one?

Doug

Will You Make the Difference?

2009-11-24T16:00:56-05:00

It's on. Or let me be more precise and say that the holiday season is "officially" on this week.

Are you?

I believe that some specialty retailers are going to have an extraordinary holiday this year. Some will have a good holiday; others fall short. Some will fall so far short they may not survive their poor performance.

I'm sure those retailers who fall short will blame the economy, discounters, and the Internet.

Let's turn that excuse around. Do you think the specialty retailers who have a good holiday season are going to say they were successful because of the economy? Of course not. Will they say they beat the discounters and the Internet? I doubt it.

Retailers who do well this holiday will say they made it happen. "They" meaning the owner/manager and his/her entire staff made it happen.

Sure, some retailers might tell you they were blessed or lucky to do well in the 2009 holiday, but make no mistake - when we look back in January 2010 at the just-concluded holiday season it will be clear that they made it happen.

They were the difference. Or should I say they will be the difference?

As we stand at the starting line of the "official" start to the holiday, will you be a difference maker?

It doesn't matter what your position is since it will take each and every staff member to create a successful holiday. It's going to take a strong manager/owner, assistant, permanent employees, and seasonal staff. Everyone.

How? That part is easy. Maximize EVERY single customer opportunity. Deliver an extraordinary experience that results in an extraordinary sale. Focus and drive will result in the performance necessary to be successful this holiday.

A lot of retailers disagree with my premise that people in the store can and will make the difference between a good and bad holiday. Then again, these are the same people who believe their holiday is almost predetermined by the economy, the discounters and the Internet.

So let me ask again, will you be a difference maker this year? The only one who will establish that is you.

Doug

To our US readers: Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, and your entire staff.

Start a Customer Service War!

2009-11-17T15:06:50-05:00

Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com have spent the last few weeks locked in an ever-escalating price war. Although consumers may be short-term winners in the price war, the long-term cost of selling products below cost will be high – impacting other retailers, authors, studios, and other companies associated with the products.

Forget price wars: I want to see a Customer Service war. I want to see companies try to one-up each other over who can deliver the best service. Instead of dropping prices by a penny, add another something you do for the customer.

Of course the big discounters will never do this because they don't really focus on service. It's not their competitive advantage. But it is the competitive advantage for specialty and independent stores. Shouldn't they be starting a Customer Service war? As a matter of fact, shouldn't you be starting one every day?

To win the war you obviously have to be better and more consistent than the competition. Here are some things you might be able to declare:

We warmly welcome every customer. We're happy you've come to our store and it shows.
We treat customers like old friends. Many of you are.
We call customers by name and are happy when they know ours.
We make our customers comfortable by sometimes serving drinks and snacks.
We understand our customers needs and wants before we recommend products.
We provide a great experience for the entire family, including the children.
We offer unique and interesting products at competitive prices.
All of our employees are product experts. More importantly, our employees are customer experts. You won't find a better staff anywhere.
Our store is fun. One thing you'll always find in stock is a smile.
We make shopping easy. The same holds true for returns and exchanges.
We offer special touches that our competition doesn't. This might include free seminars, free gift-wrapping, special delivery, charitable events, etc.
Our checkout process is fast and efficient, but more important it's enjoyable.
We're thankful for our customers and we prove it with thank you cards, follow-up calls, and invitations to future events.
No matter how busy the store, our employees are able to work with multiple customers and still give individual service. It's an art and we're good at it.
We understand that we're not going to be a customer's only retailer but we'll do whatever it takes to be their favorite retailer.

I say let the big box stores duke it out over who can sell the farthest below cost. That's a war that none of us can ever win and unless you're Walmart, Target or Amazon you'll be a big loser if you try.

Win the Customer Service war. That's a war worth fighting.

So let me ask, would you win the Customer Service war in your area? Isn't it time you declare war?

Doug

--------------

Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC helps retailers and other companies improve their on-floor performance.

There are four ways we do that:

Work with organizations to deliver more engaging and profitable customer experiences.
Help managers and owners to become better leaders.
Coach owners and executives to improve their companies.
Present engaging and high-energy high-impact programs and keynotes to educate and motivate audiences.

The Holiday Season - It's On!

2009-11-11T08:37:19-05:00

While Black Friday, the official start to the holiday may still be over two weeks away, the reality is that the holidays have already begun. Or as they say in the Southwest airline's commercial - It's on!

I know many people are fundamentally opposed to acknowledging the holiday season before Thanksgiving. A friend of mine refuses to even discuss the holidays in his store before Thanksgiving. I believe this has hurt him in the past and I think that if he keeps it up it will hurt him even more this year.

It's on. Are you?

Consumers know that Black Friday will offer incredible deals. They also know that retailers are likely to have less inventory this holiday than previously. We're already hearing customers asking if something will be in stock this holiday. Scarcity could be as big a motivator as price this year.

My recommendation is to approach every customer today the same way you will on the day after Thanksgiving. Most retailers won't be thinking that way; that's why you're more successful than they are. Let them wait another two weeks while you maximize your early November.

Here are five ways to profit from treating every day like it's Black Friday:

1. Assume the customer is holiday shopping. Many customers won't be but studies show that over half of all consumers start their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Many started last year December 26. Your own assumptions have the biggest impact on your early November sales.

2. Suggest the customer do their holiday shopping while they (and you) have time to work together one-on-one. Isn't it more relaxing to do your holiday shopping when the crowds are minimal and the pace is slower? You can even offer to hum Christmas songs if that helps get them in the mood. I'm kidding. Or not.

3. Ask who else is on their shopping list. Just by getting the customer to mentally go through their holiday list you're able to create additional opportunities. This is a very simple and effective action that not enough retailers do.

4. Use scarcity to create urgency. As noted above, customers know that if they wait too long to make their purchase they may not find what they want or need. Don't use it as a scare tactic, but there's no reason not to mention it since it's probably the case.

5. Reward the customer for purchasing now. For those in a position to do so, offering a gift with purchase or some other reward for buying early is a great way to encourage customers to start their holiday shopping early. At the very least, offer to wrap the present at no charge.

The holiday season is on. Are you?

Crank Up Your Store Meetings and Fire Up Your Team

2009-11-04T19:04:42-05:00

When payroll is tight one of the first thing that gets cut is often the monthly staff meeting. This is a mistake because store teams need this face-to-face time to train on new products, work on issues together, and continue to develop as a team. While e-learning and other vehicles can help transfer information to employees, you can't beat a monthly face-to-face meeting of the whole staff.

However, it is imperative that these meetings are productive, engaging, and result in a positive return on the time and payroll investment. Companies can't afford poorly run and poorly executed meetings.

Years ago I worked for a store manager who was scared to death to speak in front of group of people even if those people were her employees. Because of that our monthly store meetings consisted of her reading from a script while she fanned us with the shaking papers in her hands. We always thought about positioning an employee behind her in case she passed out. I was never sure who was in more pain, the staff or the manager.

I'm sure you run your meetings more smoothly than she did but since there's always room for improvement, here are some tips to crank up your meetings and fire up your team.

1. Don't use meeting time to transfer information. Unless you're hiring pre-school students, your staff can read and they don't need anyone to read memos to them. Assign all necessary reading before a meeting. The same holds true for new product information. Even if you're planning a splashy introduction of the product itself at the meeting, have the employees learn about them before the meeting starts.

2. Make the first five minutes of every staff meeting a WOW. Dress up as some character, crank up some music, have the employees up and dancing, throw candy and treats, do anything else you can do to get your team excited and pumped up. Yes, it gets harder and harder to top what you did last time, but since we expect our people to keep improving the customer experience shouldn't we do the same?

3. Introduce new products with style and flair. At Bose we went to great lengths to unveil new products to the entire company. I've come across very few employees who don't love getting to see - and play with - new products. Even when the staff knows the products are coming in you can still make the first time people see them a fun experience.

4. Use the meeting to apply what people have learned. Instead of discussing the details of a new product, talk about how to sell the new product. Do roleplaying and a competition on who can best state the benefits to the customer.

5. Play games (with a little friendly competition) to reinforce learning. I always like to split the staff up in teams and play games like Jeopardy and Retail Truth or Dare. And if you have any high school or college memories of Truth or Dare I assure you that this version is not like that one! Think role-playing and product knowledge.

A good store meeting should involve and engage the entire store team. The majority of the owner's/manager's time should be in planning the meeting, and not having to carry the whole meeting him/herself.

So let me ask, how engaging are your meetings and trainings?

Doug and Brian

The Eyes Have It

2009-10-29T09:20:38-04:00

One of the "skills" I found very useful when I worked in a store was the ability to do many things at once.  Most people call this multi-tasking. I called it retail.

The longer I worked in retail the better I became at doing many tasks simultaneously. I could check in an order, deal with a customer issue and answer an employee's questions all at the same time without missing a beat. And that's when things at the store were slow.

When I moved into the corporate office at Bose I found the pace maddeningly slow.What really drove me nuts was that it seemed like people only did one thing at time. I used to tell people in the office they'd never make it in the stores.

One day after a meeting a colleague pulled me aside to give me some feedback. I had worked with Pete for a while and knew him to be a straight shooter although I didn't always like what he had to say.  Pete told me that my behavior in the meeting had bordered on rude.  I had no idea what he was talking about.

He told me that people didn't think I cared what they had to say since I didn't pay attention when they were talking. I was flabbergasted. I told Pete that I was always paying attention even though I might have been doing a few other things at the same time.

Pete told me something I've never forgotten.  He said, "You might have heard them, but you weren't listening. To listen you have to use your ears and your eyes." I tried to explain that it was just a habit I had from working in the stores and he said, "Well, it was rude then, too."

Ouch. I realized he was right.  From that day forward I tried to listen with both my ears and eyes.  I'm sure I failed from time to time when meetings started to drag on, but all in all I did use my eyes a lot more.

The best salespeople always listen with their eyes. While some salespeople are looking around the store or watching colleagues when a customer is talking, the best salespeople are completely focused on their customer whenever he or she is talking. Not surprisingly, hearing more allows them to sell more.

Whatever your position in a retail organization, when you take the time to listen with both your ears and your eyes, you can't help but make a stronger connection with the other person.  And isn't that ultimately how we make a difference in both our stores and in our lives?

And Some Miscellaneous Musings

1) With Halloween on Saturday this year I recommend going all out to make your store a great experience this weekend. It's opportunities like this that let your store experience stand head and shoulders above the competition.

2) New research shows that high-potential employees are motivated by a desire to give back to their communities and increasingly seek out employers that allow them to do so on the job. Something to consider as you go into the holiday or post-holiday season.

3) Speaking of giving back, two weeks ago at the Brighton store manager's meeting all 140+ managers spent one evening at different shelters and organizations helping women in need. What a great activity for a manager's meeting!

Have a Happy Halloween and a great week.

Doug and Brian

Demonstrating Your First Priority

2009-10-21T00:01:00-04:00

The weeks between now and mid-November can be a challenging time for many store owners and managers. There's seasonal staff to be hired and brought on board, holiday orders to being finalized, marketing and events to be planned.

But that's just the start. The holiday orders are arriving and seasonal merchandising needs to be completed. And it never fails during this time that something unexpected happens in the store or with the staff.

There's one big difference during this time between successful owners and managers and the rest. It's a difference that has nothing to do with the holiday. The difference is that successful owners and managers are never too busy to keep the staff focused on their first priority: each and every customer who comes in to the store.

More important, the owner and manager demonstrate that priority every day. No matter how long the to-do list, they understand that it's their actions that demonstrate to their staff that their first priority is the customer.

Here are six reminders for how you can demonstrate that customers are still your first priority, even while you're busy getting ready for the holidays.

1. Start every employee's day with a Daily Take Five. To me this is a given but sometimes we can let the morning get rolling and let it slip. Don't let it. (You can read about the Daily Take Five here.)

2. Be on the floor during peak times. Yes, peak times during the weekday aren't insanely busy and the staff may get by without you, but being on the floor when the store is busy demonstrates your priority to your team.

3. The minute you're on the floor you're working the floor. Sometimes our body may be on the sales floor but our mind is still on our projects in the office. Don't let that happen! Your entire team will be watching and will notice if you miss a chance to engage a customer. Remember, when you're on the floor you're "on".

4. Don't be too quick to hand off customers to a staff member. It never fails that if you walk away from your holiday work and go on the floor that every customer comes to you instead of the staff. I'm not saying to not hand them off when the time is right, but doing so immediately demonstrates that your first priority isn't the customer.

5. Check in with your team from time to time about what's taking place on the floor. You do have a lot of things to get done that are critical to your holiday and by all means do them. But also take some breaks to check in with the team. Don't just go out and say, "Is everything okay? Good, call me if you need me." Instead, find out what's been sold and who's been in the store.

6. Print out Monday's Daily Retail Quote and post at your desk. It read, "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey

Taking these actions will remind your staff that even though you're busy getting ready for the holidays, your first priority is still the same. The customer.

So let me ask, are you demonstrating your first priority?

Doug and Brian

Four Words That Will Transform Your Business

2009-10-13T21:52:03-04:00

On Saturday afternoon we had a family outing to Wrentham Premium Outlet Center to buy some clothes and shoes for our daughters. The place was packed. The line of cars to get into the center was backed up on to the highway from both directions.

All I could think was "look at all these opportunities." It was enough to make my retail heart go pitter-patter. Judging from the number of bags in people's hands I would say that most stores had a good day. Some might have even had a great day.

But if my experience was like most customers, the stores that had a good day could have had a great day, and the stores that had a great day could have had an extraordinary day - if they had remembered these four simple words:

Maximize every customer opportunity.

Knowing how to greet and engage customers doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.

The ability to help customers make informed decisions about the latest fashions or a product's features and benefits doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.

Recommending additional products that will enhance a customer's purchase and his/her life doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.

Having fabulous new products or incredible sale doesn't matter if people don't know about them. Sure, you can post signs to that effect but nothing reinforces the message more than an employee enthusiastically telling me about them. But it doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.

Lots of store traffic is a wonderful thing but you leave money on the table if you don't maximize every customer opportunity.

Maximizing every customer opportunity sounds simple but if it were that easy, more retailers would be doing it. I'd say that fewer than 10% of specialty retailers maximize every customer opportunity.

I'm not saying this to be negative but quite the opposite. It's exciting because I see incredible opportunity for retailers like you if you make maximizing every customer opportunity the foundation of what you do.

Almost all retailers talk about how important customers are. Very few stress how important every customer is and the impact that has on business.

Look at the difference.

Welcome and engage customers.
Welcome and engage every customer.

Suggest products and services to the customer.
Suggest products and services to every customer.

Offer additional add-ons.
Offer additional add-ons to every customer.

Deliver a great customer experience.
Deliver a great experience to every customer.

Makes sales.
Make sales to every customer.

Maximize your opportunities.
Maximize every customer opportunity.

So let me ask, are you maximizing every customer opportunity?

If not, consider the impact doing so will have on your business if it becomes your number one priority.

Is It Time to Upgrade?

2009-10-07T10:16:26-04:00

A couple of years ago I switched from Windows to Mac and my only regret is not doing it sooner. The MacBook has been perfect for me, except that every now and then I have too many applications open and the spinning ball appears.

Whenever the spinning ball appeared I would tell myself that I ought to upgrade the MacBook memory. Then the spinning ball would disappear and so would the upgrade idea. This pattern repeated itself more often than I care to admit.

The other day I read something online, one thing led to another, and I finally got around to ordering and installing that new memory. It essentially doubled the memory on my MacBook.

The difference is unbelievable. No, the difference is UNBELIEVABLE. My MacBook is now lightening fast, no spinning ball and my productivity has skyrocketed. It's like I have a brand new computer.

The total cost for this amazing difference was $39.90 and 15 minutes of my time.

What's really unbelievable is the amount of time and productivity I wasted thinking and talking about upgrading my computer instead of just doing it.

The same thing happens in stores every day.

Someone might put off painting the store and as a result the space looks tired and old. That's a missed upgrade.

Some retailers hold on to products too long, determined to get full price. Then they can't bring in new and exciting products that will actually turn. That's a missed upgrade.

Sometimes retailers stay with lines that are no longer relevant to their customer, which keeps them from bringing in new ones. That's a missed upgrade.

I hear a lot of stores talking about doing a Facebook page, an electronic newsletter or more events. But month after month they just haven't found the time to do anything about it. That's a missed upgrade.

There are sales associates that aren't working to improve key elements of their sales approach. They might be really good, but they could be GREAT. That's a missed upgrade.

There are managers and owners who fail to address under-performing employees who are costing them sales and losing them customers. That's a missed upgrade.

What about you? What are some of the upgrades you've been thinking and talking about but just haven't done? Your particular upgrade is probably going to cost you more than the $39.90 and 15 minutes mine did, but what's the true cost of not doing it? Even better, what will be the reward for doing so?

So let me ask, what upgrade do you need to start today?

Expert, Clerk, or Somewhere In-Between?

2009-09-30T09:01:24-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I rented a tuxedo jacket for one of my holiday speeches. I must admit, a tailcoat paired with a Hawaiian shirt is an interesting look. But I digress.

After trying on the jacket I told the woman working at the store that it was perfect. She insisted that it wasn't and that she needed to hem the sleeves. I responded that I was in a hurry and since it was really just a costume for a speech it didn't matter. She told me that it did matter and if I didn't adjust the sleeve length it wouldn't look right when I raised my arm.

She was clearly an expert so I agreed to wait for her to hem the sleeves. I'm glad I did. I even thanked her for the great service and for being an expert.

Compare that to another recent shopping excursion. The salesperson let me into the dressing room and when I came out she was nowhere in sight. I eventually found her on the other side of the store talking to another employee.

Since I wanted an expert opinion I went up to her and asked what she thought of this shirt. She replied, "Any of our shirts will look good."

She was clearly a clerk, not an expert, so I left without making a purchase. I didn't say anything because she was too busy chatting with her colleague.

There's a huge difference in performance between an expert and a clerk.

1. Experts take the time to know their customers before matching them with products. Clerks don't.

2. Experts recommend products and service specifically for their customers. Clerks show products.

3. Experts share opinions with their customers to help them make the best possible purchase. Clerks give their personal opinion for no reason.

4. Experts help customers buy additional products that will enhance what they are buying or will enhance the customer's life. Clerks do add-ons because they're told to.

5. Experts have no problem telling a customer not to buy something if it isn't the right product for them. Clerks probably wouldn't know if it isn't the right product.

6. Experts proudly sell. Clerks are afraid of being a salesperson.

7. Experts ask questions. Clerks only answer them.

8. Experts create sales. Clerks make them.

9. Experts are an asset to the company. Clerks are on the payroll.

10. Experts have my admiration. Clerks have my appreciation.

So let me ask, are you an expert, clerk, or somewhere in-between?

Doug and Brian

Dealing With Mr. or Ms. Cranky

2009-09-23T10:40:33-04:00

A friend of mine once said that retail would be so much easier if it wasn't for the people and the products. Sometimes he would add, "And the product part isn't that difficult." Of course he was joking. Okay, maybe there were days when he was only half joking.

In my years of managing a retail staff I've had the privilege of working with some wonderful people. These are people that I thoroughly enjoyed working with. I'm still friendly with a number of former colleagues today. Of course these aren't the people to whom my friend was referring.

He was talking about people like James. (Name changed to protect the guilty.) James was a full-timer who constantly went back and forth between being the nicest guy in the mall and the crankiest. What made James really difficult to work with is that he could switch back and forth faster than you or I could wipe down a cashwrap. James was a great salesperson but, to say the least, a challenging teammate.

Got any cranky people on your staff?

I do - and since I usually work alone we know who the cranky one is!

We're all human.  We all have up days and down days, but when an employee has too many down days or too many moody days it becomes a problem that impacts the entire team.  And when that happens it impacts the quality of the customer experience and ultimately sales. Not good!

Here are few tips to deal with Mr. or Ms Cranky:

1. Don't make excuses for them. We all have things going on in our lives. Some people from time to time have a lot to deal with outside and sometimes inside the store, but that still doesn't give anyone the permission to act in a way that negatively impacts the rest of the team. That doesn't mean we're not empathetic, but it does mean that we can't allow anyone to constantly display behaviors that impact the store in a negative manner.

2. Address the cranky (or worse) behavior as soon as it becomes a problem.  Most of us can have some (sometimes justifiable) cranky moments from time to time but the moment passes and we move on. But when Mr. or Ms. Cranky can't seem to stop sharing the bad attitude and dark cloud you need to take action.

3. Help Mr. or Ms Cranky turn it around.  Let them know what behaviors you are seeing, the negative impact it is having on the team, your expectations for the behaviors to stop, and your confidence that the individual can snap out of it.

You can't say, "Whoa, someone got up on the wrong side of bed" and expect things to get better. Instead you might say, "I notice that when talking with so and so you were extremely short with them and were very dismissive. (behavior) Because of that everyone is avoiding you and it's impacting how we work together today. (impact) I need you to be more respectful with your teammates (expectations) and I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. (stated confidence)"

Chances are Mr. or Ms. Cranky doesn't even realize they're acting this way because they're in such a cranky mood, and they'll be even a bit embarrassed that you've had to address it. The really cranky employees sometimes get even crankier as a result of your talk. You may need to move forward with a more formal corrective action approach with these folks.

Here's the bottom line.  If Mr. or Ms. Cranky's behavior is disruptive to the store, then it doesn't matter how good they are or what position they're in. They're hurting the team, and as a leader you can't allow that to happen. More important, you have to be positive that you're not Mr. or Ms. Cranky.

So let me ask, are you addressing any cranky employees and helping them turn it around?

Doug

-------------------------

Book Doug for Your Upcoming Holiday Meeting

Doug is again offering his annual retail rallies for those organizations that are holding an upcoming holiday meeting. This year's are titled Soaring To Holiday 2009 Success andLeading with Holiday POPS.

Here are what some participants said after attending these keynotes last week:

"I was blown away. Thanks for your time and effort to make retail a better place to work." - Jim
"Your seminars were amazing. I took tons of notes and have already planned a management meeting, met with my team, and we are implementing the POPS as a team." - Roxanne
"This meeting was just what I needed to get me going. Thank you." - Lori
"Your insights in retailing were very motivating to me. I'm back and ready to execute what I learned." - Jane

Call Brian at 866-535-6331 to book your meeting now. Learn more about Doug's programs at www.dougfleener.com.