This infographics is a summary of the steps you may want to make sure your website is ready to service the mobile surfers.
Archive Page 10
Are you mobile market ready?
Published December 23, 2015 Tools Leave a CommentTags: Mobile Market Ready Retail
Holiday Tip (Tips for Retail Sales Managers)
Published December 18, 2015 Articles Leave a CommentTags: Retail Sales management
Here are some snippets for you to consider, and expand on, to improve your retail sales management skills:
People are your most important strategic advantage. If you look at other stores, for example, in a chain store environment all stores have similar if not the same layout, merchandise, tools, procedures, etc. The difference is the people.
Capitalize on the activities you can measure; remember the adage “if it can not be measured, it can not be managed.”
Every day put some time aside (commuting time would be ideal) to think about ways and means regarding how to make your people more productive.
Take the best practices of the top sales associates and put them in place for everybody; the best demo, the best objection-handler, the best closer, and transfer those best practices to the whole sales team. Have the owners of these best practices train the others to do the same. You’ll find your 10% + sales increase just from this.
Sales performance is a function of sales skills + people skills + product knowledge + knowledge of the store environment (like knowing the inventory, being able to process customer inquiries and questions with speed and efficiency, etc.).
Your market and customers are constantly changing. Change is the only constant. What made you successful last year, may not work this year – you must constantly reevaluate your effectiveness. Stay ahead of the curve in terms of what’s happening in the retail world, particularly in your niche.
Retail Sales is a marathon, not a sprint… though it feels like a sprint during these days, you still have to keep your eyes on the first position and want to get up every morning on the run.
Don’t procrastinate if there is a decision to be made – make it. Get the facts and then make the decision. Ultimately a quick decision-maker will be ten decisions ahead of a slow decision-maker and that’s a competitive advantage.
Remember people pay attention to what the boss/head office pays attention to. Make sure you are in tune with business objectives/tactics and that you clearly understand them. If in doubt, this is a great conversation to have with your supervisor.
Listen to customers; learn to read between the lines. Do not assume you know what they are talking about, or complaining about. Look for quick solutions to customer issues. Make this a culture in the store(s).
Look at and examine your whole sales process. What is not working or can be improved drastically? Where can you increase the productivity/efficiency/effectiveness?
Whenever you are inundated with too many things to do (which is almost always) prioritize. What are the three things that provide the most leverage (most important for your sales performance), then forget to-do’s 4-10 because you’ll never get to them and they are not worth it.
Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions to customers or associates because you may not like the answer. Develop an inquisitive mind. You want to know why customers are or are not buying, why a certain process or promotion in the store is not working. Remember that retail business is not a popularity contest. Get to the bottom of all issues affecting your sales performance.
Sign Up for the Retail Business Academy, where you find a ton of resources like techniques, advice and training to move you up a few notches in your skill and capability set. Click to Sign Up Here
Good Selling!
DMSRetail Team
Make sure your efforts, to attract new business, don’t offend your loyal customers.
Sometimes, we go all out for new business. Sometimes, that means we offer new customers something special, right? And that’s really nice for those prospective customers.
But what happens when your current…maybe even loyal…customers hear about it?
Here’s an example…
I received a brochure in the mail recently. A company was offering their services at a whopping 50% off to all new customers. If I was already one of their customers, I wouldn’t be thrilled about being excluded. I’d be thinking “what about me?”
To make matters worse…to really drive the negative message home to their loyal customers …these brilliant folks added a large, colorful, attention getting box on the front page of the brochure which said, in bold print …
“You are only allowed to participate in this offer if you have NEVER bought from us before. This offer is for NEW customers ONLY.”
So, loyal customers are not allowed to participate? Loyal customers do not deserve to get something special? Hmmm. Something’s just not right about this.
Don’t you agree that there has to be a better way to do this?
Some executives will say “Well, that’s the way it’s done. You have to offer incentives to attract new customers. And, anyway, we give our loyal customers incentives at other times, in other ways.”
And all of that might be true…but what is the perception? What is the message being sent to the loyal customer?
Think about who is really paying for the incentive anyway. Your loyal customers are paying for it, that’s who. Loyal customers are your most profitable customers and the advertising expense and discounts are being paid for out of the profit generated by them…by the business that they give you.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t do special things to attract new business. Indeed, you should. But every time you, or your marketing department personnel, come up with one of these special incentives, take the time to think about the impact on your loyal customers and adjust accordingly.
All the Success!
DMSRetail Inc.
PS: The Super Retail Success Bundle with 9 Success Guides and Tools plus bonuses, easy to afford: http://www.dmsretail.com/superbundle.htm
Word to the RetailWise 2
Published November 19, 2015 Articles Leave a CommentTags: Retail, retailreadiness
Today’s ‘Word to the RetailWise’ is: Look at your store – including windows, cash desk, fitting rooms (if any), displays, etc. – from your customer’s point of view.
Literally…position yourself exactly the way a customer would.
Walk past your windows, stroll around looking at displays and signage, touch the merchandise, if applicable try a garment on and see what the fitting rooms are like, etc.
Many would say that they do all of these things as a routine and they complete a checklist to ensure everything is perfect. But that is not what we’re suggesting. Anything that has become routine enough to be added to a checklist can easily be dismissed, glossed over or taken for granted. You know what we mean, don’t you?
The point here, is to determine what the customer sees and senses, not whether policies and procedures are being followed.
Are the windows too crowded? Is there dust anywhere? Are the lights aimed properly or do they shine in your face? Are they casting an unusual color of light onto the merchandise? Is there room to move around freely? Are the signs clear or confusing? Are there any sharp edges, pointy hooks, loops in the carpet or anything else that could represent a safety hazard? Is there gum stuck to the floor?
Are the employees well groomed? Are they all poised and ready to assist? Do you like the music that’s playing? Is the door to the backroom or receiving area propped open revealing a not so pretty picture? Are the mirrors and glass all crystal clean?
When standing at the cash desk – remember…from the customer’s side – what do you see? A mass of wires coming out of the POS? Merchandise, paperwork or supplies piled high? Dust? Cashier’s notes stuck all over everything?
What the customer sees and senses, while in your store, is really important. There are plenty of other things you can look for when you do your customer walkthrough. Only you can come up with them all for your particular business. This is just a start.
Aim to perform this exercise often, but spontaneously.
All the Success!
DMSRetail Inc.
PS: Check our most definitive resource center for retail managers and enroll! The Retail Business Academy
Word to the RetailWise
Published November 18, 2015 Articles Leave a CommentTags: retail cashier, retail checkout, retail training
Today’s ‘Word to the RetailWise’ is: Make sure your new hires know what is expected of them. And I want to illustrate that with this short, but very telling story.
Here it is…
In a store that is part of a large international retail chain, I recently witnessed something that gave me reason to believe that their new employees simply did not know what what was expected of them. And, here is why I drew that conclusion…
While checking out, I was the customer next in line behind a woman who was purchasing no less than 15 women’s blouses. 15! It was a great sale for the store. The other item the woman was purchasing was something of a carryall bag. The woman wanted the cashier to put the blouses into the bag – very environmentally friendly and all that, right?
So, as the cashier scanned each blouse, she removed the security tag and crumpled it up and put it into the carryall bag. Not folded, not even close to being folded. These blouses were being handled like something one would throw into the trash can. Seriously, I am not exaggerating.
Overcome with a sense of responsibility to defend every customer everywhere, I spoke up.
I said to the cashier “You know, this lady is buying all of these lovely blouses and you are not handling them very carefully. They’re going to be full of wrinkles and they’re brand new. I would be happy to help you fold them up.” Just a note here, the customer in front of me spoke very little English and that made it difficult for her to get involved in the conversation.
Some may say I should mind my own business but, in my line of work, it’s next to impossible to ignore these things.
I was ready for the worst…possibly a scene!
Anyway, to my absolute astonishment, the young cashier said, “You don’t have to help me. I’ll do it. That’s why I have a job.” I had expected a nasty stare, a flippant or sarcastic remark or, at the very least, a miserable attitude. But, no. The cashier – who I have not seen in this store before and am quite certain she is relatively new – proceeded to fold the items and then when it was my turn to be served she continued to be very pleasant. What an employee…the kind we don’t come across very often anymore.
The moral of this story is: Teach your employees what is expected of them. This young woman; this new cashier simply didn’t know how she was supposed to handle the merchandise. She was very receptive to my ‘training’. I only hope I did not embarrass her. I commend her for her accepting attitude. But I must fault management for not having taught her properly in the first place. They basically set her up to fail.
All the Success!
DMSRetail Inc.
PS. Check out the Retail Business Academy, cashier performance course is in there too.
This excellent summary of traits of highly effective mentors courtesy of Michael Hyatt:
Be a servant. Remember the mentee is the hero. You, the mentor, are the guide. Your job is to support, never to undermine, supplant, or steal the limelight.
Be observant. Notice everything, even details that don’t seem particularly relevant. Your advice is shaped by what you see. Make sure to see enough to have beneficial advice.
Be nonjudgmental. Listen to your mentee without sizing up and judging them. This doesn’t mean you have to approve, but influence takes access and judgmentalism will close the door.
Be curious. Ask good questions—this is more important than having the answers. A mentee will often come to the right answer on her own if she has the right questions.
Be authentic. Be who you are, even if it feels a bit old fashioned. Remember, as a mentor your most important asset is you—everything you know and have experienced.
Be calm. Cooler heads, as the saying goes, prevail. A good mentor can keep the temperature down. This is especially important when things get chaotic and others freak out.
Be confident. Mentees need wisdom and insight, not tactics—which they can get practically anywhere. Realize your experience is relevant, even if you don’t understand the nuances of the mentee’s industry.
Be reassuring. In the midst of challenging times, it’s easy to lose sight of our value and what we’re capable of. When the stakes are high, remind your mentee of what she has already accomplished.
Be courageous. Call on your mentee to make the difficult decision or have the difficult conversation. This is sometimes the only thing that separates success from failure.
Be generous. When the mentee achieves the desired result, give her the credit. Always interpret other’s actions in the best possible light.
“Control your own destiny or someone else will.” – Jack Welch
The Store Manager holds one of two critical positions in any retail company. The other one is the CEO.
That’s not to say that other positions aren’t important. Of course they are.
Sales Associates, for example, are your ambassadors; meeting the customers face to face every day. And, as you’ve probably come to realize, the best Sales Associates are the ones who are competent and fully trained and do a great job actively selling to customers and representing the company in the best possible way. Certainly, they are important.
But, there is one person who must ensure that all of the competence and training is put to good use on the sales floor. That person is the Store Manager, without whom there would surely be chaos. It is up to the Store Manager to set individual targets and to continually reinforce the performance culture in the store.
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“A pack of sheep led by a lion will defeat a pack of lions led by a sheep.” Author Unknown
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A true statement? We think so.
The Store Manager is, by virtue of his/her position if nothing else, the leader of the pack. That leader is single-handedly responsible for the performance of the team because, apart from the fact that it’s the job… the Store Manager is also the one with the most influence.
The most direct influence, for sure.
No matter how skilled the team members are – and it is understood that some will be much more skilled than others – the Store Manager will make the difference in the performance levels achieved by the whole team.
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The Retail Success Accelerator
is available in physical and digital formats.
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Store Manager’s official job descriptions vary widely. Some are expected to be administrators; others, loss prevention officers, or faux police. Some are expected to be the top sales person and are seen (erroneously) as under-performing if their salespeople achieve higher sales numbers than they do.
Still others are instructed to do so many simple administrative tasks that they are left with very little time to actually manage the store.
In other words, many Store Managers are not expected to fulfill the role as it should be fulfilled.
For whatever reason, they have been given a title of Store Manager but are expected to perform many routine tasks and clerical work.
Critical question for you:
What are you asking of your Store Managers?
If you expect your retail organization to be successful, you are asking them, simply, to manage the business.
But, what does that mean, exactly?
The Store Manager’s main role is to drive the business; to strive for top performance from themselves and from every associate every minute of every day.
Store Managers operate stores, or business units, and, when all is said and done, the goal of a ‘for profit’ business is to provide a monetary return to stakeholders.
In support of that goal, they need to do a lot of work; they need to do all of the right things right. Store Managers, who are doing the job properly, are very busy people.
They recruit and hire good people because they know that the road to success is much easier when they are surrounded by competent people. They ensure each associate is well trained to carry out their responsibilities. They set targets for each associate and continually follow up to make sure those targets are being met.
They coach, and they guide, and they stay on top of everything.
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Get the Retail Success Accelerator here.
$697 Physical/Shipped; $297 Digital; Both $747
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Very importantly, they take appropriate action when targets are not being met. They figure out what is causing the problems and fix them.
Of course, there are many things the Store Manager is responsible and accountable for. But all of those things must be in support of the goal, or the main purpose for the store’s existence.
Great Store Managers are your ticket to extraordinary success in retail.
All the Success!
DMSRetail Inc.
PS: Want great Store Managers? Here is the best thing you can do to support your Store Managers. Hand over the complete store performance solution…the Retail Success Accelerator. $297 digital. Click here to order.
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Who Else Wants to Increase their Stores Sales & Profits starting this Month?
Published October 3, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a CommentYou Too Can Maximize Sales & Profits and Start Taking Large Sums of Loot Straight From the Stores to the Bank Just by Sitting Your Butt in the Right Chair.
Find out how our retail business owner turned his comically under-performing stores into laser focused profit building and cash producing machines starting just one week after easily and painlessly implementing scientifically undisputed programs and systems.
This is a pretty amazing story. It’s along the lines of the rags to riches type of story. So, get comfy.
Our retail business owner went on for years managing a small chain of stores and managed well enough to at least make a living for his family and a little extra on the side.
The extra wasn’t enough to get him to his dreams but it was enough to build a small nest egg for retirement provided he wasn’t planning anything grandiose in his retirement years and provided he wasn’t planning on retiring too young.
He was prepared to settle for that only because he didn’t know that he could actually make that scenario so much better.
He certainly wanted more out of his chain of stores. He had dreams of exciting trips that were planned for very wealthy individuals and building a huge mansion to entertain dignitaries – whom he would surely meet if he were one of the country’s top entrepreneurs, right? He dreamed of basking in the glory of being an influential citizen and much more.
He really wanted to keep building his chain into something incredible; something that he could sell for a fabulous price when the time was right. Or, better still something he could give away… to his children when the time came.
But all of those dreams would require a quick shot in the arm…a new direction that would open the floodgates and let the money flow in.
Time was of the essence. He needed the change of direction very, very quickly.
If things continued along like this, no big retailer or investment company was going to be chasing after him with offers…ever.
And, he knew, the children he spoke of were cringing at the thought of breaking the news to ‘poor old Dad’ that there was no chance, no way, no possibility…ever…of them spending their life working with that chain of stores.
He had conversations with them and heard things that he didn’t want to hear but really couldn’t argue with. They said “Dad, those stores are causing you such hardship. They are just energy sucking cost centres, for the most part.”
Obviously, they weren’t completely unprofitable – after all, he was raising the family on the profits – but it really did take all his energy just to get that out of them.
And headaches…talk about hammer whacking headaches.
Our guy could barely sleep at night. While his stores were open he worked like a crazy man possessed. When they were closed he worked even harder, trying to figure out what to do…always trying to figure out what to do but never finding the answers.
He never stopped trying to figure out how he could make the stores more profitable. He knew his stores were in good locations and that his merchandise was known for great quality. He knew, for a fact, that people were buying the same stuff as he had to sell… but they weren’t buying it from his stores.
It is possible that the answer to his woes may seem obvious to you, but it certainly wasn’t to our guy. And, there’s a good reason for that.
It’s because he is in it up to his neck and beyond!
He couldn’t even see the forest for the trees. He was so immersed in every single detail every single day that it was impossible for him to claw his way out of the dark hole and see the sunlight and reach for the answers that were in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
No, he seemed to be one of those business people who we hear about all the time. Usually, they get blasted into oblivion because they never even knew what cuffed them until it was too late.
But, as you’ll see, our guy did not meet that same fate. Because it turned out that he was smarter than your average guy!
OK, back to how it all happened.
Every day and every night he faced the same problems; went over the same stuff in his head time after time.
I must increase the sales and I must reduce the expenses but it’s not happening. He had tried everything…or so he thought, of course.
From his vantage point at the bottom of the dark hole, things were pretty murky looking.
Our guy had people problems – his Store Manager’s claimed that everything was the fault of having ‘bad’ people working for them. But, unfortunately, he didn’t know how to respond to that.
He would sit and wonder why his stores didn’t have higher sales each day. He asked the Store Managers and always got the same lame answers…no one wanted to buy; they don’t want what we have; our prices are too high; we didn’t have the right color; we didn’t have the right style…and on and on…always the same.
These are well known as excuses of the weak! It will do you immeasurable good to remember that.
Anyway, he had internal theft issues and shoplifting issues. He had Manager’s sitting in the backroom doing paperwork instead of being out on the sales floor. But, the Store Managers challenged him when he questioned them. They said “How am I to get all of this paperwork done while on the sales floor?” And, he didn’t know how to respond to that either.
His stores had dust balls flying around in the windows; the windows that were supposed to be the lens into which customers looked to help them decide whether to enter the store or not…and they were dirty.
Didn’t he tell them to keep them clean? Of course, he did. And, he bought them all of the appropriate equipment and supplies to keep them clean.
He finally gave in to the thought that there may just be something wrong with his people but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
But, just like he didn’t quite know what to do about other issues, he didn’t know what to do about that.
And then it all changed.
Within a week, his stores were operating like efficient cash cows. Customers were being served and chatted up like never before. Customers were buying like there was no tomorrow. Customers were telling their friends and family members to get over to his stores and buy, buy, buy.
Well, we may have gone off on a bit of a tangent there but, really, word of mouth was powerful and it was definitely getting around that – if you were anybody – his stores were the place to shop.
Things just got better and better. Woo-hoo!! This is what you call a genuine turn around, my friends.
To get to how this amazing turn around happened, let’s talk about what we know about the store operations as they existed before the turn around.
Our guy was allowing destructive behavior and bad attitudes to ruin his business. Even in stores where destructive behaviors and bad attitudes weren’t contributing to the problem, he was failing to set expectations, failing to hold people accountable and failing to understand why all this was happening.
The first order of business was to put a new compensation plan in place. It wasn’t a plan that cost the company more money, yet it was very lucrative for employees. Some may wonder how that could be. We have the answer for that.
He made sure everyone had individual targets. Even in the departments that wouldn’t normally be able to work with individual targets…he did it anyway. He knew the way to do it and it worked wonders.
Our guy started doing all the right things; he became the most consistent manager ever, he learned about sales management techniques and the value of excellence in his communication skills.
He had been a mediocre manager of a group of stores and people and managed to turn himself into a leader who achieved amazing things through his newly acquired leadership and management skills.
He didn’t do it alone. Of course, he put his butt in the right chair and that chair was sitting squarely in front of the DMSRetail Consultant at the front of the room.
He gave up his skepticism about training. He opened his mind to learning what he thought he already knew. Everyone needs this kind of assistance to move to the next level.
Join us for The Retail Operations Management Workshop.
Send an email to me, John Callaghan, for any details you may need. jcallaghan@dmsretail.com
We created a new video for DMSRetail, see if you like it.
We’ve Got a Schedule of Time Saving, Must
Attend Web Events for Retail Owners and Managers.
Make Time To Make 2015 Happen!
Here are the first two events you’ve got to know about because they’re coming up fast and they’re both critical for making your mark in the 4th Quarter.
Please note: Both Events will be held at 1:00 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m. out of consideration for our customers and subscribers in the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.
Okay, here we go….
Event Number One… Our “33% Increase Blueprint”
OnLine Training Event was such an outstanding success that we are compelled to repeat it. You can register and/or check the content here.
Really, we are still getting amazing feedback from all over the place. Thank you so much for taking the time to attend and the time to give us your feedback!!
Needless to say, we are flattered and, it is because we’ve had tons of requests for a repeat performance, that we’ve lined it up for you.
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2015
Session #1: 1:00 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. London)
Session #2: 7:00 p.m. Eastern (12 Midnight London)
Fee: $200
(Session recording available)
It’s approximately two hours long and you’ll be a changed retail leader when it’s over.
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Event Number Two…For the first time, we’re presenting an OnLine Training Event titled
“OnLine Marketing for Retailers”
Join us to examine what Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Email Marketing can do for your retail business.
Once again, our expert instructor will open your eyes to a whole new way of making great things happen in your business.
In this case, it’s all about the world of OnLine Marketing and how it’s going to be useful to you. You can register and/or check the content here.
Date: Friday, September 25, 2015
Session #1: 1:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 p.m. London)
Session #2: 7:00 p.m. Eastern (12 Midnight London)
Fee: $100
(Session recording available)
This OnLine Training Event is not to be missed…particularly at this time of year. Even if you have not paid any attention to this important part of your business up until now….you simply cannot afford not to pay attention now.
Get up to speed f-a-s-t !
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Both events are short, full of quality information and guaranteed to be of tremendous help to you going into the final quarter. You’re busy…we make good use of your valuable time.
In other words…make the time to attend these events. Or, at least sign up to make sure you can get the recording.
None of us are ever so successful that we can afford to ignore activities that will give us a boost. On the contrary, we must always seek and engage in business boosting activities.
All the Success!
DMSRetail
PS: For All the Actionable Retail Information You Need – Wherever and Whenever You Need It, become a Platinum Member of the Retail Business Academy. As always, Platinum Members have access to these Web Events at no additional charge. Check it out here.
DMSRetail 