Retail Contrarian

A Very Special Posting: A Lesson in Humility

A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas presenting to employees of the Bribor retail stores. Donny Borsack and his family own and operate the Brighton license stores in Las Vegas as well as the Corsa Collections store at The Forum Shops at Caesars. The Borsacks and their employees are incredibly bright and experienced retailers so it's always a joy to present there.

During one of the presentation on increasing UPT sales I asked the group, "What are some of the techniques you use to maximize your customer opportunities?" Without hesitation Zee Hussain raised her hand and said, "I sell with humility." I was fascinated by this response and asked her to expand on it. Zee explained to us that when she worked with a customer she understood that it was all about the customer, not her. She told us that she often emulated the customer's mannerisms since that would in all likelihood be how the customer wanted to be engaged. Zee also said that selling with humility meant showing the customer all the products that were right for her. I thanked her for her comments and asked her if I could use it in my newsletter. She said of course I could.

After the presentation Donny and I discussed Zee and her comments about selling with humility. Donny told me that this wasn't just something Zee said but reflected the way she lived every day. He told me that Zee started working for his family 10 years ago and in the last five years she was the top salesperson in the company 50% of the time. 50%! Clearly selling with humility is effective.

Since then I have attempted a couple of times to write the selling with humility but I just couldn't seem to effectively translate the concept that Zee made seem simple and effective. It was frustrating because I had said I would write a Daily about it but I wanted it to be right and make Zee proud. I wish now that I hadn't waited. Zaniab Hussain, lovingly known to her family, customers, and colleagues as Zee, passed away in her sleep last week.

Zee will truly be missed because she was one of the true ambassadors of retail. As Donny shared with me, "She sold from her heart, she sold with incredible passion, and most important, she did it all with humility." On the day after Zee passed away, I received an email with the following, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less." The words finally came to me, or maybe I should say they found me. When we work with our customers they should be our only focus. Not thinking about when we're going to lunch or what needs to be checked off our to-do list. We focus on customers, their needs and opportunities, and we continue to suggest products that will enhance their lives.

Zee lived with true humility and was always there for her family, customers, and co-workers. Whenever Zee was asked to do something she always replied "I'll make you proud." If we all think a little more about our customers and little less about ourselves, we indeed will make her proud.

One thing I know for sure, God will have no problem making sales numbers for now on. Thank you, Zee, for teaching us so much and giving us the chance to make you proud.

Labels: Humility, Retail experience, Retail sales

The View from the Deli Counter

The other day I offered to run down to the grocery store and pick up a few things. I was happy to do so until my wife said those dreaded words, "Don't forget to stop at the deli counter." You see, I have zero patience and if there is more than one person in front of me at the deli counter I swear that time stands still. Like a good husband I said "yes, dear" and went off to do my duty.

When I got to the counter there were five people ahead of me, each of whom were purchasing a quarter-pound of at least twelve different cheeses and meats. As I stood there fighting the urge to beat my head on the deli case, I noticed subtle differences between the three employees working the counter. While all three seemed fairly proficient at using the meat slicer, or I assume they were since they had all their fingers, they differed in how they waited on their customers.

The first clerk was focused on completing orders and getting through the line. He was very business like. He said pretty much the same thing over and over again. "Next! What can I get you? Anything else?" I was pleased he was picking off the customers in front of me so I could finish my shopping.

The second clerk was extremely nice. "Next? How are you today? What would you like today?" She was happy to come around the counter to help her customer. She made small talk while she did her job and wasn't upset at all when after slicing two pounds of ham the customer said she wanted a different brand. She laughed, chatted and did a wonderful job with the one customer she waited on the entire time I stood there.

The third clerk had an entirely different approach. After calling out the next number he always said, "Hello. Thank you for waiting. What can I get you today?" He was as efficient as the first clerk and as friendly as the second without the excessive small talk. What made this clerk the most effective of the three is that instead of seeing what was taking place from behind the counter he saw what the situation was from the customer's point of view. He knew that customers had been waiting and he thanked them for doing so. "Thank you for waiting." Four small words with a huge impact on the customer experience.

We will always be more successful in delivering both a great store experience and maximizing every sales opportunity if we see things from the customer's perspective. A customer having to wait five minutes in line isn't a big deal to us. It might be a huge deal to the customer. . . .or at least customers like me. Being out of stock of an item means we miss a sale. To a customer it might mean having to drive to another store or figure out something else to buy.

Putting ourselves in the customer's shoes and seeing things from their perspective allow us to better connect with the customer. It helps us to understand when small talk and taking our time is appropriate and when it's not. It helps us to see better when an "I'm sorry" or a "Thank you so much" is in order and not just "Next." The best part is that it helps us to see better how we can improve and be of better of service to the customer.

Try it out this week, walk in your customer's shoes and enjoy the view.

Labels: customer experience, customer focus, customer service

Peer Without Pressure

Recently, I was speaking with a client regarding training their staff around increasing their units per transaction, when the client said something I frequently hear from retailers struggling to develop their employees: "We just don't have time to do structured role-plays." It is, of course, a legitimate grievance. The reality of skill-based training in retail is a classic Catch-22: training is vital to developing and improving employees' abilities to deliver positive customer experiences, while at the same time it's counter-productive to take employees away from serving customers for the sake of structured trainings.

My recommended solution to this conundrum is two words: peer coaching. In peer coaching two employees undertake their own training initiatives and observe, appraise, and work to develop each other's skills. This makes on-the-floor development easy and flexible. It can happen anytime, and doesn't require a lot of planning or preparation. Most importantly, it puts the employees in charge of driving their own development.

Transitioning single-product buyers to multiple-product buyers (and therefore increasing UPTs) is a skill that's ideal for peer coaching because when done correctly it benefits the employee, the store, and the customer. Peer coaching typically involves employees working together in what could be called a "living role-play". While one employee engages a customer (yes, a real customer) as they normally would, the other employee observes a specific area or skill and makes mental notes. After the transaction has ended and the customer is happily on their way, the coach provides his or her colleague with feedback - preferably a combination of positive observations and areas for possible improvement. This should be an open and honest dialog, not a critique or in-depth analysis. The goal here is to coach and guide, not to humiliate or belittle. Besides, during the next transaction the roles will be reversed: the employee who was the coach will become the one getting assessed, so be sure to have fun with it.

Focusing on a small, single bite of the sales process (like increasing UPTs) instead of the whole thing allows the coach to concentrate on the specifics of how adept their colleague is at enhancing their customer's experience through recommending additional product. And since it's an area often overlooked when it comes time to develop skills, increasing UPTs is typically a good even footing for everyone to start with.

Encourage your staff to participate in peer coaching by establishing and communicating a set of basic rules for everyone to follow.

• Establish a timeframe. While the pace of peer coaching is mainly determined by various factors like traffic and staff availability, it's still a good idea to set a beginning and end date for the whole initiative. "Beginning on June 13th, we're going to start 3 weeks of peer coaching, wrapping up just in time for the Fourth of July sale."

• Require regular reporting. Again, while the staff is driving their own development, it's important that they be held accountable. Regular, informal reporting of what coaching has taken place, including areas of focus, best practices, and opportunities for improvement are key to reinforcing the importance of peer coaching. Again, this doesn't need to be a formally documented presentation. Just a quick touch-base throughout the duration of the announced timeframe.

• Mutually agree on the skill to be observed. Skills turn into behaviors. Properly developed skills result in behavior that's beneficial to the business and the individual. Before any coaching can happen both participants need to agree on which skill they're going to focus their development. The entire staff can focus on the same skill if it's crucial for an upcoming event or promotion, but ideally each coaching pair will focus on a key skill that's specific to their own personal development.

• Don't compete. This is a development activity, not a contest to see who can outperform the other. The coach needs to keep an open mind with regards to his or her colleague's methods, and provide feedback specific to the skill being developed. Unless the employee being coached provides blatant misinformation, acts unethically, or otherwise performs in a manner unbecoming the business, the focus of the observation and feedback needs to be on the mutually agreed-upon skill.

• Be mindful of your customers. Your customer's needs take precedence over any other activity. Even if your peer is observing you, your full attention must be given to your customer. This ensures they get the best experience you can provide, and it gives your coach a more honest portrayal of your abilities.

• Be open to giving and receiving feedback. Because most participants are not management, they might feel out of place giving a colleague direct feedback. Likewise, some employees may feel invalidated by their peer's observations. Everyone needs to remember that this is a development activity, and honest and specific feedback in both directions is the key to success.

So there you have it: a good solution to the problem of finding time to practice on the sales floor. Give it a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how well it works.

Labels: Increase retail sales, retail training, UPT

The Secret To Retail Success

After a recent seminar I was approached by one of the attendees (we'll call her Ellen) who wanted to discuss with me her approach to waiting on customers as it differed from what I had recommended in the seminar. Here's how the conversation went.

Ellen: "Hi Doug. I enjoyed what you said although I disagree with your approach to helping customers in the store. I work with my customers the way I like to be helped."

Me: "And how's that?"

Ellen: "I like to be left alone and I'll ask for help when I need it. That's why I do the same thing with my customers."

Me: "I see. Why don't you like to be helped?"

Ellen: "I just like to browse on my own."

Me: "Okay, there's nothing wrong with that. But what do you do when a sales person tries to engage you?"

Ellen: "I tell them I'm just looking."

Me: "And why's that?"

Ellen: "Usually because the person isn't really any help."

Me: "Why do you think that is?" (Yes, I know it can be annoying to have a conversation with me but Ellen started it!)

Ellen: "Because a lot of salespeople just stand there next to me, which I find incredibly irritating, and wait for me to ask a question that they may or may not be able to answer. I find they really aren't that useful so I only ask for help if I have to."

Me: "What you're telling me is that in your store you stand next to your customers waiting for them to ask a question that you may or may not be able to answer."

Ellen: "Absolutely not. I'm great with my customers. They find me quite useful when I help them."

Me: "I'm sure they do. But do you even give them a chance to know that because you wait for them to approach you and ask for help?

Ellen: "I guess not."

Me: "You yourself said you only ask for help if you absolutely have to. And I think most customers are like you."

Ellen: "Good point."

Doug: "So instead of helping customers the way you like to be helped, doesn't it make more sense for you to work with your customers the way you wish you were helped?"

Ellen: "You're right. I've been waiting on the people in my store a certain way because of some of the bad sales help out there, even though I know we're better in my store. Thanks."

And that's the secret to success on the retail floor. Treat people the way you wish to be treated. Think about what's important to you. You want salespeople who are attentive but not pushy. You want someone who can answer your questions and help you select the right products. Someone who can help you get the most for your money. Someone who will give you the right answer, not just the answer you want to hear. Someone who you trust, like, and want to go back to again.

Don't treat your customers a certain way because of bad retail salespeople, treat your customers a certain way because you're a good retail salesperson.

Labels: customer service, retail selling