A Retail Phenomenon Alert

Some of the retailers I've talked with recently have told me that to some degree they are seeing less traffic than previously.  While it seems that most weekend traffic is holding up pretty well, the weekday traffic appears to be the most affected.

In talking with retail associates during a recent mall walk I heard time and time again about the slow days and lack of traffic.  One employee commented that "corporate" keeps telling them to "sell, sell, sell" and she wanted to respond "to whom, to whom, to whom?"

The challenge is that the slower the store the less focused and attentive the staff becomes. Now before anyone becomes defensive let me say that I know this for a fact from working the floor myself. I almost always executed at a higher level on busier days than the slower ones.

Please put tongue in cheek and read on!

On slow days we all become victims of the dreaded "slow store trance" phenomenon. You know the slow store trance, don't you?  The clock slows way, way down until you're no longer sure it's moving at all.  Then the yawning starts.  From there the only way to stay standing up is by leaning on the counter or a fixture.  Sometimes you don't even realize you've fallen into the slow store trance.  One sure sign it's happening is that you spend an endless amount of time talking about what you're going to have for lunch or dinner, or what you're going to do that night.

The challenge with the slow store trance is that you're unable to quickly snap out of it. When a customer comes in you think you're operating at full capacity but you're not.  As a result you don't completely maximize the customer opportunity, which then causes you to go even deeper into the trance.  It's an ugly spiral.

I'm sure you're wondering why other retail experts don't write about this malady.  I'd like to tell you that it's because I'm the only one who is brave enough to take on this fearsome subject, but the fact is most of them probably don't have the vivid imagination I do.  But I digress.

Here are some ways to avoid the slow store trance and maintain productivity:

1. Use the buddy system. That's right; friends don't let friends fall into trances.  By using the buddy system a staff can warn each other when they see signs that a trance is approaching.  Remember, those signs include yawning, leaning, and endless talk about your next meal or what you're going to do that night.

2. Remain focused on your daily sales goal.  Sales are to the slow store trance as garlic is to a vampire. A laser focus on making goal is a sure fire way to repel the trance and make the time fly by.

3. Roleplay. Whenever you see that a fellow team member has fallen into the trance, use roleplaying to help snap them out of it. Think of it as CPR for the trance but thank your lucky stars you don't have to put your lips on your co-workers.

4. Create mini-contests throughout the day.  For most employees, their competitive nature easily trumps the conditions that allow the trance to take hold. The manager/owner can even put up some small prizes, an action that almost guarantee the trance will move on down the street and take up residence with another retailer.

So what's it going to be today, an alert and sales focused team or the dreaded slow store trance?