Demonstrating Your First Priority

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