Shifting Gears in Retail

When you hear the words consumer engagement in terms of a retail store environment, what ideas come to mind? Actively listening to the customer? Guiding the sale? Having genuine sales personnel?

I once went on a scenic drive through the beautiful Rocky Mountain foothills, near Estes Park, Colorado. I hopped in my old beater of a car, rolled the windows down, and took in every scenic pass, snow-capped mountain, and breath of cool, crisp air that I could. Then, as I was cruising up and down hills at 8,000 feet above sea level, the automatic transmission suddenly wouldn’t shift out of second gear. My heart sank and my wallet felt lighter as I realized that my transmission was toast. I limped the car back into town and took it to my mechanic. He told me that if it had been better maintained, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

Better maintained? I had changed the oil, I washed and waxed it. (Come to think of it I hadn’t ever checked or changed the transmission fluid.)

Car transmissions and retail stores may seem like two entirely different worlds but they both need routine maintenance and, occasionally, a complete overhaul. Maybe you are reaching your customer through most marketing channels; web, social media, print, TV/Radio, etc. The in-store experience touch the customer too – brick and mortar locations are bright, clean and attractive with marketing messages that impact the customers buying decision. But then the customer walks in and is greeted by an employee who doesn’t even bother to make eye contact, and says, curtly; “next in line!” Your customer’s in-store experience just failed-the same way that car transmission did on the mountain.

So what do you do? How do you make sure you capture the customer’s attention and keep them excited about coming into your store time and again? To excite the customer, the store personnel first needs to be invigorated. I recommend having regular store meetings. A 15 minute pre-shift meeting should do the trick. Be prepared to spend part of this time for Q & A. Here are some ideas for what to discuss:

· Value. Are your store personnel truly educated on your brand and the value it brings to the customer? Do they know specifically how your product or service compares and is better than the competition?

· Input. Do you seek the input of all employees? During these meetings ask the staff if there are customer concerns which they have encountered. Then have a brief brainstorming time where you and other store employees to formulate ideas to deal with these concerns.

· Evaluate. On your next meeting, see if the solution you and your team came up with worked. If not, reevaluate and try again until you achieve improvement.

· Reward. Public recognition for outstanding achievement at these meetings goes a long way in keeping personnel excited.

· You. Do you consistently demonstrate vision, passion, and direction for your organization? Are you willing to support your team in the decisions they make? 

All of the above ideas are just some that could be implemented.  Emphasis on the word could here is important.  I could have maintained my car better and avoided costly mistakes.  Are you willing to make the effort to keep your store in tip-top shape with routine maintenance? This takes leadership.  In  your experience in retail, have you been inspired by visionary leadership? Or have you been the one who provided direction and motivated staff? I’d be interested in hearing about what has worked well for you.