By
Bob Phibbs
As a retail shop owner or manager, it's crucial to understand that the success of any training program is not just about the content but also hinges on effective implementation and staff engagement. As retail experts, we understand that training is more than a schedule; it's a pathway to higher sales and better customer experiences.
This blog will explore how retail managers and owners can adeptly apply change management techniques within their training programs, ensuring they resonate with every team member and lead to tangible improvements in in-store performance.
A friend had been working with a retailer to create more of an in-store experience.
Over a few months, she and her team created a re-do of the fixtures, paint colors, branding messages, and custom gobo lighting, which moved across the hottest merchandise in sync with a custom music channel and a whole floor plan to ensure customers were dazzled.
Her client was happy and bragged about the new experience customers would find in their stores.
But three months later, when my friend returned to the pilot store, she was disheartened to discover the custom music channel was off. The gobos glided across the floor rather than the merchandise, and the best sellers were no longer highlighted. The whole store was a disaster from her perspective.
When she asked the manager why it looked so different, she was told, “The crew didn’t like the music, so we turned it off. That merchandise didn’t look good, so we moved it.” He hadn’t even noticed that the gobos were moving on the carpeting.
How did such a thing happen?
No one had thought to include the crew in any aspect of the new design.
And the fact is, when left out or kept out of the discussion, those real keepers of the flame can override the suits at the top.
Here’s the thing…
You're stuck if you don’t believe your crew is your most important asset. They know you feel that way.
Their way of getting back at you is to ignore your planogram, turn down, turn up, or turn off your music, move your racks, disregard your sales training, you name it.
And here’s the rub…
If you had a broken culture before implementing your new strategic initiative, marketing piece, or training… the culture will still be broken after it.
I’ve seen this with a few of my SalesRX users over the years. Someone may have purchased the retail sales training program and expected it to be a magic bullet; they thought it would require nothing new.
It all goes off the rails when you don’t bring the crew onboard correctly.
If you didn’t explain how and why you were bringing in your new initiative and what you hoped for and didn’t seek their feedback or listen to their ideas on how to run with it, you’re probably doomed.
Look, there is no magic bullet - not to increase sales, manage employees, or anything.
New ideas take work and training.
Let me be very clear: if your employees are not using the training, the props, the displays—you name it—they are testing you. Whatever the cause, the real victim is your brand as it morphs into this person’s worldview of being disempowered.
What To Do To Help Employees Accept Change
A great retailer empowers employees to observe behavior and draw conclusions about people's needs and wants. They create a sense of pride in their employees and, in turn, their jobs.
If you are about to launch a new initiative, bring your best and brightest together to see the potholes or stumbling blocks and where you are bound to get resistance. Then, fill in the gaps beforehand to thwart their effectiveness.
Understand the Multifaceted Role of the Trainer: The person in charge of training is often viewed merely as a scheduler. However, their role is much broader, encompassing being a cheerleader for both management and frontline staff. This is particularly crucial when dealing with trainers with an Amiable personality style, known for their desire to please. These individuals must be empowered to hope for understanding and actively ensure it.
Overcoming Resistance to Training: Change is challenging, and training often meets resistance, especially from those who feel they already know it all. Here are steps to transform this mindset:
1. Assess Staff Readiness and Training Needs:
Conduct pre-training assessments to understand staff capabilities and areas for improvement.
Customize training content, like our SalesRX online program, which offers distinct sections for managers and associates. Personalize it further with welcoming videos to foster a supportive atmosphere.
2. Preparing for and Addressing Resistance:
Before launching new initiatives, it's important to anticipate potential resistance and address it proactively. This involves understanding employee fears and concerns about change.
Identify and address the root causes of training resistance through individual or team discussions.
3. Foster Management Buy-In:
Secure full management support by agreeing on training objectives, metrics, and timelines.
Encourage management to participate actively in sessions, reinforcing their commitment and celebrating team achievements.
4. Engage Staff from the Start:
Initiate team meetings to discuss improvements and schedule training sessions.
Solicit staff input on their perceived training needs, ensuring they recognize its necessity.
Include the crew in any new design or strategic initiative. This is crucial for ensuring that changes are embraced and implemented on the ground level.
5. Effective Communication of Benefits:
Clearly articulate how training benefits staff both professionally and in enhancing store performance.
Emphasize the direct correlation between training, improved customer experiences, and potential financial rewards for commission-based staff.
6. Adapt Training Delivery:
Employ dynamic methods like video, role-play, and group coaching.
Cater to diverse learning styles with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches.
7. Set Clear Expectations and Goals:
Establish and regularly review achievable training goals.
Consider motivational tools like leaderboards or updates in common areas.
8. Monitor and Support Continuous Learning:
Track training progress using metrics like average sale or items per ticket.
Offer additional support to those struggling through one-on-one coaching or post-customer interaction reviews.
9. Incorporate Feedback Mechanisms:
Regularly solicit feedback from the team on the training process. It's okay for them to say, I haven't been able to do this yet. It is not okay to say I cannot do this.
Regularly act upon team feedback, fostering a culture of open communication.
10. Recognize and Reward Engagement:
Acknowledge and incentivize active participation and application of training insights.
Leadership Development and Continuous Improvement in Training Programs:
A pivotal aspect of enhancing retail training programs is investing in leadership development. This includes focusing on change management, effective communication, and team motivation. Such an investment is not just about completing the training; it's about ensuring the knowledge is fully understood and effectively applied in real-world scenarios. Leaders equipped with these skills can better guide their teams through the nuances of retail challenges, ensuring that training transcends beyond theory into practical, impactful actions.
Adopting a continuous improvement mindset in your training programs is essential. Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of these programs is key. This isn't a one-time assessment but an ongoing process that requires openness to change. Be prepared to revise your training approach based on the outcomes and feedback received. It's a common misconception that completion of training equates to mastery. To truly gauge the effectiveness of training, consider conducting mystery shops to assess the real-world application of the skills taught. This approach provides invaluable insights into how well the training is being translated into action on the sales floor.
Remember, in retail training, only practical application truly counts. If the mystery shop scores or other performance metrics indicate a gap in knowledge or application, it's crucial to address this proactively. Have candid conversations with your team, understand the hurdles, and be ready to reset and start the training process afresh if necessary. This commitment to excellence and continuous learning is what sets apart successful retail environments, leading to enhanced customer experiences and improved sales performance.
In Sum
The key to successful training in a retail environment is a combination of tailored content, management support, staff engagement, and continuous evaluation. By implementing these strategies, retail managers can ensure that training programs are effective, beneficial, and embraced by the entire team, ultimately improving store performance and customer satisfaction.
Without their buy-in, all the money spent will be for naught.
