DURING THE HOLIDAYS opportunities abound. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of each and every one. How can you stay on your toes and at the top of your game? Here are a few tips:
As an owner, you should gather your team before the store opens each day and give them a target to shoot for.
1 Avoid store-floor vacancy. With so many sales coming in, salespeople sometimes get caught up in paperwork at the back of the store, leaving no one up front to greet customers. If a customer comes in and is not greeted, they feel awkward. At best, you’ve set up a road block in the sale process. At worst, they may leave.
Even if you do have salespeople on the floor, they may all be tied up with customers. You don’t want to take your attention away from one customer to greet the next. Someone should always be on the floor to greet the next one coming in.
2 Avoid huddling. When sales are zipping along and you’re having fun, salespeople tend to huddle together on the floor. They laugh and have a good old time. Problem is, when a customer walks into this scene, they’ll feel intimidated (or worse, might even think you’re laughing at them!) Always be scattered throughout the floor. It’s great to have fun, but don’t stand together. In this way, you make yourself approachable, and the fun is infectious, rather than being a barrier.
3 Don’t ask salespeople to wrap gifts. Why would you ask your salesperson to do a minimum-wage job when another customer may be waiting out front to spend their money? Hire a support person for the Christmas season. They can take the item from the salesperson, ask the customer what size box and what wrapping they want, and take it to the back to wrap. This allows the salesperson to add on to the sale, or move on to the next customer if the store is busy.
4 Feed your employees. Your store is not a zoo, so it’s okay to feed the animals! (Just kidding, salespeople … you know I love you!) During the holidays, no one has time to leave the store. So, have lunch brought in. It’ll be fresh, it’ll taste great, and your team will love you for it. Be sure to include energy drinks and energy bars to keep everyone pumped up. This is an inexpensive yet much-appreciated way to help your staff beat the grind and stay upbeat.
5 Set daily goals. As an owner, you should gather your team before the store opens each day and give them a target to shoot for. Tell them your sales figures for that day last year, and let them know you want to beat it. Even if you’re not typically a goal-setting store, this practice motivates everyone and maintains intensity.
One excellent way to make sure these goals matter to your employees is to offer an incentive. For whatever amount your store makes over your daily goal, split 10% of that amount among the employees. So, if your goal is $50,000 for the day and they sell $55,000 as a team, you’d split $500 among the staff (or, 10% of the $5,000 that they made over and above last year’s sales).
Over the course of the season, everybody will wind up making several hundred more dollars in daily spiffs, and you’ll beat last year handily. Moreover, it’s a group goal, so they’re motivated to work as a team — a critical element to any successful final quarter.
The holiday season should be fun and run smoothly. When you spell out expectations clearly and “have your employees’ backs” at every turn, it will be a very merry Christmas indeed — for everyone, including your customers!