One of my sales reps reported facing a dilemma recently. She stopped in a store she sells to while out shopping with friends, and was surprised to find the young employee behind the counter listening to music on his phone — with headphones on. She was not sure whether she should report this to the shop’s owners, but decided that it was in their best interest, and her own, to do so.  After all, her success as a sales rep is dependent upon the success of her retailers.

While it is a great idea to offer employment to young people, especially during the summer, we need to be certain that employees of all ages understand the difference between “babysitting” the shop and being fully engaged in their job.  An engaged employee is defined as “one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and takes positive action to further the organization’s reputation and interests.”

How do you improve your employee’s level of engagement? I think the first step is to be present in the store as much as possible, modeling the type of customer service you want employees to provide.   Your enthusiasm for your merchandise is also something that you can share with your staff members. Do they know the stories behind the products you carry, and the reasons why customers should want to buy them?

It can be boring to sit behind a counter and wait for a sale, so you might leave a list of small tasks that need doing.  Even straightening and dusting a display is a great way to make the time pass, and to get to know the merchandise better.  You might also leave wholesale catalogues and trade magazines out for your staff to read.  And although it’s not a popular stance, I’m in favor of not allowing smart phone use, at least when customers are present.

Most shops are not comfortable with consignment sales as a means of compensation, but even just encouraging your staff try to beat the same day’s sales the previous year can help employees focus on the goal of selling.  Sharing your sales totals is an important way of getting employees engaged — after all, as one pundit said, you can’t try to improve your team’s performance if you don’t know the score.

“Non-engaged employees offer perhaps the greatest untapped opportunity for businesses to improve their performance and profitability,” according to Robyn Reilly of Gallup New Zealand. Reilly goes on to mention that employees are in many ways a company’s best asset, and keeping them motivated and engaged leads to better performance on the job — as well as greater job satisfaction.  

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder 

PS There will be no Specialty Shop Retailing blog next week due to the NY NOW gift show. Hope to see you there!