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It seems to me that many retail store owners, sales managers, and salespeople spend most of their time working in their business, rather than on it. What’s the difference? Working in the business means reacting to daily tasks—waiting on customers, ordering and accounting for merchandise, arranging displays, running ads, and managing promotions. It’s all about keeping the wheels turning. On the other hand, working on the business is about growth. It’s proactive. It involves seeking out new information, reading business books and trade journals, attending educational seminars, and finding ways to improve and evolve. This mindset drives long-term success. I’ve always believed that retail organizations thrive when they foster a culture of personal growth and development. People can’t simply react to what’s happening—they need to create opportunities, not just wait for them. Too many people have been doing things the same way for years, even decades. But retail has changed. The way customers shop and make buying decisions has changed—and it will continue to change. Every successful retail salesperson needs confidence. And confidence comes from knowledge. When you know your products and understand people, you’re more likely to close the sale. Confidence shifts your mindset from “I hope I can sell this customer” to “I will sell this customer.” That subtle shift makes a huge difference. Think back to your first day on the sales floor. I remember mine—I was terrified. But day by day, I gained knowledge, and with it, confidence. Eventually, I became comfortable. But here’s the danger: confidence can lead to complacency. Too often, business owners, managers, and salespeople stop learning once they reach a certain level of comfort. Early in my career, a supervisor asked me a question I’ll never forget: “Do you have five years of experience—or one year of experience repeated five times?” It was a wake-up call. I realized I had stopped growing. I had fallen into a rut. That moment pushed me to recommit to learning everything I could about my business and career. Recently, during a webinar, I brought up the idea of reading books as a group and discussing the insights together. One participant shared that her company used to do exactly that—book reviews and group reports. She said it was incredibly valuable. My question: why did they stop? Reading as a group should be more than a one-time activity. Teams should regularly read, discuss, analyze, and apply what they learn from books. It’s one of the best ways to grow collectively. If you’re looking for a place to start, I highly recommend these three classics: The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman Good to Great by Jim Collins If you’ve already read these and want more suggestions, I’d be happy to share a longer recommended reading list. If you want to elevate your sales, profits, business knowledge, and overall success, create a culture of personal growth and development within your organization. Start today—with a good book. |
| Be sure to go to https://principlesforbusinessandlife.com/ – click on My Viewpoint Newsletter and read a fabulous article titled: Implications of the Pandemic Diaspora on Corporate Culture By Jim Blasingame JIM BLASINGAME is one of the world’s foremost thought-leaders on business and entrepreneurship. He’s a marketplace futurist, columnist, award-winning author of four books, and pioneer talk show host. And he helps business leaders get out of their own way. This Month’s Training Tools Special – Sales and Sales Managers Aptitude Tests- Regularly $149.00 – this month only $49.95. IAS Training is revolutionizing the training industry with our Sales and Sales Management Aptitude Tests for potential new hires and existing staff. The Aptitude test will take the guesswork out of hiring. At the very least you will know if they believe in the basic Sales Management principles and good salesmanship strategies and techniques. When hiring, you need to know if you are getting the person with the best chance of success and the willingness to do what you want them to do. Obviously, no one is qualified to work in your store until they have been trained to work in your store, doing things the way you want them done. What are their beliefs when it comes to approaching a customer? What are their beliefs relating to their responsibilities are as a salesperson? All of your questions are answered with the Aptitude Test. For existing staff the Aptitude test will tell you where you need to work with your people on sales and sales management techniques. We provide you with the answer sheet so you can do the analysis. Don’t expect people to get the exact right answers, however you will know if their thought process is in at least the same zip code. If you want us to look at the results and make recommendations, we can do that free of charge. We don’t want to replace your test for honesty/security etc. However, now you can find out if they will have what it takes to be successful when it comes to protecting your most valuable asset: your customers! Go to https://principlesforbusinessandlife.com/ – click on Training Tools to place your order Have your staff subscribe to the Munchies Newsletter and please pass this along to others within your circle of influence. https://principlesforbusinessandlife.com/contact-us/ FINAO Brad Huisken IAS Training brad@iastraining.com https://principlesforbusinessandlife.com/ 303-503-7835 Principles For Business And Life |
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