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 I'm an assistant manager of a department in a specialty retail store. I've started implementing the MT Trinity and I'm hoping to see some results so that I can become promoted.  My manager has developed a monthly "focus" for the department.  For example, this month is about building relationships with our customers. How would I coach my team on such a broad subject? How would I gauge results? 

drenn18's picture
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In our restaurant, our bartenders play the "name game" in which they are supposed to introduce themselves to guests and write each other's names down in front of the guest.

What makes you a "specialty" retail store? I assume this means the customers are looking for a specific item and therefore you can have whoever sold an item follow up with the customer. Track these follow-up emails.

Another idea is to make little coupons with the store's website or email address. Give the customer 10% off their next purchase for giving a review of their experience. They can only redeem it if they print of the email response from your salesperson.

Good luck! 

DRD282's picture
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I may be misremembering (I listened to the coaching podcasts a while back, and haven't had a chance to re-listen to them) but I believe two of the key steps for the coaching model were to brainstorm with your direct(s) for both goals and resources for improving. If your directs are constantly working with customers, they might have some insight.

 

Alternately, one end-goal in and of itself may be to come up with methods for finding out what customers think and how to measure the relationship between customer and employee. I've never worked in retail, so I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head, but it seems like just coming up with a framework for measuring customer relationships would be a "win" in this case.

jrb3's picture
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Well, Manager Tools coaching presumes several months learning by the direct leading up to a singular event to show progress.  That's a different rhythm than your manager's intended monthly focus.  Month-long seems to fall in between the immediacy of feedback, and the long-term growth of coaching.

Perhaps, for you, consciously look for additional feedback to give in the current focus area.  Perhaps, for your directs, you can brainstorm with them (like for the start of the coaching sequence) and give feedback on the one aspect they want to improve on.  (Really a "coaching lite".)  Or, coach each, selecting a target without regard to the monthly focus at first, and try to work in the focus each month as it comes through.  Or maybe try out an accelerated coaching schedule, with a smaller singular event by one month.

-- Joseph (DiSC 4247)