Retail & Consumer Tips

Barbara Wold

The next time you run an "idea generating meeting," prime the workforce by putting together an upbeat session that involves all participants.

>> Learn some tips for improving meetings

Talk about first impressions; telephone greetings are critical. Welcome customers on the phone with a pleasant, sincere and brief message.

>> Click here for 3 easy steps to success

Around the holidays retailers tend to hire part-time employees. But Managers often face problems with motivating these workers.

>> Click here to read what will motivate them

Barbara offers her Top 10 list for tips to improve your store's customer service.

>> Click here to view her Top 10

Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won't be profitable for long.

>> Read Barbara’s 8 Rules for Good Customer Service

Daily affirmations

1. I am present and I pay attention
2. I am respectful (and never speak negatively or gossip about another employee or a customer)
3. I trust my employees to do the right thing...

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Are you leaving the fun and playful part of your personality at the front door of the store each day? For many, work is a place to be serious -- fun happens on vacation and away from work. We need to accept fun and understand it as another element of the workplace.

>> Read more why fun at work is so important

Be sure to look in these four places for potential hires:

• Customers -- both current and past
• Suppliers
• Current employees
• Competitors

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Mission: Create a powerfully positive first impression.

Goal: Manage each moment of every contact.

Don't gamble with the 7/11 rule! In only seven seconds, a customer forms 11 impressions about you and your organization.

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To attract great employees, you need to get aggressive and move out of the box. One in five new hires turns out to be a dud, according to a study of nearly 1,600 hiring managers by HR consulting firm DDI International.

• Call good employees who have left.
• Offer finder's fees.
• Ask job applicants for names of other potential employees.
• Offer flextime.
• Show prospects how you'll help them grow.
• Work with local organizations.
• Advertise in new places.

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The next time you run an "idea generating meeting," prime the workforce by putting together an upbeat session that involves all participants. Try these methods or come up with other creative ideas.

1. An angle for meetings that has proven to be very successful is to put a different person in charge. You determine the agenda and then gives all meeting responsibilities to a staff member. Also, ask the person, now in charge of the meeting, to add one new idea to the agenda.

2. Weeks before the idea-generating meeting, ask each staff member to visit a competitive store. Ask your benevolent...

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