With stores slowly starting to reopen, it will be critical for store managers to focus on keeping their team motivated in these different times. Motivated team members will be essential to your success in engaging positively with customers who venture into your stores for the first time. This positive engagement is critical if you want these customers to not only buy from you now, but also come back. However motivating a team can be quite challenging.
My reply to anyone who asks me the question of how to motivate someone is to respond with – “who is the only person that can motivate you?” The answer obviously is themselves. No-one can motivate you if you don’t want them to, you have to be in the right frame of mind to be motivated.
So motivation comes from within, yet some store managers are very good at providing an environment where by their team feel motivated. The team will do anything for their leader, and they perform if the leader is there or not. How do you get your team to feel like this? After all if you can achieve this, you have found the magic formula to business success – your customers will rave about the service your team provide and sales will increase.
Here are six ideas I’d like to share:
1) The easiest and cheapest because it’s free – provide more positive feedback on a regular basis to your team. Look for ways to catch then doing something right and tell them. This is so simple yet we forget to do it.
2) Build amazing amounts of trust – again this one costs you nothing. Your team will respect you and go the extra mile if they trust you. This means lead by example, do what you say, if they ask for something either provide it or tell them why you can’t.
3) Get them to buy into your why – getting your team to understand why you do what you do is critical for buy in. What is your vision and values and how do they live these? Every team member and in particular Gen Z’s, want to feel part of something that contributes positively to the community and environment.
4) Have fun incentives – most team members love a target and if you wrap incentives in with this, you’ll be on a winner. Keep these simple and achievable for everyone. These can be brought in from time to time so they don’t just become the same every week.
5) Use peer reviews for monthly awards – you could instigate, or amend, a monthly reward for your team, voted upon by your team. Team members vote for the person they believe, has best lived to the companies values that month. This is a very powerful motivator as team members love recognition, particularly coming from their peers.
6) Ensure there is accountability – if you want your team to perform and feel satisfied, give them responsibility and accountability. Great team members want to learn and grow and be given a chance to show what they can do. Help them to step up and watch them shine.
Being an inspirational motivational leader is challenging yet achievable if you follow these simple steps and remain consistent. The rewards are worth the blood, sweat and tears!!
The next few weeks as stores reopen, is such a great opportunity for you and your team to shine.
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
