Download Our eBook: 8 Fundamentals of an Internal Communications Strategy
If your people are sending out the “whatever” vibes, it’s time to get back to the basics. Make sure your internal communication strategy is following 8 fundamentals to cultivate an engaged workforce aligned with your company’s success.
3 Steps to Engaging Your Retail Associates:
1. Train Your Decision Makers on the Soft Skills
When you improve your training experience and integrate leadership skills into the process, you’re demonstrating an investment in your people. Not only will a formalized training process empower your employees, it will also help improve their decision-making efficiency.
You’re replacing guesswork and confusion with pride and responsibility so that associates can make customer service decisions on their own and ensure a more positive customer experience.
So forget about “sink or swim” and start implementing training methods that reinforce your business best practices and customer service skills. You’re not just creating store managers; you’re creating people managers.
2. Embrace Your Digital Future
Chances are you may be using an outdated technology that is slowing down the customer experience and frustrating your associates and customers alike. Technology and system capabilities are changing and there are innovative new retail solutions to make life easier.
Whether you’re trying to improve the check-out experience or offer a holistic customer experience across all customer touch-points, there is a digital solution now available that is the perfect fit for your unique needs.
You can start by ensuring your platforms are using a cloud-based application so that your employees can access it from anywhere, anytime. Any solution that helps your associates work faster will have a healthy affect on your bottom line. More work gets done. Employees are happier. Customers start noticing. Profits go up.
3. Connect Your People to Purpose
The big theme here is connecting your people to the brand experience. Bob Phibbs, a retail motivational speaker, has stated that “the only way to be competitive in a sluggish economy is through your people.”
Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, adamantly agrees. He admits that other airlines may be able to match their prices or their destinations or even their planes, but they will never be able to match their people. And that’s enough to make them the most loved airline in the nation.
When you allow your employees to feel engaged and valued from the start, you don’t just reduce retention – you build loyalty. Now we’re talking about increasing productivity and maximizing profits and creating leaders – everything you need to build and maintain the customer satisfaction that keeps you thriving.
So how do you pull this off? Along with training and a better tech experience, you can continue to empower your employees by making them part of the decision process. As you continue to provide a level of control within their role, you create opportunities for advancement. By nurturing their interests, you grow their passion. Once you know what they are passionate about, you can expand that area of their role. In the end, passion is infectious and your customers will catch the bug.
Retail Employee Engagement = Increased Profits
Keeping your employees engaged and motivated is a win for everyone. CNBC gets the final word with their report that an engaged employee brings in 69% more revenue than a disengaged employee. That’s a huge difference just for making your team feel valued. When you invest in your people’s success, you’re investing in your company’s success.
Need help getting started? CPG and RevUnit work with global retail brands to develop custom engagement solutions that impact people, simplify processes, and increase profits. Check out the link below to learn more!