Retail Store Manager

Retail Manager as TrainerBy Malcolm Fleschner, Monster Contributing Writer Since founding The Friedman Group, a global retail consulting and training organization, in 1980, Harry Friedman has heard plenty of excuses from retail store executives who refuse to provide much training to their front-line store employees. One of the most common is: "What if I train them, and they leave? " Friedman says this is the exact opposite approach they should take. He suggests a better question is, "What if I don't train them, and they stay? "

Cost of Not Training

The unfortunate reality, which anyone who ventures into a mall these days can confirm, is that today's retail store employees often lack basic sales and customer-service skills. This is especially true at the big-box stores where management is unconcerned about high turnover, Friedman says. Retailers that expect high turnover essentially ignore training but pay a price for doing so. "The decision to neglect training is typically made by someone at the top who does not appreciate the value of a human asset and what they can mean to sales and the bottom line," Friedman says. Retail is a merchandise-driven business, not a people-driven business, after all. " Nevertheless, Friedman estimates that with more effective training, most retail organizations could increase sales 15 percent to 25 percent. "That's a lot of money," he says. "There's no chance they could hit those numbers any other way. " Management by Numbers Individual store managers would no doubt also appreciate increasing the six to eight hours that Friedman says retail stores typically devote to training new employees.

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But since a boost in training time is unlikely to happen, store managers must focus on those aspects of employee management they can control. To start, he suggests looking at two key numbers. The first is conversion rates, which means if a sales associate talked to 10 customers, how many bought something? "If you sold two out of the 10 people you talked to and you can bump that up to three of the 10 people you talked to, you've just increased your sales 50 percent," says Friedman, author of No Thanks, I'm Just Looking: Professional Retail Sales Techniques for Turning Shoppers into Buyers.

The second number is average sale per customer. "There are two ways to increase this number," he says. "One [is] by selling them the $40 item instead of the $30 one. Second [is by selling] the customer the $30 [item] and also $10 in batteries to make it work. " What Seems to Be the Trouble? Armed with this information, store managers can then determine which sales associates are performing well and which aren't. The next step is to uncover the source of any problems.

If you have one sales associate with a low conversion rate, for example, you need to determine whether the problem occurs when the associate is demonstrating the merchandise or when he is trying to close the sale, Friedman says. "You might find out it's up front," he says. "[The associate] keeps approaching customers and saying, ‘Can I help you? ' and the customers say, ‘No thanks, I'm just looking. ' It doesn't matter whether he can close, because he's not getting out of the blocks in the first place.

That's the opportunity for the manager to intervene and explain to this guy that he's using a terrible opening line. " Hit the Floor This type of hands-on coaching leads to another of Friedman's suggestions for store managers: Get into the fray. "The biggest missing ingredient I see in retail today is that managers are not running the store from the floor," he says. "A lot of managers are either too busy with operational paperwork or making sales for themselves to do more than just hope their salespeople are doing a good job. The best store managers, Friedman says, are always "pointing, pushing, doing and working the floor. They listen in, see how employees behave and what they say so that they can step in to reinforce the good behaviors and correct areas that need improvement.

A good store manager is like a cop with a whistle directing traffic at a busy intersection. " You Can Survive the Behavioral InterviewBy Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer When asked a traditional question like, "What would you do if you had a customer who wasn't interested in buying the product? you can make up a story. But when you're asked behavioral questions, the interviewer is listening for specific examples of how you have handled situations or problems in the past. When presented with interview questions beginning with phrases like "tell me about a time when" or "give me an example of" the interviewer wants to hear your real-life examples. When interviewers ask such behavioral interview questions, they are listening for examples of how you handled situations similar to the ones you may handle for this company. This is your chance to talk about your accomplishments.

If you can demonstrate through examples (preferably recent ones) that you've succeeded in certain areas of interest, you'll likely be considered a strong candidate for the position. After all, if you did it somewhere else yesterday, you can do it for this company tomorrow. Your success stories should include the situation, the action you took and the result. Here is an example if you were interviewing for a sales position: The Situation: I had a customer who did not want to hear about the features of my merchandise because of a prior interaction with my company.

The Action: I listened to her story and made sure I heard her complaint. I then explained how I would have handled the situation differently and how I can offer her better service. I showed her some facts that changed her mind about dealing with the company again. The Result: She not only bought the merchandise, but also complimented how I handled her account. She is now one of my best customers. One way to prepare for behavioral interview questions is by writing out your stories before the interview. Determine what stories you have that would be appropriate for the position based on its job description.

If the job requires dependability, write your story about a time when your dependability was recognized or made a difference with a customer. You can use the stories you prepare even when the interviewer does not ask behavioral questions. If you are asked a traditional question, use your prepared story and preface it with, "I can give you an example of a time when I used that skill on a previous job. " By preparing for the interview ahead of time and recalling your past successes, you will be able to have examples in mind and will not be caught off guard.

There is no way you can predict what the interviewer is going to ask you, but you can prepare what you want him to know about your past as a predictor of your future performance. Retail Manager Job Interview Questions and AnswersHere are some of the retail interview questions that are related to the career in retail management: Tell us a bit about your professional background/educational qualificationThis question is asked, basically because the person applying for a retail management position would either have an educational degree as well as experience or a great experience in sales.

Therefore, this question is aimed at finding out the professional details of the person. What do you feel is the role of a retail manager? This question is basically asked to find outfit you have a general idea of a retail manager’s job. Therefore, this is your chance to speak to the interviewer about what you know of the retail management business and what you think would be your responsibilities. Once you present the fact to the interviewer that you are aware what the role of a retail manager is, they will also be convinced that you are ready to take on the role of a retail manager.

Some duties and qualities required of the retail manager are:

• Team leader and Team development
• Hiring process, HR activities and employer’s training
• Workplace scheduling – Day to day operations
• Problem solving skills – Communications skills
• Sales management
• Product and project management – proffesional qualities and priortizationIf you have worked as a retail manager before, what did you like the most in your job and what did you not like?

All jobs have their advantages and their disadvantages. Therefore, if you have worked somewhere as a retail manager, you would certainly have some good things to share as well as bad things to share. This question will give a deeper insight into your experience as a retail manager and whether you are fit for the job. What would you consider your biggest advantage as a retail manager?

As a retail manager, or even as a novice, you would have a fair understanding of what would be the biggest advantage that a retail manager would require, or what is that something that a person learning to be a retail manager should have. Possible answers could be – Leadership (a born leader), sales manager or good communications skills. What do you feel are the basic qualities that a retail manager should have? The post of a retail manager is one that requires the person to have experience. Rarely will a novice be hired as a retail manager. Therefore, these questions will be posed at you to understand whether you have the knowledge required for a retail manager. If you are asked about the basic qualities of a retail manager, the safest answer would beplanning and vision. A retail manager is more or less the proprietor of the store and has many responsibilities as compared to the other store employees. If a retail manager is good at planning and has a vision for the future, he or she can take the company to the next level.

Deliver excellent customer service and maintain a high standard of customer management, at all times Take full responsibility for the set-up and effective operation of the pub, within company policy, at all times Take full responsibility for the results achieved in the pub, including profit and loss (P&) performance, Megastock, standards, Cask Marque and audits Ensure that opening and closing procedures are adhered to, in line with company policy, taking account of security and the health & safety of people and property Work in all areas of the pub, bar, floor, cellar, kitchen and office, to ensure that best practice is maintained by the team and that any areas requiring improvement may be identified Control all aspects of finance in the pub, including sales, gross profit, stock control, core wages and controllable expenditure Control all office administration procedures and ensure that the management team complies with company standards Be accountable for all cash management throughout the pub, including third-party providers (such as ATMs, Securitas, AWP and SWP Machines etc); conduct thorough investigations for all cash-loss issues Review P&L account monthly with the team and area manager, agreeing on clear targets for improvements for any targets not achieved Maximise all sales opportunities in the business, including quality of food and drink service and availability, using all company point-of-sale as directed; have an understanding of all promotions and point-of-sale requirements and work with the team and area manager to maximise sales at every opportunity Forecast sales and wages weekly/quarterly, using the standard forecasting planner Be responsible for accurate rota-planning, based on forecast sales and core wage budget Plan all rotas in line with budgeted targets and forecasts, taking the necessary daily action to reduce/increase hours, in line with sales Manage all delivery processes, including checking in orders, storage, stock rotation, security, loss investigation and staff training Manage all stock-management processes, including timely stock counts, line checks, wastage reports, loss investigation and staff training Complete roduct-ordering on time, every time; ensure full availability of all drink, food and non-consumable items Follow all company security procedures, including loss prevention measures and procedures for the security of staff and premises, at all times Carry out risk assessments to ensure staff and customers’ safety; ensure the adherence to children-specific guidelines Monitor and manage all maintenance issues and manage third-party contractors, including cleaners, where applicable Be aware of and adhere to licensing, data protection, Health & Safety at Work and COSHH legislation, at all times Carry out commercial activities as instructed.

Manage the pub team, including motivating and leading the team to work to the highest standards, at all times Identify and monitor training needs and take an active role in developing people Manage the day-to-day performance of staff and managers, in line with company personnel policies and procedures Manage the day-to-day attendance of staff and managers, in line with company sickness and absence management policies and procedures Deal with any employee complaints and/or grievances promptly, in line with company guidelines Manage and maintain correct staffing levels, in line with targets and in relation to sales-forecasting Communicate effectively with the team, through regular meetings – manager’s meetings to be held weekly and staff meetings to be held monthly, in line with the communications calendar Manage the timely distribution and briefing-in of all company communications Manage and maintain employee personnel & training files Identify recruitment needs and take an active role in search and selection activities and the appointment of staff, in line with the company recruitment process, ensuring that all paperwork (including ‘proof of right to work’ documentation) is certified, copied and completed, in line with Home office and company guidelines Maintain personal knowledge by completing in-house training, attending courses and completing workbooks Always adhere to all company policies and procedures and licensing laws Carry out any duties as instructed by area manager and head office

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