The right equation As every retailer has discovered since opening up their doors, needs, wants and musts are very different today. That means looking at delivering the right training, says Helena Cotter
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s you prepare for your return to work, how can you ensure your team are motivated, enthusiastic and ready for the challenges ahead? Dynamics will inevitably have changed; there will undoubtedly be an air of nervousness and trepidation for everyone. It’s a bit of an unknown how things will go in the retail industry generally from here. How you choose to run your business now will probably have to be different. It will take time for your team to get into their new groove. On the upside, it can be a hugely exciting time too, full of fabulous opportunity. A new, fresh approach is going to be needed to move your business forward along that path to success. Let’s discover how you can help your hard-working team pick up where they left off, and continue to deliver the very best that independent bridal retail has to offer.
The back-to-work must-haves of employee Training Programmes in the current climate – and for the ongoing future are: ✥ How to run appointments given restrictions which are in place. ✥ Cleanliness of the business. Fortunately, bridal retail is already a very clean environment. However, there will be areas, objects, surfaces, furnishings, electrical equipment, etc which will require extra special cleaning/sterilising after every appointment. Including bridal gowns where possible. ✥ Sales training. Ensure your team are equipped with all the knowledge they need to help you hit the ground running. Every appointment counts – it could mean the difference between success and failure of the business. ✥ Customer service and care. ✥ Learning about any new computer systems and techniques. ✥ Updating your business procedures/practices. ✥ SM and websites. ✥ Product knowledge. ✥ Industry knowledge. ✥ Competitor knowledge. ✥ Admin skills. ✥ Take a fresh look at, and overview of, job expectations and performance skills required. ✥ Ensure each member of staff understands their position within your company and how it fits within the overall structure of your business. ✥ Have everyone in your business communicate with each other. This will help deliver the same message to your customers and suppliers. ✥ Tailor training to individual and group needs. Ask staff members in
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turn which skills they would like to develop. This will vary from person to person. ✥ Work with your team to discover areas that may need improvement in the overall scheme of things. ✥ Organise training needs assessments. ✥ Hold regular meetings to ensure you are all on the same page and working towards the same, clear business goals. ✥ This will be the ideal time to reorganise; re-structure your business model with any ideas and plans you had prior to closing, and may not have been able to complete. The pitfalls of not investing in your team A business that doesn’t invest in its staff will happily coast along. It can, though, become stagnant and stuck in its ways. This will impact a business financially – and affect its reputation. Whilst businesses who do invest; who recognise the value of continued staff development, will thrive and grow to become the new market leaders. Training isn’t just important to any company: it is vital We know bridal retail is a tough, fastmoving industry; it does not stand still, and that in order to get ahead, you need to plan ahead. Ongoing training gives you the ideal opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all your employees. The ROI you will experience from training and development of your employees makes it 100% essential, and obvious in any healthy business environment.
