DiSC® profiles provide powerful insights for retail managers and leaders. It’s why the Everything DiSC® survey has been a mainstay of our retail training programs. It serves as a foundational learning and self-awareness tool as leaders develop their interpersonal skills and strategies to improve retail business outcomes. Now, with the addition of two new DiSC…

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retail store management

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated retail businesses and, as a result, their training budgets. But as stores reopen, the leadership and other interpersonal skills that once were essential are now critical. Resetting expectations, overseeing compliance on health and safety, and coaching in real-time to adjust service levels are just a few of the situations that…

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retail change management

Dealing with constant change has always been part of the job in retail, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Even tougher: successfully leading others through change. District, regional, and other multiunit managers know this all too well. So do the merchant and store support leaders working in HQ and DC locations. Leading change requires getting…

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retail negotiation tips

For a job that’s always been tough, retail negotiations is getting that much tougher. Not only are the vendors being tightly squeezed in terms of profitability, they’re feeling the effects of change in the broader retail environment, from new and continually changing customer demands to a fluctuating, uncertain market to unexpected variables like natural disasters.…

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retail training reinforcement

We work with retail managers and leaders who often have been in the industry for a long time — sometimes ten, twenty, or even thirty years. If the group I’m training is more senior, I’ll start the session by asking that very question: “Raise your hand if you’ve been in the industry for five years,…

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retail leadership hacks

We’ve been talking about “retail leadership hacks” with clients lately — those bite-sized nuggets of insight that can deliver a quick hit in terms of productivity, performance, and results. Sometimes a small change or genius little shortcut can make all the difference in the impact we make as leaders and in the results our teams…

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In any retail store, there are many activities happening out on the floor at any given time. That’s why successful store managers are constantly reading cues and making quick decisions about whether to jump in tactically or let things roll. Most importantly, if coaching is needed to strengthen an associate’s interaction with customers or others,…

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Retail Leadership Skills

“Do more with less.” Is there any more tired phrase? In retail, though, it is, without a doubt, the everyday reality. Retail multiunit managers are struggling to deal with effective execution in the stores, retention issues, labor shortages, pressures on payroll, online competition, and on and on. These issues are always present to some degree,…

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Retail Microlearning

No matter how powerful a learning experience is, the bigger question on the minds of today’s retail executives is this: What do we have to show for it? When it comes to retention of key concepts, we know that people are up against the forgetting curve. Without effective reinforcement, what’s here today could easily be…

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retail support leadership

Retailers rarely question the value of spending time and money on developing leaders in their field organizations. Regionals, DMs, store managers, and even assistants in stores receive formal and informal development and resources to help them hone their leadership ability and skills. But when we conducted national research with a number of retailers, we found…

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