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Retail Pulse

Over the past year, we have had a significant increase in client requests for retail leadership.  However, it's not focused solely on the DM, Store, or even Assistant Store Managers.  There is a clear trend to provide more leadership development for leads and supervisors who...

25 July, 2013 /

Every retailer has constraints; budget, timing, agenda topics, etc.  Our learning design guarantees behavior change.  If we don't think we can deliver on that promise we don't agree to the slicing and dicing that is requested sometimes. All of our programs whether leadership, negotiation, sales, or...

01 July, 2013 /

First let's clarify that 'role play' is not the same as 'skill practice'.  Semantics you say?  We think not.  There is a huge difference between being handed a sheet of paper with some made-up scenario with a role you don't recognize and now have to...

24 May, 2013 /

All winners for The Communicator Awards are hand-selected by the IAVA (International Academy of Visual Arts), an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as Airtype Studio, Big Spaceship, Conde...

06 May, 2013 /

Ever since information transformed from a trickle to drinking from a firehose people in support operations who use this information have dreamed of it all making leadership more efficient and effective.  From our research with retail support department managers, they got it about half right. There's...

20 March, 2013 /

When some training firms talk about 'customization' of materials they really mean 'tailoring'.  That might include changing a few words through a search of the document or slapping a logo on the binder cover.  Customization really requires creating something brand new for the client.  Historically...

09 October, 2012 /

Over the years we have certified hundreds of people to train our programs to their company's participants.  Many retailers have said after the T3 that in fact the certification was probably the most significant management development experience their "trainer candidates" have had.  About 70% of...

16 September, 2012 /

All of our programs, whether they be leadership or negotiation related begin with a set of interpersonal skills critical to the competency being taught.  The skills section along with other business-related research and personal insights, come during the first half-day of any classroom session.  That...

13 August, 2012 /

"Be careful what you ask for!" is certainly an apt phrase for getting store feedback about their DMs.  When we do the SVE (Store Visit Effectiveness) survey we do it anonymously.  The Store Managers are more willing to divulge their feelings more freely without concern...

19 July, 2012 /

We teach merchants and support leaders in retail home office departments skills and a strategy for how to influence internal partners.  Let's face it, most of the time requests to other peer departments are going to make their day change and possibly add to their...

12 July, 2012 /