A few years ago we asked several clients to speak at one of our national MOHR internal meetings. When asked “Why did you to choose to work with MOHR?” a client, one of the largest retailers on the planet, said it was because ‘you add value to what we do’. Another client we have worked with for over 20 years always began our meetings with a question: ‘What’s new?’. He was asking because he knew retail was always changing and that with our depth and focus on the retail industry we had our finger on the pulse and pace of change. That single question also spurred our thinking. We knew it was coming and it made us think about what the industry themes were and how we were planning to address them. Whatever outside resource you work with is a source not just for the solution but for the latest thinking, trends, and potential innovations that you require. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or email vendors you trust to pick their brain. Demand more from them. It’s not only good for you but for them as well. It’s a win-win. What’s your reaction to this post? How do you leverage your outside vendors? Share a note here or tweet us @mohrretail.

Posted in Editorial
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About Michael Patrick

Michael held positions in retail management, merchandising, and human resources before joining MOHR Retail’s predecessor in 1986. In 1990 he purchased the retail division of that firm to form today’s MOHR Retail. Michael holds true to his retail roots by delivering learning that changes behavior—providing both immediate and lasting business impact. In addition to facilitating MOHR Retail training programs, he offers executive-level coaching in one-on-one sessions dealing with critical strategic issues such as succession strategies and executive team development. The author of “The New Negotiation Mindset: Guarantee A Bigger Slice,” Michael is a longstanding member of NRF as well as ISA: The Association of Learning Providers. He has a B.A. from San Diego State University, completed Master’s level work at Arizona State University, and lives with his family in New Jersey.