Mary was getting close. She could see the finish line in the distance. Lungs burning, body shaking, she wanted to stop. Pausing for a breath, she heard her husband and kids yelling to keep going. Instead of stopping, as her aching legs insisted, she kept going. An hour later she staggered past the finish line, exhausted but victorious.
MOTIVATING RETAIL EMPLOYEES
Like anything else, making progress means having both a clear goal, and the motivation to reach it. That is not always easy in any business, especially in the demanding world of retail sales where turnover rates, according to the U.S Department of Labor, are as high as 57-65%, wages are low, and morale can easily sink past the floor.
Fortunately, there is a way to simultaneously boost employee productivity, increase sales, lower turnover and improve customer satisfaction. What is this mighty, mighty tool you ask?
An employee scorecard.
Ideally, scorecards provide clear directions such as sales goals, assigned duties and expectations concerning issues such as punctuality, customer service, cleanliness, being able to work with little supervision, and other relevant benchmarks.
Your employees need to know:
- Company goals and timelines (X number of sales by such and such date)
- Clearly spelled out expectations regarding their performance
- Meaningful and easy-to-understand metrics to help them see their progress
- Supportive feedback and incentives
Having a performance scorecard helps team members keep their eye on the ball, so they can perform better. Scorecards can provide meaningful measurements that increase employee engagement. And, as any successful manager will tell you, engaged employees are happier and more productive.
INCREASED SALES
Per a 2013 Gallup report, engaged employees sell as much as 20% more than their non-engaged peers. Additionally, according to a survey of almost 4,000 people by the American Psychological Association, 57% of those who responded said that they preferred corrective (constructive) feedback while only 43% stated that they needed recognition in the form of praise.
YOUR TEAM MEMBERS WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SUCCEED
In other words, most team members want to perform well and are looking for ways to improve their own productivity. Additionally, the survey also showed that older employees are even more likely to accept constructive criticism.
According to the Harvard Business Review, feedback should recognize effort as much as it does results. It should also be transparent and meaningful. Employee scorecards tick all of these boxes, which can go a long way towards building a culture of both accountability and success.
UNCERTAINTY BREEDS FAILURE
When team members do not understand their role or their duties, they are naturally going to be less motivated and involved than ones who do. Providing trackable data helps retail employees feel more connected to the work they do.
HAPPY EMPLOYEES = HAPPY CUSTOMERS = BIGGER PROFITS
As Herb Keller, the former Chairman of the Board for Southwest Airlines once said, “Years ago, business gurus used to apply the business school conundrum to me: ‘Who comes first? Your shareholders, your employees, or your customers?’ I said, ‘Well, that’s easy,’ but my response was heresy at that time. I said employees come first and if employees are treated right, they treat the outside world right, the outside world used the company’s product again, and that makes shareholders happy. That really is the way it works. It’s not a conundrum at all.”
Bottom line: If you provide the tools, your people are more likely to meet and exceed your expectations.
At Nova, we understand the complex needs of retailers. Our sophisticated, but easy-to-use real-time dashboard and robust supportive features can help you motivate your team to improve your bottom line. Click here for more information or call 1-888-370-6682 today.
