What a Retail Exec Learned After 2 Years on the Frontline

Training videos aren't all that

Photo license: Canva.

Alright. I’m pretty sure I’m losing my mind.

Last week, I read an article in Entrepreneur about a C-suite retail executive who left his office and spent two years as a newbie on a retail floor. He used to be at the top, making decisions about training videos and hiring materials, and he wanted to see if any of them worked.

I bookmarked this article and messaged the author, but now I can’t find it. It feels like some heat-induced fever dream. Anyway, here’s what happened.

When he got on the floor, he saw some severe cracks in the system.

(Ya don’t say!)

The whole time I was reading it, I nodded along, saying, “Yep. That’s how it is. This is what I’ve been yelling about.”

I wish more executives would take the time to dig in and see the resource gaps.

Here’s what he found.

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Leaders are time-starved

There aren’t enough managers on the floor working with the salespeople side-by-side. Leaders pop in and out and don’t explain much.

There are training videos on the first day, but they don’t tell you the practical stuff you really need to know. It’s also an information overload situation. It’s too much at once. The training people really need is in the moment training on the floor.

Most of the on-the-spot training happens peer to peer. Need help with a complicated transaction? Ask the person next to you and hope they have the correct answers. 

Let me interject real quick.

This is 100% true, which is why I scheduled a lead sales associate or tenured people on the floor most of the time with only a few newbies. Leaders are incredibly busy; we need seasoned sales associates on the floor who can help with all the basic questions.

Okay, moving on.

When our C-suite snoop asked questions about store goals, they weren’t explained. His manager would say, “We need to get more credit cards!” When he asked how many, they’d respond, “Just get more!”

So yeah, not super helpful.

I’ve had many, many hair-on-fire, out-of-control managers in my day, so I feel this one.

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The always-moving goalpost

Almost every day in retail, leaders are shouted at about a new goal.

• Get more credit card sign-ups!

• Why is your conversion down?

• You have too many online orders in your queue!

It’s always something. 

We have to learn how to:

1. Filter through the noise

2. Decide what is actually important.

3. Relay that to the team in a calm & motivating manner.

That’s easy, right?

Yeah, it’s not. Which is why being an excellent retail leader is super challenging.

Also, people in every department of the corporate offices are handing you things to do. It’s a lot. Often, they don’t see any of the other forty-seven emails from other managers that we’re trying to navigate, execute, and respond to. 

And everyone thinks their thing is the most important.

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Let’s come together

I was beyond stoked to read this (now disappeared) article. It’s rare for executives to hit the frontline, let alone work on the floor for two years. 

“I think they’re scared,” a tenured retail exec once told me. “They’re afraid of the realities, of what they may find.”

Woof.

I appreciated the honesty there, but I was also disheartened. It was as I suspected all along. I also don’t understand. Running a business means evaluating what’s not working all the time. Why stick your head in the sand?

We’re all better when we come together, share what we know, and figure out how to move forward. Isn’t that the point of teamwork? 

Teamwork includes working across divisions, stores, and offices. We’re all here to provide outstanding customer service and make money.

Let’s go crush it.

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PS. The article that I’ve lost forever was in Entrepreneur by Scott Gilbey. If you find it, give me a shout. Thanks! You rule.

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Kit Campoy is an author and retail expert with 20+ years of experience leading retail teams. She thrived on building relationships with customers and motivating sales teams. 
Now, as a ghostwriter, she leverages this people-centric approach to craft compelling content that resonates and sets brand apart. 

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