May 2024 NEWSLETTER

SHOPPING IN MEXICO

So it turns out that shopping in Mexico only reinforces what I know to be true about the magic of retail. 

There with my 2 sisters, we combed the shops on the hunt for precious keepsakes to remember our time together or gifts for our families back home.

Whether we were jumping off our bikes to explore a shop in bare feet with sand on the floor or at night after dinner in a boutique filled with handmade treasures or buying from a girl on the beach it was only ever memorable because of the people.

The eye contact, the smile, the genuine interest in what we were looking for.

Doesn’t matter where I go it’s why we buy and why we love what we buy.

TEAM EXPERIENCE SERIES

This month we share our top tips on ways to make sure your team are having a good experience so they can in turn create the customer experience you want to be famous for.

You really can't have one without the other.

And it's why we spend time in our classes giving retail leaders the skills and knowledge they need to help create great team experiences because from our own personal experience of moving into leadership roles throughout our careers, we know this topic is often overlooked.

No one really teaches you this stuff or the importance of understanding how the team experience you create as a leader can impact the experience your customers have when they shop with you.

It's a ripple effect – when your team is happy and engaged, your customers are more likely to be happy and engaged too.

RECOGNISE

Recognition is 10x more powerful than reward.
Ever said a simple 'thank you' to your team or given them a shout-out when they've done something great, and seen how their face lights up? Well, that's the power that meaningful and authentic recognition can have.

And it's so easy to do and will cost you $0! Stopping to recognise not just the results but also the efforts of your team on a consistent basis is a total no-brainer to us and something we always encourage.

By taking the time to recognise the things that your team does well, they'll do those great things on repeat.

CHECK IN

How often are you checking-in with your teams? Once a week? Every now and then? Team check-in's - what are they again?!

One of the most important relationships you will have at work is the one with your manager.

So as a leader, we think it's essential that you invest in your relationships with your team and a simple but really effective way to kick this is off is to have regular 1:1 catch-up's locked into your diary with your team members.

In fact, we think it’s probably the most important meeting in your diary on any given week.

The catch-up's don't need to be long or tedious - 20mins can be all that's needed to set your teams up for the week and make sure they've been seen and heard. Just make sure to be consistent.

KNOW YOUR TEAM

One size fits all isn't really something you can apply when it comes to leading your teams effectively.

Each team member has their own unique strengths, weaknesses, communication styles, and motivations. Some team members may thrive on autonomy and independence, while others may prefer more guidance and structure.

Some may respond well to positive reinforcement, while others may be motivated by challenging goals. By taking the time to get to know each team member on a personal level, you can tailor your approach to bring out the best in them.

Doing this means you can create the ultimate team experience for everyone in your team and not just some.

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR POOR PERFORMANCE 

Want to know the best way to disengage your top performers ??
Tolerate poor-performance in others.

It's a sure-fire way to spread apathy and demotivation across your team. The antidote to this is to nip poor performance in the bud.

Ensuring it doesn't continue and become a bigger issue down the track. This seems like an obvious and simple thing to do but in our experience, it's often a really challenging and difficult thing for leaders to master.

And we get it -having tough (or what we like to call "brave") conversations are no fun and often avoided at all costs. But they're necessary. Not just for the underperformer so that they're aware of what's expected of them and know how to be better.

But also for your team overall so that their great efforts aren't diminished and they know just how much they're valued.

Our vision is to create a new class of retail.

Explore our services here, we hope you love what we’ve created as much as we do.

See you in store soon
Love, Claire, Janelle and Aba