As you huddle up, be sure to inspire salespeople about what they should do (rather than getting stuck in the don’ts and cant’s). A restrictive approach is counterproductive, but a prescriptive approach is motivational. In retail, employees meet with the manager and hear the goals for the day. The manager might say, “Your average transaction is currently $75, but you need to bump it to $100.” A manager in restrictive mode might follow that up with, “Stop leaving your customers unattended in the fitting room!” The prescriptive approach tells them what to do in order to have their best chance at reaching the goal: “Check on customers frequently when they’re in the fitting room. Make sure they have the right sizes and remove items they don’t want.” So rather than saying, “I can’t stand when people are late,” you can say “It demonstrates respect to be on time.” This second approach builds team culture and expectations.
I grew up in the football world. We had huddles in between plays, and our focus wasn’t on the last play or the outcome of the game. It was always on the next play—what we were going to do in that moment to play at our very best and be 100% present for the next play. Daily huddles have this effect on sales teams, too. Up your game by huddling up every day.
Jason Forrest: Culture coach tips.
