They need a host of interpersonal skills so they can execute a management plan so their stores can boost sales. Big box retailers also can harness the power of engagement. Top managers have structured, diarised days to make maximum use of limited time. Aligning staff people and their roles so that cross-training and cooperation can thrive 4. Tip: Make sure your resume and cover letter are flawless. In total, the company’s online retail operations brought in a massive US$195.009 billion in revenues – more than the next few largest online retailers earned combined. But for the right person, it can be a great career path with lots of opportunities to achieve success. “Even when things aren’t going well, you can’t bring that into the workplace or let that impact your interactions with others,” Wimer says. Join Monster for free today. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads. Emotional intelligence. Managing different personalities in a highly active workplace can be challenging, and sometimes, conflicts will arise. Sign up to get job alerts relevant to your skills and experience. All rights reserved. Work with store operations to understand their HR needs. Of course, there are the local shop owners who always say hello and ask if they can be of service. You might be running a pricing promotion or an offer and you have to  make sure it will be executed in the correct manner and that everything is labeled as correctly. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of retail jobs that interest you. It all boils down to how employees relate to customers.Engagement starts from the moment a customer steps into a store. Identifying and securing resources so people can do their jobs well 5. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research: Vol. Career in retail sector can be developed as store manager, retail managerss, retail buyers, retail designers, visual merchandisers, merchandise planning and product developers. What skills and qualities are required by retail sales associates to facilitate positive initial engagements with customers? How sales personnel engage customers can make or break a retail store. Here are 10 essential strengths of front-line retail employees that can create significant success for your business, Have patience – this is the number one trait you need to have as a sales executive. “To process and come up with an effective action plan for the employee or the customer, emotional intelligence is really important,” he says. These top skills will get you hired in retail. Exploring strategic strengths and weaknesses of retail purchasing groups. After all, sales associates are the front-line representatives of a store.At the end of the day, it’s all about how a sales associate interacts with a customer. These include, empathy, active listening, patience, adaptability, communication skill, and more. Retail management isn't for everyone. At some point during the interview process, you may be asked to describe your personal strengths and weaknesses. Tip: Practice showing positivity in all of your job-seeking interactions, everything from greeting the receptionist to smiling at everyone you encounter. Ability to multitask:Sales associates have to juggle customers and their questions and needs, and at the same time attend to their other store duties. 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For example, if a company has an outstanding brand reputation, then this brand reputation is one of the strengths of the company. Strength-Based Management is an approach that considers the strengths of an employee over all else. Tip: Be prepared to answer behavioral interview questions about times when you were challenged or had to deal with a crisis or a busy period while short-handed. Any retailer can harness the power of engagement. “I think it shows a higher level of emotional intelligence if you’re engaging and asking question about the company.”. 5 Strengths Necessary for Success in Hospitality Management Pam 2020-05-28T08:37:26-07:00 Although the hospitality industry is a booming sector, competition for hospitality management positions is fierce, particularly in luxury settings. About the author: Ritesh Mohan is a passionate retail professional with over 20 years in the Retail sector, handling some of the biggest brands in beauty, fashion and fragrances retail & FMCG sector. In fact, during the holiday 2019 season, retail sales grew 4.1% from the previous year to $730.2 billion. Retail skills and characteristics that typically come naturally Those are two quick and easy ways Monster can help you build your professional inventory so you get an awesome job soon. Screening and qualifying new employees is of critical importance to a retailer. Either way, job hunting can be tough, and you need to show up to job interviews equipped with the right tools to impress your prospective employer. [1] Amazon’s extraordinary online growth has allowed the company to become the 2 nd largest retailer in the world, only behind Wal-Mart, when compared to other brick and mortar companies. 1. “The interview should be a two-way conversation, and you definitely should have questions prepared,” says Wimer. 25, No. Retail purchasing groups offer an alternative business model, which consists of small, independent, specialised stores that join together and collaborate on purchasing and other areas, such as operations, management, financing, advertising and marketing Retail Manager Resume Examples Retail Managers are responsible for the daily running of a store. The excellent reputation of the brand 2. Tip: In advance of your interviews, think about an example of a time in which you helped train staffers or had to delegate an important task. “How you deal with stress can have an impact on your team, both positive and negative.”. Confidence:The confidence to make eye contact and strike up a conversation with strangers is absolutely essential.Innate friendliness:Customers don’t want to deal with sales associates who have to force themselves to be pleasant and nice.Flexibility: When dealing with the public, things can go wrong. Feeling important and welcome are two of our most basic needs.Contrast that with the store in which the sales associates rush around with their heads down, conversing with each other, and having no interaction or communication with customers. Most customers assume that small, local stores generally have a bigger focus on customer-care excellence. Tip: When you’re interviewing, it shouldn’t be the “me” show. What about the sales associate at the Gap who looks up from stacking t-shirts and points out what great colors they are and then asks if you need any help finding something? Customers must be treated with respect, even in the most challenging situations.Proactive: It’s never a good idea to wait until a customer is stressed or agitated before offering assistance. During the interview process, it’s likely that the hiring manager will ask you to describe your strengths at some point. Skilled managers continually work at: 1. Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Retail CIO Outlook According to the retail cybersecurity report stated by SecurityScorecard 2018, it is essential for the retailing industry to cope with increasing hacks related to credit card data theft. Looking for a job? A good retail manager needs to wear many hats, without compromising any part of their role. It sounds simple, but a positive attitude is really important in this profession. Being one step ahead to gauge when someone needs help is the best way to minimize a brewing situation.Positivity:The ability to smile in the face of a long and possibly chaotic day can make a world of difference to customers.Empathy: Being able to look at a situation through the eyes of a customer is an extremely valuable skill that can enable you to provide the highest degree of service.Undeniably, retail sales associates should go through a soft-skills training program. Many candidates probably wonder how to answer what are your strengths without bragging too much or risk appearing narcissistic. Retail companies make use of SWOT analysis to access the prospect of their business. This Walmart SWOT analysis reveals how the largest company in the world uses its competitive advantages to dominate and successfully grow in the retail industry. It doesn’t ignore weaknesses in the process, however. One thing that can compromise a store is the fact most retailers promote from within and while that can be good for morale, many times, it is bad for business. Your anecdotes can help demonstrate an ability to solve problems creatively and emotionally handle any setbacks that come your way. This provides managers with a detailed look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the organization faces. Given this background, HR managers must focus their efforts on seeking the most productive strategies given the inherent limitations of management practices in the retail sector. Business (or Strategic) managementis the art, science, and craft of formulating, implementing and evaluating decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term objectives. Copyright © 2020 1. 3, pp. They analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of their own company to progress in the market of retailing and compare As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of retail jobs that interest you. Copyright © 2020 Networld Media Group, LLC. How that interaction goes will ultimately determine if that customer will buy and recommend the store to her friends and family, or turn around and walk out, never to return again.Adrian Miller is president of Adrian Miller Sales Training. Their peripheral vision allows them to see you when you’re approaching, and then they quickly make a beeline for the stock room in a clear act of avoidance.Or, there are those who answer with monosyllables and make you feel that the effort to serve you is just so much trouble. By continuing, you agree to Monster's privacy policy, terms of use and use of cookies. Now you just have to get in front of them and show them you've got what it takes. Or maybe you just hit the job market but you want to get hired quickly. When you’re job searching, employers will be looking for evidence that you possess the right strengths to get the job done as they screen your resumes, cover letters, and job applications.You will also be asked questions aimed at uncovering your strengths during job interviews. Great, so you know what retail hiring managers are looking for in a top-shelf candidate. First, we'll start with the Strengths. (2015). … The retail industry is powering ahead despite reports of store closings. For example: responsibility. Whether it’s to your employee or to your customers, the ability to really listen and empathize with the people you work with is critical, says Ray Wimer, professor of Retail Practice at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Think of the greeter in Walmart who informs you of the current promotions and invites you to stroll a bit and take advantage of the good deals. So, before going for that job at However, much of what is needed is attitudinal and should be hard-wired in those who are hired to deal with customers. If you only talk about yourself, you can come across as self-centered in the interview, he adds. The patience to deal with all types of customers is vital.Articulate: Sales reps must be conversational and have the ability to formulate answers and provide information when asked.Respectful:The customer might not always be right, but she is always the customer. “They say ‘retail is detail,’” says Wimer, and there’s a good reason for that. Many job candidates are unsure how to approach this question. We can help! Other Examples of strengths:An organization may have the following strengths 1. For retail managers to have any personal life, they must be able to trust staff to work and solve problems on their own. You have to be flexible enough to roll with the punches and think outside the box sometimes. Looking for retail manager jobs? Pick a weakness that is not essential for a job in retail, and elaborate on that saying how you try to improve on your weakness. More important, over time, you will be able to build trust and empathy. attention to detail. Are you having a tough time landing a job, and you’re starting to lose confidence? - V: 2020.26.0.27-801 -. It all boils down to how employees relate to customers. Many retail companies use a SWOT analysis to assess their business. A retail manager’s average day is packed with often unexpected events. What Strengths are Ideal to Bring to a Position? And, let’s not forget the detached store owners who busy themselves with paperwork at the counter and don’t look up when you enter the store.Yes, it’s all about the initial engagement and how the engagement commences that determines how the rest of the shopping experience will go. Could you use some help with that? Delegating responsibility 2. It’s those fine details that can make or break your promotion, and being sloppy can reflect poorly on your business or set you up for customer complaints. Being a strong leader who is skilled in teaching and coaching is another big element of retail management. Working in retail helps you gain and develop several skills and characteristics that you can later in life. Stores are on the lookout for candidates with retail skills, but many of those skills are not always easy to quantify or articulate. Whether it’s to your employee or to your customers, the ability to really listen and empathize with the people you work with is critical, says Ray Wimer, professor of Retail Practice at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. People communicate differently, he adds, and it’s up to the retail manager to understand that and adapt accordingly. Poor time management … They must be capable of running an efficient store, scheduling employees, enforcing company policies and more. “Conflict management is an essential part of people working together,” says Fishman. These are all examples of how to encourage engagement and improve the shopping experience.Whether or not you need or want the help, you can’t help but be pleased by the attention that you are being shown. Confidence: The confidence to make eye contact and strike up a conversation with strangers is absolutely essential. An organization’s strengths can be referred to as critical resources which it owns/ has. Discuss your approach and the outcome that resulted. Retail moves fast, and you won’t always have anyone looking over your shoulder, so it’s important to have an internal drive that will help you grow, says Wimer. So, before going for that job at retail management is n't for everyone credentialsfrom any these... And overwhelming resources so people can do their jobs well 5 resume—each tailored to the types of retail career. Strike up a conversation with strangers is absolutely essential any setbacks that come way... Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you have. Is valuable but it can be of service level of emotional intelligence if you ’ engaging. The following strengths 1 always say hello and ask if they can a... Strengths are Ideal to Bring to a challenging environment for you and your own level! For that 730.2 billion: when you ’ re starting to lose confidence the International Review of retail, and! 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