Scoop ‘em Up Early

I just got back from being out of town for a week.

Before I left, I was talking to a woman about how many salespeople she would need for the holidays at her cart.

***
She expressed a big concern:

‘Once you get close to Christmas, all the good ones are already scooped up.’

***
By the ‘good ones’, she was referring to the good salespeople.

It really is the truth.  If you wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas to add the staff you need… it’s usually too late. The good ones ARE often scooped up. 

In addition, it’s hard to train someone at the last minute… and really get peak performance from them.

***
When I opened my first cart, I knew finding a staff was going to be a challenge because unemployment in the Twin Cities was at an all time low… less than 2%.

So I busted my butt before I opened… finding salespeople.

Prior to opening, I think I put up 1500 help wanted flyers… at every church, college, high school, library… etc…near my mall. I placed help wanted ads in several local weekly or monthly newspapers, and in every college newspaper near the mall.

And I let everyone I knew know what I was doing… and if they showed any flutter of
interest… I suggested they come work with me. Whew!  It sounds like a lot of work just thinking about it.

***
But through those efforts, I was able to cobble together a staff to open with.

Because I had so much outflow, I continued to get responses, and was able to put together a pretty solid staff.

***
There were two other first-time operators in the Twin Cities selling the same product line as me. They didn’t put as much effort into finding a staff before they opened.

One of them, Jason, opened with no help… worked virtually by himself at first… before he realized how screwed he would be without a staff. Finally, he made up help-wanted signs similar to the campaign signs we see this time of year… and placed them in strategic areas in his community.

He  was able to hire a decent size staff using those ‘campaign signs’. But because his staff came aboard ‘later’, they were a little ‘rough’ and didn’t perform as well.

The other operator, Ed, never did seem to get a staff in place… it was just himself and a few family members.

***
Now, we were open the SAME season, with the SAME product, in malls that were virtually the SAME in stature and traffic.

But our results were vastly different.

Myself…. $114K

Jason……. $60K

Ed………….$26K

My sales totals were higher because I started hiring early enough so when I really needed the staff… they were trained and ready to go.

***
The message:

Scoop ‘em up early! 

Get your staff hired and trained NOW… so that they’re ready WHEN you need them.

You’ll be poised then to fully maximize your holiday profits!

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

When Being ‘Un-Natural’ Can Pay Off

Last week, I received an email from a first-time cart operator.

He had opened up a cart at the beginning of  September. And wrote me because his sales weren’t what he expected.

He explained how his cart was in a top mall, and he was selling a proven product.

‘Hope you can give me some tips.’

***
I emailed back with some questions, the main one being…

‘Are you using the SALES SCRIPT provided by your supplier.’

I didn’t really have to ask. I already knew the answer.

‘…The company did send me a ’speech’, but i rarely use it…

… i just let them come and look and let them make up their mind.  If they ask for prices or ask for more info, then that’s when I tell them about the prices…’

***
When we spoke on the telephone, near the end of last week, I asked when he ditched the script.

‘The first day.’

So why didn’t he stick with the script?

‘…it just didn’t seem natural.’

***
Very RARELY does a sales script seem ‘natural’ at first. 

I’ve found it generally takes at LEAST seven to ten days of ACTUALLY selling with a script… before it starts to feel comfortable.

That’s the point when you are able to use the script without continually thinking…

‘… what do I say next?’

And your focus can shift from internally OFF of yourself, and ONTO your customer and THEIR needs.

***
A common mistake made by many cart or kiosk operators is to ASSUME that because a product is a proven seller… that they can just ‘roll it out’ onto the ’shelves’ and let the product ’sell itself.’

Often, the biggest benefit in choosing a proven product, is NOT so much the product itself… but in the SYSTEMS used to sell the product.

And a proven sales script is one of the most POWERFUL selling systems a cart or kiosk operator can employ!

***
Now, folks often RESIST using a script because it’s ‘not natural.’ Most scripts ARE NOT natural at first.  Most of us are not natural salespeople.

However… we don’t use a script because it is natural OR because it’s fun… but because it is USEFUL. We use a script because it leads to sales.

***
If you are lucky enough to have chosen a product where the supplier provides a sales script… USE it! Stick with it! Practice it! Until it BECOMES natural.

If you DO stick with it, and learn that script, it WILL lead to more sales!

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

P.S. For more tips on how to run a successful mall cart or kiosk, subscribe to the Specialty Retail Report at:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

Avoid this ‘Red Flag’ When Picking a Product

Last week I got back from the SPREE convention in Boston.

For those of you that are new to my newsletter, SPREE stands for the Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo and Conference……

  ….otherwise known as ‘THE’ Show for Cart and Kiosk Entrepreneurs.

For those of you that WANTED to attend but weren’t able, there will be another one coming up at the end of July in Long Beach, California…..but more on THAT later.

***
One of the most interesting elements of the show was the exhibit hall FULL of prospective cart and kiosk products.

At the show, I got a chance to talk with the product editor of the Specialty Retail Report magazine. One of her assignments was to choose her top five ‘Hot Product Picks’ from the products exhibited at the show – and write an article about them.

The next day I thought I would ask as many people as I could which THEY thought were the best picks from the show.
I got a DIFFERENT answer from just about every person I talked to.

Quite a contrast from last year’s show….

***
Last year, when I asked leasing managers about their ‘top picks’….

  …..almost every one picked the SAME TWO products as their best product picks of the show.

At first glance, BOTH products looked like they would have been great sellers. And both probably WOULD have been. But only ONE of those two products made MY list.

The OTHER product was one of the LAST products  that I would have chosen to sell……

  ….even though I think it WOULD have sold well.

Picking this product would have been a huge mistake in my estimation. This product had a HUGE ‘red flag’ associated with it…..it’s a ‘red flag’ you should know to look for.

***
You see, one of the KEY questions that you want to ask about when picking a cart or kiosk product is about the MARGINS of the product.

The margin refers to the PERCENTAGE of the RETAIL price that you pay for your cost of goods sold at WHOLESALE.

***
Let me give you an example…..

Suppose you are selling a product for $20 on your cart or kiosk, and it costs you $6 at wholesale.

In this case the margin would be 30%.

$6  /  $20  = 30 %

Your wholesale cost would be 30% – in this case $6 – of the $20 price your customers pay you.

***
Standard retailers often work with what is called a ‘keystone’ margin….or a 50% margin.

DISCOUNT retailers, like Wal-Mart and Target will sometimes lower their prices so their margin as much as 80%….they might pay $16 for a $20 item.

***
The reality is that if you have to pay ‘keystone’….or more…for your product cost, it is can be difficult to be profitable in most carts or kiosks.

Many profitable CART products have margins of better than 35%. And it’s not unusual to find profitable cart or kiosk products with margins of 30%, 25%, 20% or better!

The key is that you will have enough AFTER paying for your expenses to have a healthy profit left over….

***
Anyway, back to the situation I was telling you about….

One of the two products in question had a margin of almost 50%…..

  …..meaning you would have had to pay almost $10 for a product you would sell for $20

You would have had to sell a TON of product to make money with these margins. That product line would have cost TOO MUCH at wholesale to make money on a cart or kiosk.

***
Before you choose a product to sell on your cart or kiosk….

  ….be sure that the MARGIN on that product is healthy enough that you will be able to turn a profit!

***
If you missed the SPREE show, but are looking for a product to sell on a cart or kiosk, subscribe to the Specialty Retail Report magazine.

It is one of the best sources available for finding profitable cart and kiosk products and concepts.

Subscribe here: http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

Brady Flower

P.S. You can get that copy by subscribing at: http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

Get Your Employees to THINK and ACT like an Owner

How often have you walked through a mall and seen this…..

…a cart or kiosk employee sitting on a stool, twirling their hair, eating pizza, talking to their boyfriend or girlfriend on the phone?

Pretty common, isn’t it?

***
You can be sure that if YOU see it, so do YOUR cart employees….and your PROSPECTIVE employees. It’s not uncommon for cart or kiosk employees to see working at a cart or kiosk as ‘SOCIAL HOUR’ at the mall.

If YOU don’t address their perception YOUR employees may have, you take the risk that they will be the ones sitting on the stool, talking on the telephone…..

So, how do you ADDRESS this issue with YOUR employees, and prospective staff members? 

Thank goodness there a lot of little things you can do to get your staff members to THINK and ACT more like an owner. Let me talk about ONE of those things today….

***
In my last update, I ’suggested’ that you add a suggestion BOX to your cart or kiosk….one designed just for your employees.

I ’suggested’ you REQUIRE your employees to submit at least one suggestion per week to that box.  If you didn’t have a chance to read that update, I suggest you do that right now at:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/shamrock_shake_031306.htm

***
Adding a suggestion box for your employees and requiring they add a suggestion once a week, can give you access to some great IDEAS that can really improve your business.

However, there is ANOTHER subtle, yet very powerful benefit to ADDING a suggestion box and REQUIRING your staff to submit a suggestion at least once a week.

In my experience, it is usually rather EASY for your staff to come up with suggestions AT FIRST. If you just opened, there are typically LOTS of little things ‘need work.’ And if you are hiring someone new, they see the business with ‘new’ eyes, and can offer a ‘fresh’ vantage point.

***
However, after the first few weeks, sometimes the most ‘obvious’ suggestions have already been made…..

…it can start to be a little more DIFFICULT for your staff to come up with suggestions.

What this means is that they have to look a LITTLE HARDER to find those GOOD suggestions….they have to FOCUS on it just a little bit more than normal. ‘Cause remember…..they HAVE TO come up with at least one suggestion each week.

***
What I found was that – over time – looking for ideas became a HABIT! My staff would keep their eyes open ALL THE TIME, looking for little ways the business could improve.

Of course, as an owner, isn’t that what we want? For our staff to be in the HABIT of looking for ways to improve the business? 

***
It’s easier than you think….

Add a suggestion box and require your employees to submit a suggestion every week.

It’s ONE simple thing you can do to get your staff to begin to THINK and ACT like an owner.

***
In May, I will be giving a presentation on ‘SEVEN simple things that you can do to get YOUR staff to THINK and ACT like an owner’ – at the SPREE show in Boston, MA. May 4-6, the Specialty Retail Report magazine is hosting their second annual ‘SPREE’ event – ‘The Show for Cart and Kiosk Retailers’ in Boston, MA.

You can hear me….and fourteen other experts in the cart and kiosk industry speak……and offer all kinds of ways for you to be more successful with your cart or kiosk business.

For more details, click on the following link:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/2006SpreeEast.htm

***
Be profitable,

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

The Lesson of the Shamrock Shake

Last week I was walking through the food court at a local mall here in the Twin Cities area. I peeked up at the menu board at McDonald’s and noticed an old favorite, the ‘Shamrock Shake’.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘Shamrock Shake’, here is what it is:

McDonald’s takes a basic shake. They add a little green food coloring, and some mint flavoring. Then they put it on the menu in the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.  

Do you know where the Shamrock Shake came from?

Back in the fifties, when Ray Kroc was expanding the McDonald’s franchise, he put a SUGGESTION BOX in the back of each one his restaurants. This wasn’t any ORDINARY suggestion box. It was a SPECIAL suggestion box.

Not one for his customers. It was one for his EMPLOYEES. Ray Kroc REQUIRED each one of his employees to submit AT LEAST one idea per week to this special suggestion box.  

***
And as I understand the story, it was a sixteen year-old counter employee that suggested they add a little green food coloring to the vanilla shake – to spur shake sales in the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.

McDonald’s added a little mint flavoring to the shake, and the ‘Shamrock Shake’ was born.

Every year, a few weeks before St. Patrick’s Day, McDonald’s adds the Shamrock Shake to their menu as a seasonal option. And as I understand it, they go through a LOT of those shakes every St. Patrick’s Day!

***
A few years ago, after hearing this story, I added a suggestion box under the cash wrap stand at MY cart.  And asked my staff to submit a suggestion at least once per week. We’d read the suggestions each week at our weekly breakfast meetings. Some of the suggestions I got were unfeasible, or were ridiculous, or were clearly just in jest. 

However, I also got a lot of GREAT ideas that helped make my carts run more smoothly. And got one BIG idea that led to measurable increase in sales of over a quarter of a million dollars in the last five years.

Would I have come up with that BIG idea on my own? We’ll never know.  But I don’t have to know.  Because someone on my staff gave the idea to me.

****
You don’t have to be a huge corporation to profit by adding a suggestion box to your business. Whether you have one employee or a hundred, YOU can get access to simple ideas for improving your business each and every week.

Add a suggestion box for YOUR employees. REQUIRE them to add at least one suggestion per week! It’s simple. It’s easy.

All it takes is ONE good idea to make this pay off in a BIG WAY!

***
Oh, and that reminds me….my diet has changed quite a bit since I was a younger.

I don’t usually eat at McDonald’s any more.

However, last week when I was walking by, I DID stop by and pick up a small ‘Shamrock Shake’. Seemed like it was the least I could do to pay them back for the use of their idea….

That’s it for today!

Be profitable!

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

Beware of the Siren’s Song

Are you familiar with the myth of the Greek Sirens? (or Seirenes?)

In Greek Mythology, the Sirens were ‘Sea Nymphs’ (think mermaids) who lived on an island called Sirenum Scopuli…which was surrounded by cliffs and rocks.

Approaching sailors were drawn to them by their enchanting singing (the ‘Siren Songs’), causing them to sail on to the cliffs and drown.

The term ’siren song’ now refers to an appeal that is hard to resist, but that if followed, will lead to a bad result.

Last update, I told you about the two major product types, Demonstration and Static products. If you missed that update, you can read it here:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/product_type_022306.htm

However, there is actually a THIRD ‘TYPE’ of product with such a strong allure, that it can draw you in….

….and potentially dash your hopes on the rocks – like the sailors drawn in by the ‘Siren’s Song’ – if you are not careful!

***
What is that third ‘type’ product?

It’s a type I call the ‘Hot, New Product!’

Potentially the next ‘Beanie Baby’ or ‘Metabolife’ or ‘Radio Controlled Mini Car’….

Not a day goes by that I am not asked for that ‘Hot, New Product’ to sell in the mall…the one that EVERYONE is going to want.

***
A ‘Hot, New Product’ CAN make you a lot of money! This product ‘type’ can have a HIGH profit potential! But here’s the thing….it can be pretty risky. The potential of the ‘Hot, New Product’ can be a lot like the allure of the ‘Siren’s Song’. It can draw you in, and then dash your hopes on the rocks.

For every ‘Radio Controlled Mini Car’, there are LOTS of products that never GET hot. You have to guess RIGHT with the ‘Hot, New Product’. There is always the RISK that you guess WRONG.

***
And there are so many things that can DERAIL even a product that IS Hot from ever succeeding on a cart or kiosk…

…Competitor Knockoffs…
…Supply Problems….
…Competition….

***
Listen to what Pat Yates, owner and president of ‘Happy Feet’ points out in the latest issue of the Specialty Retail Report ( http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm ):

‘Sometimes people get CAUGHT UP in something new and unproven. The new and greatest widget CAN BE risky’

He suggests doing research on products that have PROVEN successful, and replicating THAT success!

***
A HOT, NEW product CAN make you money!  However, with the stakes high – your profits ARE on the line – are you willing to accept the consequences if it’s NOT the next Beanie Baby?  If so, proceed forward!

If you are first time operator, consider avoiding the ‘allure’ of the ‘Hot, New Product’ and stick with a product that is PROVEN to be successful.

Once you have a season ‘under your belt’ and have a little experience, you will be in a much better position to evaluate the risks associated with ‘following the Siren’s Song’!

***
May fortune be with you!

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

P.S. What’s the best source for new AND proven products?  Specialty Retail Report magazine, of course!  Click here to subscribe:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

What TYPE of Product is Right for You?

I get asked all the time ‘What product should I sell in my mall cart or kiosk?’

However, usually that FIRST question to ask is not WHAT product to sell, but, ‘What TYPE of product is right for me?’

I received an email from a mall cart operator last Christmas from an operator who was selling a product that I KNEW was a proven winner. But he wasn’t doing as well as he expected, and wanted some help. 

It turned out that although his product was a GREAT product, it was the wrong TYPE for his personality. He wasn’t willing to do the work required to succeed with that product. And as a result, didn’t do nearly as well as he could have.

***
There are really two major TYPES of products you can sell in the mall:

1) DEMONSTRATION Products

2) STATIC Products

***
It is just as important to pick the RIGHT product for YOUR personality and YOUR goals as it is to pick a GOOD selling product.

So, let’s take a brief look at the two major product TYPES:

***
1) DEMONSTRATION PRODUCTS

Demonstration products are products that are typically sold via a sales PRESENTATION. That presentation might explain the benefits of the product, what it does, and/or how you use it.

‘What is it?; What does it do?; Why do I need it?’

Oftentimes a presentation is NECESSARY to sell the demonstration product – as the casual passer-by in the mall may not be initially familiar with what it is or what it does!

Demonstration products typically offer a HIGH profit potential and LOW risk. That is because YOU and your STAFF control how MANY presentations you give. The more presentations you make, typically the more you sell.

However, demonstration products generally require a higher QUALITY staff – because the sales are dependent on their efforts.

***
2) STATIC PRODUCTS

Static products are often ones can sell without much explanation. We might consider to be ’staples’ or products that most EVERYONE is familiar with – jewelry, T-shirts, sunglasses… …and so on….

Your customers already know what these products do, and how they work (YOU know what a T-shirt does, right?) As a result, your customers don’t NEED as much of a presentation to make a decision.

The demands on your staff are not as high, because your customers are already familiar with the product and what it does.

However, you tend to be more a the mercy of mall traffic. Sales are only made when the customers decides to stop by.

***
In the case of the man that emailed me….he had picked a demonstration product to sell, but wasn’t willing to demonstrate it or hire a staff to do so. As a result, he had mall full of customers stream by his cart without really knowing what he was selling – and didn’t sell nearly as much as he could have. 

My feeling is that he probably would have been much happier – and done better – if he had elected to sell a STATIC product.

***
On the other hand, it would drive ME ’stir crazy’ to sell a STATIC product. I want to be more active, selling my products, and training a staff how to do so. For me, a DEMONSTRATION product is much more in alignment with MY personality, and MY goals.

***
What TYPE of product best suits YOU and YOUR personality?

Before you ask, ‘What product should I sell?’, first decide what TYPE of product is right for you! Pick the right TYPE of product! You’ll be happier, and you will do better!

***
To find profitable DEMONSTRATION or STATIC products, subscribe to the Specialty Retail Report magazine.

It’s your best source for finding successful mall cart or kiosk products. It’s only $35 per year! Click here to subscribe:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

***
May fortune be with you!

Brady Flower 
The Kiosk Expert

P.S. Each issue of the Specialty Retail Report magazine profiles successful cart and kiosk
entrepreneurs. Learn their secrets! Subscribe today at:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm

What ULTIMATE OUTCOME do You Want?

Napoleon Hill, author of ‘Think and Grow Rich’ once said:

‘There is ONE quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of PURPOSE, the knowledge of what one WANTS, and a burning DESIRE to possess it.’

Earlier this week I spoke with a young entrepreneur from Southern California.

She was interested in opening up a sunglasses cart in the area, but was FRUSTRATED because each mall she contacted ALREADY had a sunglasses cart open.

What to do?

As we talked, it turned out that what this young entrepreneur REALLY wanted was to go into business for HERSELF, and not have to work in ’standard 9-5 job’.

She had a friend that operated a sunglasses cart in a mall. Her friend was doing really well. She thought opening a sunglasses cart would be a great way to get started in  business for herself, and not have to work for someone else.

As we continued to talked, she told me about her goal to build a ‘cart empire’. And as we talked further she revealed her goal to ‘retire’ within the next five years with over a million dollars.

***
I imagine if we continued to talk, she might have indicated that her ultimate outcome might have been to….

….own a beautiful house on the beach in Southern California..

….workout every morning and then get a massage…

….work a bit on new projects in the afternoon….

….then go out to dinner at a nice restaurant with a wonderful husband….

….or who knows….we didn’t really get quite this far.

***
Here is my suggestion, and it is one that I think Napoleon Hill might approve of: 

Establish the ULTIMATE OUTCOME you are looking to achieve first.

When you do that first, you will find multiple PATHWAYS to achieving that outcome! AND, you will find it MUCH easier to step over, or step around, or completely avoid potential obstacles.

***
When we first got on the telephone, the stated goal of this young entrepreneur was to open a sunglasses cart. And that effort was STYMIED because there were no openings in the local area.

As we talked further, it came out that she had BIGGER and more EXPANSIVE goals…and that opening a sunglasses cart was really just an INTERIM step in reaching those bigger goals. Once we started focusing on the ULTIMATE outcome she was seeking, we came up with multiple ways that she could reach ACHIEVE that outcome.

For example, instead of feeling like she was at a dead end because their were no apparent openings for sunglasses carts in her area….

….we talked about OTHER successful products that she could sell in a cart to get up and started in business for herself…..

…and begin on her PATH to achieving her ultimate outcome.

(We also talked about a few CREATIVE methods that might actually allow her to secure a location for that sunglasses cart!)

***
First, define the ULTIMATE OUTCOME you want to achieve! 

Then, start on the pathway to achieving it.

***
That’s it for now!

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

Will You Be Prepared?

In my last few updates, I talked about how continuing to hire throughout the holiday season can help you STAY in CONTROL of your business.

Next up, I am going to talk about how continuing to hire can create REAL opportunities for additional revenue, and profit.

***
In my last update, I told you how in my first season running my cart, I stopped hiring at the beginning of December, thinking I was set with my staff.

Then the ‘Holiday rush’ hit….the two weeks before Christmas.

I had HEARD from others how the BUYING mentality changes in the last two weeks, but I hadn’t experienced it yet.

***
Anyway, what happened was that my BEST salesperson, Emily, had to leave during the last week before Christmas.

Because I stopped hiring at the beginning of December, I didn’t have anyone to step in and replace Emily.

As a result, probably lost out on five thousand dollars in sales.

If you missed that update, you can catch up at the following
link:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/count_on_111605.htm

But I’ll tell you…..there is an even BIGGER price I paid for my decision to not hire all the way up through Christmas.

You see, I found that during that last two weeks, there were SO  MANY extra people in the mall – people LOOKING for things to buy as gifts…..

…..that I could have had ANOTHER three or four people working AT ALL TIMES and kept them busy.

I mean, if I could have added just a FEW more salespeople, we’d have made another TEN or TWENTY thousand dollars in sales – whether Emily was there or not!

***
I’d stopped hiring, and it was then too late! Keep in mind, I ALREADY had a staff of about thirty people. At our peak that holiday season, we had thirteen people working on our cart – ALL AT ONCE.

It wasn’t like I didn’t have people working with me.

But once the rush hit…..we could have had more….and I’d have made much more money!

***
You better believe the following season I continued hiring ALL the way through December!

I DID add extra salespeople during that last two weeks rush period, DID make nearly an extra twenty thousand dollars in sales as a result!

***
So… the choice is yours. Will YOU be prepared for the Holiday RUSH?

Keep hiring! Get some extra staff ready to throw on you cart during that last two weeks.

And see if you can’t add an additional ten or twenty thousand dollars in sales as well!

Brady Flower 
The Kiosk Expert

How to Stay in Control!

Yesterday I told you about my visit to the Mall of America this past summer.

As I left you, I had walked by a cart that was ’staffed’ by a young man whose idea of ‘working’ was leaning back in a chair and falling asleep.

I promised to give you a simple suggestion that can help YOU avoid a circumstance like this on YOUR cart.

If you missed yesterday’s update, you can catch up at the following link:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/look_familiar_111405.htm

***
Before I go forward, I want to say that I have found having an staff person like this is a typical cart operator’s fear.

Especially if you can’t BE at your cart, and this staff person is your only option.

It can be frustrating, and nerve-wracking to have someone at your cart who is not working because you know sales will come to screeching halt. Would-be customers walk right by. Folks that DO stop are not properly helped.

So how do you remain in CONTROL in a situation like this?

#1 Suggestion: Keep Hiring.

A lot of cart and kiosk operators will stop looking for staff members the moment they feel they are ’set.’

The problem comes in when a staff person doesn’t work out. Someone doesn’t show up on time. They don’t work hard. They leave the cart…..

If you don’t have anyone ELSE to step in at that moment, you’re stuck. You have turned over all your POWER to this temporary employee.

***
Now suppose you DO keep hiring, and one of your current staff members steps out of line?

You’ve done your best to train and motivate them, and they still don’t shape up.

You simply replace them. Or reduce their hours.

But you HAVE TO have someone READY to step in. Otherwise that staff person KNOWS you don’t have any other options. If you keep hiring, and have someone ready, you are in CONTROL.

And, it’s a much better feeling to be in control of a situation like this.

***
Another benefit of continuing to hire: The good employees you have….the ones that LIKE their job, and generally tend to DO a good job….

…will work even HARDER if they know you have someone to replace them, if necessary.

They care about their job, and don’t want to lose it.

So, even if you have a generally good staff, it pays to continue hiring…..if only to motivate your good ones.

But more on this tomorrow!

***
The lesson for the day. Keep Hiring! And stay in CONTROL!

Brady Flower

Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert

P.S. For more tips on managing your sales staff, check out the latest copy of Specialty Retail Report. There is a GREAT article on how to get the most from your PT staff.

You can subscribe at the following link, and you will get latest copy rushed out to you:

http://www.kioskexpert.com/srr.htm