The primary duty of a retail manager is to run a retail store efficiently. The multiple responsibilities of a retail manager include training and supervision, report taking, budget analysis, monitoring customer care, and maintaining good interpersonal skills.
If you want to hire a retail manager or if an existing employee has eyes on becoming one, one must have the skills demarcated with Certificate III in retail training.
Business owners look to retail managers to boost their sales and provide their customers with an exceptional experience. Retail managers often have to work harder than others but can easily make an average of $81,250 yearly.
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What Traits Should Retail Managers Have?
Businesses go through different types of sales seasons, face a variety of customers, and have complex, challenging tasks daily. These are some of the must-have qualities of a retail manager:
Great Leadership Qualities
Organisations have different types of employees, each with a different mindset. Employees and businesses expect high leadership skills from their managers. It is often solely up to the manager to track everyone’s progress and identify weaknesses and opportunities.
Encouraging employees: Enthusiasm is necessary for business growth. Employees who find it challenging to feel motivated don’t perform well at work. Decreased morale may lead to increased absenteeism which is harmful to your company. A retail manager tries to eliminate negative factors present in the work environment that can cause demotivation among the employees.
Be a role model for others: Becoming a leader requires self-perfection. Managers have to be punctual, regular, and go home after completing daily tasks. Sometimes this can make you the last one to leave the work premises.
A retail manager also has to work closely with the team; not all co-workers are fast-paced; some may be facing difficulties. An excellent retail manager discusses situations, understands problems, and helps teams overcome obstacles.
There is no “my way or the highway” in a business. Superiors should hear all opinions regardless of rank or affiliation. Leadership means valuing people’s choices instead of imposing yours on everyone else. Individuals who want to get promoted should get Cert 3 in Retail to enhance and prove their abilities.
Good Communication
Communication plays a critical role between managers and employees. Managers usually spend most of their time communicating with the people around them. It is essential to understand others’ perspectives and what encourages them.
In day-to-day public dealing, a retail store can face a variety of customers, and not all are friendly. Sometimes things can get a little tricky while handling your regular employees. A retail manager’s communication skills can come in handy when stuck in such tough spots.
A positive tone can uplift employees. It includes acknowledging the team’s hard work, offering recognition, and supporting them in challenges. Studies show that a positive attitude helps make the workplace better and encourages employees to work better.
Verbal communication is essential. Let people talk first; hear them out; it makes them feel valuable. In terms of communication traits, a retail manager must be an active listener too.
Retail managers must eradicate toxic traits in their teams, such as procrastination and office gossip. In such situations, they should have a detailed conversation with team members. Repeat offenders should be issued warnings, and corrective behaviour approaches implemented to increase employees’ productivity.
They can also improve business performance by asking for feedback from employees and customers. Feedback is vital for improvement; it identifies pain points where people and processes can perform better. Reviews also give you an in-depth analysis of the work environment.
Ability to Multitask
The most common question an employer asks managers is can you multitask? If you want to pursue a career in retail management, you should be able to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously. Managers are responsible for overseeing different tasks, managing the workforce, and completing their work.
Even though it sounds taxing, it becomes part of the routine with time. Businesses and work environments are fast-paced and multi-faceted. Situations require critical thinking and time management.
Successful management is handling different tasks without compromising efficiency and quality. Poorly managed multitasking increases stress and decreases productivity, causing errors in work. Sometimes micro-managing everything together negatively impacts the output and the manager.
It helps to plan tasks ahead of the day. Without prior planning, you might get pulled into unrelated work and distractions. A successful manager is the one who plans his every move, checks the status of the existing task, and sets new goals at the start of each day.
There can be hundreds of tasks for retail managers. If they want their day to be efficient, they have to prioritise tasks according to importance. It sounds simple, yet many fail to prioritise responsibilities. Managers who have a Certificate III in Retail learn effective ways to multitask.
Promote Teamwork
Teamwork builds an organisation. Managers can increase team productivity with a positive attitude and uplifting words. They should determine team strengths and weaknesses to set realistic and achievable goals and deadlines.
Managers who care about their teams ask for regular feedback and appreciate or reward team members who perform well. These acts encourage the staff and increase respect towards their organisations and managers.
Effective teamwork must have open communication channels. In a retail store, communication is necessary for daily operations, and managers have to ensure the flow of communication doesn’t stop. Good retail managers know where their employees are lacking, their strengths, and how to use team-building strategies for people to complement one another.
Must Be Resilient
The retail industry is demanding, especially for retail managers who bear the heat of irate customers and the gruel of regular operations.
Managers face many consequences and manage finances, logistics, and operations. Therefore, they must be physically and mentally tough. Resilience is a crucial trait for retail managers, and research shows resilient people have 83% more satisfaction in their jobs. At the end of the day, they are the sounding board for customer complaints.
Retail managers should stay calm under pressure. If they don’t, the whole retail store would be chaotic. Managers who remain calm in confrontations and complex scenarios have great chances of growth.
Lead Sales
Sales are the principle upon which the retail industry exists. Retail managers must know how to drive sales for a business, identifying and improving KPIs. It is also vital to have in-depth knowledge of each team member’s skills so the managers know who is best suited to the specific product or service. Sales can not increase without understanding these factors.
Sales depend heavily on a manager’s plan of action and leadership skills. A successful retail manager does not work alone to increase sales; they train their sales associates to sell and upsell products and services. Again, the emphasis is laid on being a team player and motivating staff to excel in their interpersonal selling skills.
Knowledge of supply and demand and sales funnels is integral to improving sales figures and getting extensive ROIs. A proficient retail manager is great at attracting new customers and even better at retaining old ones. It has been proven time and again that existing customers will be more willing to spend at an establishment.
Conclusion
All the traits mentioned above are equally important and necessary for becoming a retail manager or hiring one. Without these qualities, it would be hard for a person to adjust to the rigid retail industry. The best managers are the leaders of their team and the revenue-generating assets of a business.
Most of all, they are leaders that set a clear example for others to follow. Hiring the right manager makes a business grow. Your managers’ dedication and commitment to their work benefit the entire organisation and inspire the team in their charge. Retail managers have a promising future when they have all the required skills. So go ahead and improve your existing skills through Certificate III in Retail.
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