Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2018 40 I haven't had a pet since the 1980s. As a retail consultant, I was traveling about three weeks a month and I couldn't really care for one. For years, though, I'd talked about raising a puppy to become a service dog. Friends would say they'd never be able to give up a puppy they'd had for 18 to 24 months. Who would want to do all that work and then have to give the dog up? My friend Duke even suggested he would buy a golden/doodle puppy and after I raised it for a couple of years, he'd take it. Meet Sage, my 10-week old Labrador/golden mix puppy. I'm raising Sage to become a service or assistance dog through Canine Companions International (www.CCI.org ). It's hard work but I'm probably learning more than Sage is. If we do our jobs, Sage will help a wheelchair-bound child, a hearing-impaired student or perhaps a veteran struggling with PTSD. For those who need one, there is a two-year waiting list to get a service dog. Working with Sage I realize that much of what I know about working with people in business is what I'm doing to train her. Here's what training for this kind of specialized work entails from me. It's what any good manager should do in helping his or her team members successfully do their jobs. • Be consistent. Once you have established a rule or a procedure, expect that it's performed correctly every time your staff members encounter that same situation. Sage is learning to sit at every corner, driveway and intersection. Similarly, if your policy is that every customer must be greeted promptly, that means every prospect coming in the door—not just the ones in shiny, new cars, but every single one. If all your sales associates are busy with customers, bring a cashier or other support person to the front to meet people coming through the door. • Be clear. Many of the commands I'm teaching to Sage sound similar—sit, stay, shake and even her name, Sage. I've learned to clarify those commands with distinct hand signals so that Sage understands what I want her to do. If you expect your associates to follow up after each purchase, tell them when it must be done, give them sample thank you notes or email messages to send and show them how to enter details about how and when they completed the task on your log sheet. Verify the log to ensure compliance. • Repeat the instructions. A neighbor stopped me the other day laughing. She said my puppy must think I have a limited vocabulary because she'd heard me say "No eating rocks, Sage," so many times. It is repetitive, but it's starting to work. More often than not, Sage will pick up a pinecone or twig to chew instead of a rock. Repetition reinforces learning. That doesn't mean every weekly sales meeting needs to focus on the same things. It means you have to reiterate your expectations as appropriate. • Stay calm. It takes a lot of time for 10-week old puppies to learn new skills. It takes even longer to teach old dogs new tricks. You're trying to get your team members to do what will make your customers happy and their jobs fulfilling. You're not trying to catch them making mistakes. Your team members aren't trying to disappoint you at every turn. • Reward the desired behavior. No, their paychecks are not enough reward for doing what your staff members were hired to do. Just like Sage, they need positive feedback, affirmation, affection and treats. The adage written years ago in The One Minute Manager is truer today than ever—'Catch Your Employees Doing Something Right' and acknowledge the behavior. • Understand the "why" behind the "what." Your team members need to know that you just don't make policies for the heck of it. Tell them that asking customers for a 50% deposit helps with cash flow so that you can continue to advertise, buy inventory, and pay your bills. • Praise, Praise, Praise. I'm constantly saying "good dog… good girl" to Sage. Since she's good way more often than she is chewing on my shoes or furniture, she should know that if I'm not saying "No, Sage" she's doing what I expect her to do. In fact, it's amazing what she'll do for nothing more than a pat on the head. There's no such thing as too much praise. Be careful, though, to spread around your team. Don't always hold out your star performers as teacher's pets. I realize that when I take her to puppy training classes, it's me, not Sage learning new tricks. I'm changing my behavior in order to make her perform well and do her job. As an owner or manager, you set the bar for your team. If you do your job well, they will do theirs better. Elly Valas is an author, speaker and retail consultant. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or 303-316-7568. Elly Valas Retail Views RO WHAT MY PUPPY SAGE IS TEACHING ME

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