We were inspired by the Retail Contrarian, Doug Fleener’s, blog post early last month about spring training fundamentals as they relate to business. As he considered baseball’s annual spring training (where a heavy focused is placed on perfecting the fundamentals), Fleener begged the question, “how often are you and your team practicing the fundamentals?” It’s a good point, and one that should be considered. Fleener keeps his team in top condition by utilizing the following:

Adhering to his hiring acid test.
Since it’s likely you won’t hire grade-A employees every single time, Fleener likes to place a hiring rule on himself anytime he’s looking to bring on anyone new. He only hires a person if he is so genuinely excited about this person that he’ll want to call a friend or colleague and give them three reasons why he’s hiring this new employee.

Focusing on the sales experience.
Satisfied customers are what keep you in business. Don’t be pushy, but don’t relegate yourself to being a detached sales clerk either. Strive to be a sales person. Your goal is to add value and enjoyment into the customer’s shopping experience.

Fleener also encourages readers to revisit their daily sales strategies and to review the phone greeting customers receive when they call in (does it sound genuine or rushed?).

Read more of Fleener’s helpful tips or sign up for one of his coaching programs by clicking here.

What is your standard in-office spring training protocol? Share @cocardatlanta