Coaching for independent retailers
Most towns and cities are lacking the vibrancy and vitality that strong independent retailers bring to the area. This is especially true now, as retailers start to trade after months of lockdown.
One to one mentoring sessions for independent retailers
Includes an initial session and follow up, with tailored action plans. These are held at a time and date agreed with the retailer, either during or outside trading hours, as they prefer.
• Coaching is in their shop and lasts about 3 hours.
• Online marketing and web sites are also included and reviewed.
• All aspects of the business are covered including visual merchandising, marketing, web site, social media, financial decision making, selling skills, better articulation of what makes them special, ranges and buying and anything else they would like reviewed.
• Together we agree on an action plan which focuses on the most important items to help increase sales and profitability and we write this up.
• In the mean time they contact us with questions and we review any marketing materials or anything else
Follow ups to the initial one to one mentoring sessions are the best way to make sure that retailers follow and implement their individual action plans effectively. At these follow up sessions we assess progress, help with any areas that are causing problems, often by breaking down the task into smaller parts and working with the retailer to get started and then re-prioritise remaining actions and highlight any new initiatives. We then write up the new action plan.
They then contact us to review anything they need such as web site changes, email newsletters, staff incentive scheme details etc., as appropriate.
Group Workshops
All the ideas and hints are free to implement. These training sessions are very interactive to allow retailers to share their experiences, network and plan joint activities with complementary retailers. Topics can include:
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Marketing - what makes you different and how to articulate it, social media, blogs, using your shop window, emails, customer lists and complying with GDPR, events and tutorials, word of mouth recommendations, competitions, web site, promotions
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Visual merchandising / presentation – shop window, signage dos and don’ts, displaying different product types, product positioning and adjacencies, store approach and entrance, getting the optimum layout
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Selling skills – opening the sale, identifying needs, demonstrating products, suggesting additional products, handling objections, closing the sale, building customer loyalty.
Benefits
The coaching sessions ensure that:
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Retailers in your high streets become more profitable and so more attractive to locals and visitors.
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The independent retail sector thrives and brings extra vitality and interest to your area
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Occupancy rates improve