During this time of market volatility, listen to top retailers and integrators ponder their next steps: “What should I do?” “How should I react?” “What should I focus on?”

The history of our industry has shown time and again that when times are good, business is good, and when times are tough, business is still good.

CE hasn’t been on the same feast-or-famine roller coaster ride that leads to other consumer industries; our peaks and valleys are much less dramatic.

Furthermore, while all economic indicators point to consumers restricting their budget discretion, it is probably a safe bet that CE products will, as history has shown, be the vehicle that helps them forget about their problems, allowing them to spend more time at home escaping from realities. of an uncertain world.

Your challenge, as a hybrid retailer, is to be the provider that consumers can trust. Consumers need to trust the solutions recommended by your company.

That means being a leader, training and mentoring your company’s employees so that consumer confidence isn’t shaken at any level.

Just as a coach needs to optimize the performance of a professional athlete (even Tiger Woods has a coach), your people need to be consistently and continuously observed, trained, and mentored.

The following tips will help your business plan the sales training necessary for a successful operation.

Be an example to follow

Lead by example. Take the initiative to demonstrate what it takes to deliver a high level of professionalism, reliability and satisfaction in every customer contact.

Authentic leaders understand that leading is about serving others and uniting people around a common cause.

Therefore, model expected behavior and train each employee individually so that their behavior is in line with your expectations.

Go beyond command and control

Have you seen the movie, “Glengarry Glen Ross” recently? “Go sell” is no longer enough. The old school management style is so, well, old school.

According to a recent survey by the Randstad staffing company, nearly half of all workers report a lack of respect for their bosses. Additionally, more than half report that their bosses are downright incompetent.

Additionally, less than 30 percent of workers surveyed felt that their bosses were adequately motivating them to do a good job, acting as role models or engaging in mentoring.

New generations of workers expect their bosses to respect their contributions and their need for work-life balance. They also want their employer to act in a socially responsible manner in the marketplace.

So, let go of that old “command and control” model. Real power comes from giving it away—that is, empowering your people to execute and innovate with authentically delivered support and direction.

Real authority provides real opportunities for professional growth.

Hire the right people

According to Jim Collins, author of “Built to Last,” the old adage “People are your most important asset” is incorrect. He clarifies: “The right people are your most important asset.”

In sales, behavior always trumps experience. Hiring based on employment history is not a sure thing. Industry positions that provide product and technical familiarity also often bring the bad habits from their previous workplaces.

As humans, we are creatures of habit, and ingrained habits are hard to break.

Intermediate selling skills, such as interpretation and probing, and advanced skills, such as concept integration and consulting, are best learned and embodied in people whose day-to-day behaviors align with your company’s proven sales approach.

Manage processes, advise people

Management is the methodical application of processes in an effort to achieve performance.

On the other hand, a mentor is a person who has a sincere desire to enhance the success of others. A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth by sharing knowledge and ideas learned over the years.

Mentoring is a relationship established to grow an employee over time. Coaching is all about guidance and inspiration.

It’s about guiding your people through the application of knowledge and structure, inspiring confidence. The most successful coaches set a vision for their team’s achievement and motivate them to work hard to make that vision a reality.

Clearly define expectations

The key to empowering your sales people is to provide well-defined and articulated job descriptions, roles, responsibilities, and competencies.

Doing so creates a roadmap for employees to travel as they move toward your company’s strategic vision.

No level of training and mentoring can overcome the unintended implications of a poorly designed compensation program. Your compensation program should also be thoroughly examined.

It should be done with regard to the behaviors that will occur and the performance measurement techniques implemented.

Individual and team incentives must be woven into a system that encourages good judgment for effective decision making.

When you started your business, you brought a clear vision. You spent most of your time on the front lines with your people and clients, using your instincts to make the decisions that shaped your growth. Well now is the time to lead that way again.

Leadership is a muscle that must be exercised. And just like the exercise, the sooner you start coaching and guiding your people toward a culture of success, the sooner you’ll develop your leadership and sales force.