NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

*Daily / weekly planners…get yourself organized (calendars, charts, files)

*Make a list of things that need done. Follow up on action plans and update.

*Inventory tracking and record keeping.

*Proper executions of the business plans…plan your work and work your plan.

*Back to basics.

*Revisit / Update Policies and procedures in your company

*Things you have let go… Procrastination ends now!

*Personal growth and health. If you are not having fun….that’s your fault.

*Measure to improve, share and use ideas, communications, teach.


*Training; in your absence does someone know what to do?

*Are you being aggressive about getting yourself trained…take responsibility for your own success!

*Team communication: share the knowledge, listen, and create a sense of ownership.

*Recognition… “Reward want you want repeated” “Find the Number ONE in Everyone”


*Be a LEADER, not just a manager. “Call it a problem & it will BE one, Call it an opportunity, and you will HAVE one.”

*Leadership “Its great to be a champion, but it takes TEAM to win the Super-Bowl”

“The customer may not always be right , but they are still the customer”

Think like a customer: present a professional image, smile and eye contact, seek out customer contact, solve customer problems, use proper body language, thank every customer and invite them back.

Thought for the month…. “we learn from yesterdays we live for tomorrows”

“Success just doesn’t happen…You must GO AFTER IT, with
PASSIONATE ENTHUSIASM!”

From Manager to Leader…My Own Personal Journey

I was the best.
(well, at least in my own mind)

No one could build displays, order product, stock shelves, take inventory and write schedules better than I.
“He never slows down, runs around 24/7” "…Bob is the hardest worker I have ever seen.”…words often expressed by my co-workers and Store Managers.
So why was I passed over for upper level management time and time again?
I was a great manager, everyone said so. I was winning all the display and selling contests.I was the best at getting work done, and lived by the credo; if you want something done right you need to do it yourself.
In fact, every time I would go on vacation, I would return to deplorable conditions and I would have to work overtime just to get the department back up to standards.

Again, so why was I not promoted?
In one word…leadership.
I was lighting fires under the feet of my employees instead of inspiring the fire in the hearts of my team.

And then I was given a revelation…a great mentor of mine said,
“Bob, it's not how good your department looks when you are here, the true test of your leadership is the condition of your department, when you are not here.
We want our managers to work smart not hard. Think of it this way; if you fish for someone, you feed them for a day... if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.
Yes, you will always have to pitch in, but you need to let go and have your team pitch hit for you, you can’t always do everything yourself.”

From that point on, I realized; managers live for the task, leaders live for their team.
Three months later, I was promoted.

For more information on “Changing Today’s Managers into Tomorrow's Leaders”Contact Bob Gambone; email- rvg444@aol.com Phone: 412-491-7317.

“I Need A Reason To Wake Up In The Morning!”

His name was Vince. I met him one day at the Burger King while eating lunch.
“Excuse me; are you the Store Manager over there?”
I then introduced myself and Vince went on to tell me his story.
“So are you guys hiring?...I need a job. I am a retired executive from US Steel, my wife passed away about two years ago and my kids are spread across the country. I fly every weekend to visit them, so I can work Monday through Friday. You know I miss working. A man can only play so much golf, I am really getting bored, …I need a reason to wake up in the morning.”

Vince was a tall man, wearing a wrinkled non-matching jogging suit and sporting a 3-day beard.
I felt sorry for him, he really looked like he needed a job and the story he told me, well that really seemed a bit far-fetched, so I hired him.

Vince came on board and worked Monday through Friday 7 to 11am pushing carts and greeting people as they entered the store. He really loved his job; smiling and saying thank you, talking to customers, keeping the place clean, and I felt good because I gave this guy a job.

About 6 months later Cindi, my office manager, came to me, “Bob, the Payroll dept. called and said they need Vince to cash his paychecks.”
Well I was really surprised, Vince?...the guy who needed a job so bad, not cashing his paychecks?!
“How many paychecks hasn't he cashed”? I asked Cindi.
Cindi looked right at me and said, “Bob, Vince has not cashed a paycheck since he started 6 months ago!”

At that moment I realized, I did not give Vince a job,
he gave me a life lesson.
We All Need a Reason to Wake Up in the Morning, thank you Vince P.

Handling Customer Complaints – the LAST-C technique.

The LAST technique for handling customer complaints has been around for some time and you can Google to find several versions.

I have had great success with what I call the LAST-C process.
Bottom Line: not only will you decrease customer complaints, you will gain more business as a result of using this process.

Acronym defined:

L- Listen

A-Apologize

S-Suggest a Solution

T- Thank

C- Communicate

Want more information?  Read Bob's book...
 Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's book 

 bobgambone.com
bobgambone@bobgambone.com

Great Sales Building Tip for Retailers

While on the sales floor, have you ever had one of those “moments of truth”, positive or negative, that you would like to respond to immediately?

Try this: Carry with you a variety of pre-activated (your specific company) Gift Cards ($5, $10, and $25), have your office managers track them.

Here is an example of how I use them: I was talking to a customer about some concerns she had with the store. I noticed she had a three- buggy order. I thanked her for being such a great customer and gave her a $5 gift card. She loved it. It was immediate (sends a great message to our customers) and a great finish to our conversation.

I have done this with new customers, people asking for donations, or even disgruntled customers (we all know the quicker the fix the faster the return) etc. Yes, you do need to use discretion and this is not the answer to every customer service issue, but believe me it works and it is immediate (save time for my customers and myself)!

In today’s fast paced world and fierce competition I have found that this builds customers confidence and not just satisfies the customers but truly delights them, a great “point of difference” to have in the marketplace.

Leadership

“Leadership is not an art,

it is not a skill,
nor is it something that you can learn.

Leadership is an inherited trait,
fueled by passion, fed by desire,

and maintained by your enthusiasm.

Leadership never dies...

... it will always be in your heart, waiting."

*The Six Rights of Merchandising...

   The Right  Merchandise,
in the Right  Place,
at the Right  Time,
in the Right  Quantity,
in the Right  Condition,
at the Right  Price!

Learn more about the key tactics to this strategy in my book:
Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's Book


*(originated in a 1978 retailing training seminar and has been generically translated by many retailers)

“Copyright (5-1-2011) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”

Work Expands to Fill the Time Allotted...and the Time Allotted Must Equal the Work Required.

The following questions are geared towards taking a proactive leadership approach with your most valuable asset.
(As a business owner / executive you are not doing yourself, your shareholders or your employees any justice by either overworking your employees or paying your employees for nonproductive, non value-added time.)
Ask yourself the following:

How many hours a week are you scheduling your employees? Why?

Are you writing schedules based on the hours needed for employee compensation requirements or based on the work that is needed?

When was the last time you measured the amount of work needed based on fulfilling all internal and external customer requirements?

Do your salary employees write daily work planners? How many hours a week are they really "working"? (note: overworked employees and slackers are equally detrimental to your team)

How many hourly employees punch in late and punch out early and do not get “docked” for pay?(a recent study done at a Fortune 500 company revealed this cost to be well over 11 million dollars annually).

Do you allow hourly employees to work "off the clock"? Why?

Think about this….as a leader you need to make decisions on what is best for the team. Successful teams are strengthened by creating a synergy of balanced input from each team member. Demanding too much work from some and accepting less work from others deteriorates that synergy. Ask yourself the above questions one more time...and then take a proactive approach with your "people".

Top Ten Reasons Employees / Managers should shop at [Your] Company

10. Spend your money where you make it, reinvest in your future.

9. A chance to see the store through a customer’s perspective.

8. Sends a message of confidence when customers see you shop.

7. Sends a message of teamwork to your fellow employees.

6. Can you say “Job Security”?

5. It is convenient, saves time, travel, and gas.

4. You know what the deals are!

3. What better way to increase sales?

2. It’s great to shop where everyone
knows your name.

And the Number One reason is:
The best employees deserve the best quality products and services, [Your] Company. --- Show, Know, and Live The Brand!

Communicating to Our Customers: Drop the Acronyms and Industry Speak!

Did you ever answer a customer's question and receive a very confused

look from them in return?

A few years back a customer asked me why we were out of a particular item.

My answer was, “I know that we “surveyed” that item, but I think it was either “scratched” or on “allocation.”

The customer gave me the same look I gave the young doctor when he told me that my “diastolic” number was fine but he was concerned about my “systolic” number.

The point is we need to communicate to our customers on their terms. Many of us in retail use words like “discontinued”, “selector error”, “focus item” “shipper” "drop-ship" ... just to name a few...and acronyms like "OOS" "CSS" "POS" ...what do these mean to our customers? Nothing!

Knowledgeable employees are one thing but the ability to successfully communicate and have your customers understand is another. This presents an excellent opportunity to “raise the bar” in customer communications and delivering your brand promise.

Be Seen...Be Trusted...Be Profitable

Three steps to building your “brand” …no shortcuts here.

The other day I had a conversation with a gentleman that recently launched his own independent carpet cleaning business. He was so upset because he spent over $600 in advertising and received zero business from the ad. His mistake: trying to jump from visibility to profitability without building customer confidence, i.e. building trust in his “brand.”

Why do we know that FED EX will deliver overnight?…because they have walked the talk for years…we trust them!

You can talk the talk through advertising…more importantly, you must walk the talk by building customer confidence…then and only then will you be able to walk the walk of a profitable business.

For more information on building a sustainable / profitable business, contact Bob Gambone
412-491-7317, or email rvg444@aol.com

Inviting Your Customers to Return, the Missing Link in Service

Companies that boast good customer service in most cases are missing one very important component that could really raise the bar…
…Invite your customers to return.

The next time you visit a retailer, restaurant or any business that serves the ultimate consumer, pay close attention to the final words you hear. 90% will offer a thank you, 5% will say nothing and only about 5% will thank you and ask that you to return in the near future.

Step back, listen and observe…are you inviting your customers to return? Asking your customers to come back can be a huge point of difference for your business. You will need to practice this until it becomes a habit. Say something like, “Thank you and please come back and see us again real soon, mention 'Joe' when you return.” (one way you can measure the process)

Do you remember the TV show that ended with… “Y’all come back now, Ya hear!”
.... and millions of viewers did and still do!

Great Players Win Games, Great Teams Win Superbowls

***This is a true story as told to me by my father many times over the years. Edited for privacy....the powerful message remains.***

Dad, you were the original Business Life and Leadership Coach. I know you are up there…this one is for you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
John was an inventor of a product that is used by every retail business throughout the entire world. He played football with my Dad in high school, work with him for a short time and they became lifetime business associates.

When John was getting ready to launch his product, my Dad met with him to discuss his strategy.

“Who is on your team, John?”
“What team, I don’t need a team… I have over 35 companies out there ready to buy.”
“What’s your strategy, you know, your game plan?”
“Sell!, Sell!, Sell!...simple as that.”
“Do you have a test market area?”
“No.”
“So, let's look at it this way…you are ready to kickoff, you have never practiced, your fans are filling the stands in anticipation, and you have no team behind you?...no plays to run?"
“Hey, I thought you were my friend… not my coach!” ... John’s last words as the meeting and their friendship ended.

Good news and bad news followed.

The bad news: John’s product took off like crazy, but he ran into continuous problems with his patent, branding issues, competition, tax issues, quality of product, etc…until he finally went bankrupt.

The good news: years later John invented a process that is used in almost every vending machine in the United States. John went back to my Dad, not to beg for his friendship, to ask him to be his coach.

My Dad, a pure coach at heart, provided John with support. John formed a team by purchasing the products and services of professionals, referred to him by my Dad, and this time built a successful sustainable business that was passed on to the next generation.

---If you are an entrepreneur and in the early stages of starting your business, please contact me for more information on building a foundation for your company.---

Bob Gambone, Business Life and Leadership Coach / Consultant
412-491-7317 rvg444@aol.com
Find me on LinkedIn.

From Manager to Leader…My Own Personal Journey

I was the best.
(well, at least in my own mind)
No one could build displays, order product, stock shelves, take inventory and write schedules better than me.
“He never slows down, runs around 24/7” "…Bob is the hardest worker I have ever seen.”
…words often expressed by my co-workers and Store Managers.

So why was I passed over for upper level management time and time again?
I was a great manager, everyone said so. I was winning all the display and selling contests.
I was the best at getting work done, and lived by the credo; if you want something done right you need to do it yourself. In fact, every time I would go on vacation, I would return to deplorable conditions and I would have to work overtime just to get the department back up to standards.

Again, so why was I not promoted?
In one word…leadership.
I was lighting fires under the feet of my employees instead of inspiring the fire in the hearts of my team.

And then I was given a revelation…a great mentor of mine said, “Bob, it's not how good your department looks when you are here, the true test of your leadership is the condition of your department, when you are not here. We want our managers to work smart not hard. Yes, you will always have to pitch in, but you need to let go and have your team pitch hit for you, you can’t always do everything yourself.”
From that point on, I realized; managers live for the task, leaders live for their team.
Three months later, I was promoted.

For more information on “Changing Today’s Managers into Tomorrow's Leaders”
Contact Bob Gambone; email- rvg444@aol.com Phone: 412-491-7317.

Your Business, from a team of 'one' to a team of many, needs a purpose....here is mine:

Bob Gambone
Business Life and Leadership Coach / Consultant


Mission Statement

With passionate enthusiastic leadership, I will coach my customers to improve their business lives thereby improving the lives of the people they touch.


Statement of Values

I will coach my customers with a personalized approach geared towards their specific needs.

I will coach with an unconditional and nondiscriminatory passion.

I will keep my customers focused by being a great listener while at the same time identifying what they ‘need to do’ vs. what they ‘want to do’.

I will utilize positive feedback and constructive criticism.

I will provide effective continuous improvement through the feeding of information and will not “fire-hose” my customer.

I will develop a professional coaching relationship with my customers, founded in honesty, diversity and respect.

I will help my customers… “See the Vision…and Capture the Dream”


Credos

Coaching is 90% attitude and 10% technique.

Coaches are not great players, coaches make their players great.

Coaches are the ‘keystone’ holding together the pillars of skill and desire, forming a “whole” that is greater than the sum of the parts.

Bob Gambone’s Pillars for Organizational Sustainability

---Foundations For Building Your Strategies---

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• 
  Leaders are always on stage. Their attitudes are contagious. Their attitudes have the power to create an epidemic of negativity or success.
• 
  Leaders pull their teams “up the hill”, face them, and do not turn their backs. Old school managers push employees.
• 
  Leaders develop others. Leaders understand when people need to be led and when to let people take the lead.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• 
  Drop the word Change (negative connotation) and replace with Continuous Improvement.
• 
  Need a consistent and credible W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me)
• 
  Listen to concerns, be empathetic….but stay the course.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• 
  The organization’s customer service must add value to the customers’ lives. Your customers must feel good about their relationship with your organization.

• 
  The organization’s customer service must add value to the employees’ lives. Your employees must feel good about their relationship with your customers.
• 
  Customer Service is not work. It is an integral part of everyone’s job, practiced by all team members, and modeled by leaders at all times.

INITIATIVE ROLLOUTS

• 
  Grass roots development (pilot), plant the seed with the front line employees and with guidance have them grow the ideas, creates ownership….then recognize the individuals or teams.
• 
  A top-level commitment to invest in “true” training.
  (5-step process; Intro, show, try, feedback, follow up)
• 
  Sustain the process by instilling a continuous improvement mentality and start building a bridge for that improvement to avoid “flavor of the month” ‘isms.

BUSINESS TURNAROUND

• 
  First, revisit the above 4 foundation skills to determine the current state of the organization.

• Business turnaround often calls for leadership changes, improved change management skills, ratcheted up customer service, and the introduction of new initiatives.

• The organization must identify a vision and constantly focus on its achievement. Invite ideas and actions from everyone.

My Favorite Personal Quotes used for Team Inspiration

“Leadership is not an art, it is not a skill,
nor is it something that you can learn.
Leadership is an inherited trait,
fueled by passion, fed by desire, and maintained by your enthusiasm.
Leadership never dies; it will always be in your heart… waiting.”

_________________________________________________


"A true champion celebrates his success while at the same time acknowledges his vulnerabilities.
When you are the best you will be tested by the best.
You are number one and being chased by those who cannot accept defeat.
Know this…second place is the first loser, don’t settle for anything less than number one.
Remember you can’t do it alone…
Its great to be a champion, but it takes a team to win the Super Bowl.
The challenge is now upon us…
Our Pledge:
---We Will Champion Our Points of Difference with a
Passionate and Enthusiastic Pursuit of Excellence!---"

If You Are Looking For a Competitive Edge, Start With Leadership

---True Story About Leadership---


I was anxious and excited. It was my first day as Store Manager at a new location.

As I entered the store, smile on my face and notebook and pencil in hand, I mentally prepared myself to meet new customers and employees. Top of mind was the new “Cleaning” initiative that the company was going through, and my approach would be to talk with employees and department heads about the status of the project as I toured the store.

I was very intrigued, as I walked from department to department, to find that everyone was saying the same type of thing. “Denny has us on top of it”, “Oh yes, we make sure we follow the checklist, wouldn’t want to upset Denny”, and “Nice to meet you, and if you see Denny ask him to stop by, we have some questions”. Of course my confidence level peaked knowing that Denny, probably a co-manager, was on top of things, and really had the store’s team engaged in the new initiative.

When I finally got upstairs where the offices were located, I asked my Human Resources Manager for a list of the store’s department heads and managers. After reviewing the list, I turned to Debbie (the HR Manager), and said, “Does Denny go by a different name? I don’t see him on this list”. She looked at me, quite puzzled, and said, “Our Denny? He’s the Janitor.”

Denny was not a manager or a department head and had never aspired to be one. Denny, however, was a leader, and was clearly filling a void that was left empty by the management team. This realization convinced me that leadership is found in the person and not in the position.

Take a hard look at your management team. Are they inspiring their teams to do the job? Or are they just simply assigning work.

In today’s economy, more than ever, business owners and executives need their managers and department heads to be Leaders.

Here are seven quick tips to help you identify Leaders:

1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and your team “leaders” need to understand that they are role models.

2. Leaders model your company’s values and “walk the talk.”

3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them, and don’t turn their backs. Old school managers push employees.

4. Leaders are not necessarily the best workers. They understand that the “task” is never more important than the customer.

5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”

6. Leaders understand when people need to be led and when to let people take the lead.

7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.

For more information on how you can transform your managers into Leaders, contact:
Bob Gambone; Business Life and Leadership Coach/Consultant
36 years experience in Retail and Supermarkets
Email: rvg444@aol.com