Approach Spring, and Every Season Positively

Approach Spring, and Every Season Positively

by Sid Raisch

This is timeless information to consider as every season approaches every year – especially Spring.

Spring Fever infects 100% of people, at least to the point they’ll take a walk or open a window to breathe real, fresh air. Fortunately, almost all of them also buy plants.  This is a GIFT, to be anticipated, appreciated, and taken seriously. Remember, it comes only once this year so it had better be a great one if you can make it so.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

In the case of creating a great season, luck is cleverly disguised as both hard and smart work. Preparing for any season, begins with a profitable mindset. The primary key to a great season is a LONG season. For the best chance at the longest possible season, you’ll want to start early, if you have the opportunity.

An early start can and may result in gains that are often not available later in the season. If you prepare for an early start and your weather doesn’t cooperate and a season gets a late or lackluster start, there is at least a good chance at recovering over time. The end of a season is more often controlled by a drop-dead date like December 25, or its effected by undesirable weather like often happens with the arrival of early HOT summer weather.

This means having strong curb-appeal using bold displays of the products you’ll be selling to signal the season’s kick-off. Having those same products fully and attractively displayed signals the time to think about buying them and catches immediate interest of the more serious decorators. Had you planted thousands of daffodil bulbs over the years, you would have thousands of daffodil blooms appearing every spring, signaling its arrival, and you’d be the talk of the town, every year.

Where there’s a will there’s a way, and where there’s a “can-do” attitude there’s a BIG way. Likewise, where there’s a “can’t do” attitude, there’s no way, just the same as when there’s a “can’t seem to get it done” thing going on there’s a late start, and lackluster results to building a great season, every season.

Start Your Engines – Fire up your people!

If you can’t get yourself fired up to get your people fired up to start a great season, then hire someone who can, and will. Nothing happens without people, and nothing great happens without a group of fired-up, energetic, enthused, ready to “go BIG or go home” people.

Talking Points for People to get Fired Up

Practice Motivational Listening – instead of doing all the telling, get your people talking on these points and watch their interest pique. Listening for motivation is a skill, one of facilitation and not rocket science, where you share some information, and give the opportunity for them to share back. Great questions are the key.

  1. How can we develop a proper mindset about the season? How can we all serve clients/customers/community/our people in this season with THE BEST experience we can possibly offer?
  2. How can we go for realism? Why are customers coming to us? What do they want from us? Mr. (Fred) Rogers said, “when you’re scared, or just unsure what to do, look for the helpers!” Do customers come to find help? Is the help they seek about our products, our advice, or for their story? That’s right – it’s their story – why they’d want your products, or your advice that is the sweet spot. But we have to ask.  
  3. Is pent-up demand coming our way? Have customers been cooped up all winter? Have they had enough of their screens – big ones and handheld, and in-between or did they come to hear what’s on your screen? Are customers looking for inspiration, ideas, escape, or a way to take home something that fills all those desires?
  4. Why is being present a present? Do customers need the people in our store, or just the stuff in your store? Do they need our professional advice, information, or just to grab something and run?  How can we be “in the present” in front of them to give them whichever combination of these they want?
  5. Are we exciting? Do customers respond best to boring monotone taskmasters, or are they looking for a real and honest conversation about the two things they care about the most – their ideas and desires, and the benefits they want from what they want to buy? I’m not talking about over-hyping, but I am calling out under-hyping. People are looking for a place to plug into some energy, not to drain theirs, but to gain from yours. Upbeat music and a little positive attitude and some fun go a long way. What can we do to inject these better?
  6. Is our environment safe? You’re surely getting lots of information and advice on this question, but it is a good one to ask of your people. What do we believe? What do we think? What do we know that we need to do now that we aren’t already doing? What will happen if _______? What will happen if we don’t create a positive customer and employee environment and meet our goals? What will happen if we do?
  7. How can we be sensitive to customer needs, without giving away the store? There are always customers who are unable to leave home or don’t have time to get to the store. Some may not want to or be able to walk through it, but could pick up their purchase. How can we help them?

Nothing Great Happens Without People

There’s no way to have a great season with people who are just there. You may have good people as opposed to bad ones (I hope). Having people who are highly effective at making the customer experience more than satisfying for them is the distinguishing difference – the one needed to be Exceptionally Exceptional. Raise your bar on effectiveness.

If you’ve never had your own dream team of people who can pull off the kind of greatness you’d love to have then you’ve never known how great this can be. Is this the Spring you want this to happen?

If it’s been a while since you experienced the kind of greatness I’m talking about, you remember what that’s like, then do it again?

Raise Your Bar and Make it Happen!

          

Want help?
I’m here for you. Text or call me now while you’re in the mood to Raise the Bar by becoming Exceptionally Exceptional.

Sid Raisch
Cell: 937-302-0423
[email protected]

Sid Raisch is a leading consultant for business growth, change, and results throughout the US for over 40 years.  He is a consultant to The Garden Center Group and has helped transform both national and local businesses in horticulture into valuable assets with programs that create change in culture, community and company.

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Robert Hendrickson, Steve Bailey, Sid Raisch, Jean Seawright, and John Kennedy are included in your retainer!

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