When a Retail Manager Needs to Be a Trainer

Are you in a position where you are looking at training other people? If you have recently been promoted to retail manager, you may find that this is one duty which you will need to take up. Especially if you have recently been promoted from the sales floor, you will discover that there is a lot that you have to know when you are thinking about this activity. Training might be one of the more challenging and frightening things when you first sign on as a retail manager, but remember that is also one of the most rewarding things as well. Take some time to make sure that you understand your training duties and remember a few tips that will help you excel.

The first thing that you are going to need to know as a trainer is what kind of job you are teaching. If you are retail manager, chances are very good that you are going to be training for a job that you have only recently left. While this might have disadvantages when it comes to being treated as an authority figure by your co-workers, you will have a chance to make a good impression on the people that you have just started training. Take some time and review the job from your own standpoint. What did you find most challenging and what did you think was the most rewarding? Don't hesitate to share that among the new trainees.

Remember that one thing that people respond very well to is their trainer and their manager being willing to listen to what they are saying. While you do not need to baby your employees, you will discover that there is a lot of value in occasionally asking whether people understand what is going on or in seeing what kind of questions they might have. Simply asking this will get you some results and you will find that it can help shyer or more quiet trainees get their feet properly underneath them. The more you get to know your trainees, the better things are going to be, so really put in an effort.



Also, remember that you are dealing with human attention spans, which are much shorter than people might think. For example, are you someone who is interested in making sure that you are getting the most out of your training sessions? Try to make sure that you are not doing the same thing for more than twenty minutes. It might feel a little strange and abrupt, but remember that if you can keep everyone moving, you will be able to keep their brains engaged. There is a lot of value in keeping things hands on as well, and it is much more attractive than simply letting their eyes glaze over as you lecture! What can you do to make sure that your lesson is interesting and engaging?

Take a moment to really figure out what your options are going to be when it comes to functioning as both a trainer and a retail manager. This can make a lot of difference in the way that you do your job and how your store runs!