RETAILER TO RETAILER ADVICE

Treat yourself as a brand

We’ve all seen it: some retail managers have been promoted through who they know not what they know! But in some ways if this achieves their objective is this a problem? Why not market yourself and prove to others that your results ‘talk for themselves’?

Your mission is simple: bring yourself to the attention of others without hype, misrepresentation or false promise. One idea to do this is by completing a SWOT analysis on yourself, for example:

Strengths

I am well thought of within this area/region

I am involved in other projects

My branch/area is profitable and shows healthy year on year increases

All KPIs are in line

I am adaptable and flexible both in circumstances and with people

My shopfloor standards are consistently good

 

Weaknesses

My experience is limited to the one company/sector

I know little about this new company

My P&L accountabilities are limited

I do not manage a large team

My branch struggles on financial measurements, due to increased competition

 

Opportunities

Exciting expansion plans

Struggling company/branch can be turned around

Chance to build and develop a team to my standards

Growing market

 

Threats

Excessive competition

Customer dis-satisfaction

Company might down-size

No autonomy to utilise my skills and ideas

This shows you’ve thought about your career path, for which now you devise a plan to tackle this analysis, for example:

Ø       Match the opportunities to your strengths

Ø      Make hidden strengths visible

Ø      Minimise threats or turn them into opportunities

Ø      Improve weaknesses or make them ‘development needs’

Ø      Take a positive risk to push yourself forwards

 

 

Remember ‘if it’s to be, it’s up to me’…………..