Conduct Effective Store Visits That Your Leaders Would Pay For with These 3 Steps

If you are a multi-unit leader or aspire to be one, you likely know that visiting the locations you oversee is one of the most important aspects of your position. Regardless of what method your company provides you for capturing your store visit notes, you need to know what you want to accomplish during your time in the location. Keep in mind as a multi-unit leader your top priority is to ensure you are providing value to the Store/General Manager and their team as well as developing them as leaders of the future.When I think about what makes an effective visit from a leader, I think of positive outcomes that should come from that time. The team you visit should believe that you added value while you were there. That you challenged them to think in new ways or find solutions to problems that had been previously noted. Finally, the Store Leader and their associates should be excited that you came to visit their store and helped them be better at what they do each day. I realize that not all visits will have such a perfect outcome, but that is where I start from a process standpoint of thinking about a store visit. I have told many DMs that when you leave a store on a regular visit, the Store Manager should be willing to pay you a fee for the consultation you provided during that time in their store.With all of that in mind, how do you begin to achieve that level of success in your store visit process? Here are three components to ensuring you can have great visits with your locations.

Purpose

The first question you need to ask yourself is, “why am I going to visit this location?” That is then followed by, “What do I hope to accomplish while I am there?” This will define the purpose of your store visit. You purpose cannot be because you haven’t been to the store for a while, or I am required to see every store so often each month, and this store’s turn is here. While every store and their team deserve to see you on a regular basis, in order to add value to that team, you must go in with a purpose of why you are going there. Be as specific as you can with yourself on this. I highly recommend writing it down to reinforce the importance of why you are going to this location. When I develop Store Visit Guides at the company level, I always include space on the document (or within the application) a place for leaders to write the purpose of their store visit. This will become your guiding path to ensure that you have a successful visit with the team.

Planning

Now that you know why you are going to the location(s) that you are going to, how will you accomplish what you seek to do? Either the day before the visit or at the beginning of the week for the locations you plan to visit over the next several days, make time to plan out your time in the store. What were your notes from your previous visit? Even if that information is available in the store, reviewing it ahead of time allows you to formulate any questions you have ahead of the time in the store. It is all too easy to get distracted by other activities once you arrive, so having a plan and information prepared ahead of time will make the most of your time in the location. If your purpose provides the path of the visit, the plan gives you the steps along that path to take while you are there.

Provide Feedback

Throughout the visit your team wants to know what you are thinking, so keep a running dialogue with those you are visiting with. It should be a two-way conversation so you are learning as much as you might be sharing ideas. If you utilize a visit guide as part of store visits, ensure that you have internalized that enough to translate validation points into questions that will allow you to explore the processes and behaviors that lead to the outcomes you are trying to validate. Answering questions or checking boxes as you go does not add much value to the team you are visiting. The manager probably already knows whether they are executing to standard or not, so your role has to be understanding why they are or are not and then helping to find solutions with that manager to improve for the future. Asking the questions and having a conversation about the obstacles they face can lead to meaningful discussion about the solutions they can take to overcome whatever challenges they face. This is where the real value of the visit lies. When complete, the feedback loop need to go full circle - what did the manager see and take away from the visit and what did you observe? Those should match. The two-way feedback along the way and at the end will lead to the steps the store team can take to provide a better experience for themselves and the customers.Put all three of these pieces together, and it will help to lead to consistent location visits that your leaders look forward to participating in. Even in challenging situations where the store may not be executing at the expected levels, you can follow these steps to help get them back on track. And when you see progress and successes, celebrate those steps, recognize the specific actions and behaviors that lead to those wins. Encourage more of it and show them where they see those results in your key performance measures. Having a thoughtful purpose, a defined plan, and providing meaningful feedback during your visits will ultimately lead to a positive experience for both your and the teams you work with, confident enough that you earned your consultation fee for the time spent with them.How will you make a difference on your next set of location visits? Share your thoughts in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. Subscribe today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.