Report on Booksellers training seminars

‘Converting Browsers into Buyers’ is an ideal refresher for “old” shop staff and good information for those new to retail. The staff that we sent all felt that they received new, useful ideas and were also pleased to have some of their current tactics validated.

It was interesting to hear them approach customers after they had attended the training and hear the “openers” that they used – introducing customers to store layout for example, rather than the old standard “Lovely weather today”, or the completely closed question “Can I help you?” (What do you do when they say “No”!) It was also interesting to see the staff look at the store layout with a new eye, taking note of things such as the placement of dumpbins which inhibit access to some areas or simply crowd the “customers’ space”.

Personally, I found the ‘Managing Teams’ session really good. I can hear people saying “I’ve been managing my store for years, I don’t need training” – this is blinkered. I have attended quite a number of leadership and management courses in a past life (Girl Guide leader and Rotary) and I was still slapped in the face with new ideas and things that I had forgotten or simply fail to put into practice. It was great to be in a training session where discussion was encouraged and we could swap ideas on how we handle situations – good and bad –  and get pointers on better ways to go about things. 

The key to these training sessions is the trainer. We have all been to sessions where a “happy clappy” sales guru stands in front of us telling us that customers always veer left and we must approach them, talk the ears off them and then “add-on” as much as we can, or sessions where the trainer obviously recited the same speech that had just been given to the local real estate agents. Lucie Pepyan (pictured left) presented a well-prepared session from a position of knowledge – the fact that she is from within the industry makes a huge difference. Sometimes she presented us with information that we had heard from the “happy clappy chappy”, but her background enabled her to make it more pertinent to our business. She has a good manner and involves everyone to whatever degree they are comfortable. Her ideas are practical and adaptable to whatever size or type of operation you have and the handout she provides gives enough detail to jog the memory without becoming a heavy read. All in all, I feel that these sessions are worthwhile and any fee you pay in sending your staff is an investment rather than an expense (still tax deductible though).

Mary Sangster
Office Manager
The Children’s Bookshop (Christchurch and Auckland)