Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2014 40 T here's no shortage of great ideas. I've probably had thousands myself. I can't tell you how often I say something like, "Why didn't I think of that?" Like the Pet Rock or more recently, those little paper sleeves that go around my Starbucks cup—someone is making a killing on those! I'm sure you find yourself frequently saying, "That's a terrific promotion. I bet it would work great in our business." Or, "It would be great to have a sales report that showed me who our most profitable associates are." Or, "At the last show, I saw a great display. I'd like to try doing that in our showroom." But when you look back, somehow you never held the new event; still don't know which of your associates generate the most profit dollars (hint, it may not be your biggest volume writer) and your display is pretty much the same as it has always been. Like most of the other great ideas you hear about, these ones never quite got done. Like many others, you're long on ideas……but short on execution. At some point in the conversation, nearly every business person with whom I consult says, "I know what to do, I just haven't gotten it done." I rarely get to tell a client something he or she really doesn't know or has never heard of. They just haven't quite gotten to it yet. And all of those great ideas fall by the wayside... never to be heard from again. In his book Execute…or Be Executed, Sam Geist gives a formula to help move from "strategic thinking" to "strategic doing." In Geist's words, "Those that execute grow. Those that are already big execute to stay big." Easy to say; hard to do. With complete thanks and credit to my friend Sam, let me share some of his ideas. • "There's lots of discussion on what needs to be done, but very little clear, detailed communication on how to do it." Develop a concise action plan to implement your idea. • "The common (and mistaken) belief of those at the top of the organization that it is the responsibility of the managers, the bosses, to come up with the plan and strategies and hand over those plans, strategies, ideas to the 'common folk' down below …to implement them." The best leaders are in the trenches with their teams. Communication plays a big role in getting things done. When we were kids and mom said, "Make your bed," we answered, "Why? I'm just going to get into it again tonight." And she'd say, "Because I said so." For our teams, the "why" is as important as the "what." We need to call every customer after their delivery to make sure they're happy. Most will be satisfied but if there are problems, the faster we resolve them, the happier the customer will be. They'll be more likely to come back and to refer their friends. Without the explanation, it just seems like you're making extra work for your associates. Everyone wants to grow. It takes a plan—and implementation of it—to do it. As an owner, manager or leader, your biggest role isn't just to come up with good ideas, but to engage the people around you and make things happen. Howard Schulz had a great idea—Americans would go crazy for the kind of great coffee experience he found in his travels through Italy. I bet countless others took a similar trip to Europe and came back thinking the same thing. But Schulz moved the concept of the coffee bistro from his head to what is the Starbucks empire we know today. It's time to stop dreaming and start doing; stop thinking and start acting. *Execute or Be Executed, Copyright © 2008 by Sam Geist Elly Valas Retail Views EXECUTE… OR BE EXECUTED* Elly Valas is the Marketing Services Director for Nationwide Marketing Group. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or at 303-316-7569. Visit her website at www.ellyvalas.com. RO

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