This large international retailer with a unique business model had identified a need to enhance the communication and management skills of its field-based retail managers and supervisors. Partnering with MOHR Retail on their retail management training has helped the organization build consistency in the strategies, behaviors, and expectations of management across the organization, from the field to the headquarters. This retailer has documented a number of positive business outcomes as a result of working with us, including:

• Increased competence in communication and management skills across the management team
• Improved sales
• More effective customer service communication

Challenge:

This large international retailer had identified a need to enhance the communication and management skills of its field-based retail managers and supervisors. They were looking for an off-the-shelf learning solution that was based on real-world retail challenges and scenarios but also flexible enough to be tailored to their unique business model.

Solutions:

After researching off-the-shelf training programs, the organization determined that MOHR Retail’s Retail Store Leadership (RSL) program would be a good fit for their needs. In particular, they valued that it is based on retail industry research and features skill practice sessions so that participants can be observed and get feedback as they apply the management strategies they learn.

Given the organization’s business model, they needed to make some changes to the program. MOHR Retail worked closely with their team to conduct a needs analysis and customize the program to meet their requirements.

The RSL program became required training for all of the organization’s field-based retail managers and supervisors. Recognizing the positive changes that resulted from offering the RSL program to the field-based management team, the headquarters-based management team then requested a similar program for headquarters employees.

Once again, the organization partnered with MOHR Retail to design a program targeting the specific communication and leadership skills of headquarters employees while also focusing on their service to the field-based locations.

The programs have helped build consistency in the strategies, behaviors, and expectations of management across the organization, from the field to the headquarters. Since partnering with MOHR Retail, the organization has documented a number of positive business outcomes, including:

• Increased competence in communication and management skills across the management team
• Improved sales
• More effective customer service communication

Impact:

• All participants rated the program “very worthwhile” or “worthwhile” in post-training survey
• Improved efficiency by saving time and effort of developing and facilitating training in-house
• Achieved desired learning outcomes and provided ongoing sustainment for continued application on the job

Post-training participant survey feedback was extremely positive. In commenting about the most valuable aspect of the program, one participant highlighted:

“How relatable every aspect was to our business, which we usually see as so unique or different from other businesses/models. It can be easy to become disengaged when there is a lack of relevance. Paul did an amazing and patient job of relaying the information clearly.”

Ray was also able to save the time and energy he would have needed to focus on developing and facilitating his own training and instead devote it to leading the business. “It was clear to me that bringing MOHR in to facilitate my training was the best business decision I could make,” he says. 

Due to the initial program’s success, Ray enrolled his Regional Sales Director in MOHR’s Retail Multiunit Leadership (RML) public workshop and plans to continue partnering with the company on leadership development programs going forward.