Shopping at a store that wasn’t my usual, I was taken with how gleaming and fresh all of the fish looked.

Here’s what happened next:

The first person to answer my question said he didn’t know, he didn’t work behind the counter. (Fair enough, we’d begun talking as he was restocking the prepared items in front of the counter.)

The next team member came to the counter, asked for my order, and I inquired again.

The response: I don’t know.  I don’t do the ordering.

First, this is a training problem.  Neither of these team members has been given adequate training to answer what is likely one of the most frequently asked questions by their customers.  And in that, the opportunity to inform their customer and build confidence in the product and relationship was derailed.

Next, the training gulf generates a much larger – and critical — problem of sales and marketing.  And perhaps one of the most costly: customer acquisition and retention.  There was an opportunity to convert a first-time customer into a recurring customer (and, btw, take a customer from their competition).  But, instead, the customer now has to put in extra effort (return again or call, ask to speak with a manager or someone who does the ordering and hope to get the information the need) simply to make the next purchase – much less recurring — with confidence.  Whew!  Ease of buying – and returning – was replaced by effort.

Things to think about in your own business:

• Are your frontline people equipped with the information and discretion they need to meet the needs of your customers?
• Have you accurately — and recently — identified what those needs are?
• Are there multiple channels for the frontline to communicate upstream what’s happening on the ground?
• Are the first interactions with your new customers instilling confidence? Or reluctance?
• Are there barriers and hurdles that your new customers have to overcome to trust your product, brand, and service to become recurring customers?
• Where might there be effort in the buying process rather than ease?
• Do you have valid and precise ways to measure the above?

I was going to write a Sunday Sketch today filled with all the new summer salad recipes I’ve been making from the bounty of the farmers market so stay tuned for that soon.  In the meantime, I work with CEOs and senior executives — and their leadership teams – to optimize performance and business outcomes.  You can read what clients are saying here, and you can find many of my consulting and coaching offerings here.  If you don’t find what you’re looking for, drop me a note: sarah@sarah-levitt.com

New!  On February 26+27, I’m hosting an exclusive executive retreat for senior leaders considering their next act.  For two days, you’ll be at a 5-star property for an immersive program with other very successful senior executives all exploring and planning what a vibrant, fulfilling next act can be.  To learn more and apply, drop me a note here to set up a time to chat with me directly about attending The Big Work Retreat.  This event has a very limited number of seats to allow for personalized coaching and time with me, interaction, networking, and input from other esteemed attendees, and time to explore, dream, navigate, and plan for what is often described as the most rewarding and freeing phase of work and life.  3 seats remain.