The Antidote to Stress and Worry for Retailers

In celebration of the National Retail Federation’s Annual “Retail’s Big Show Convention” this week, we welcomed a guest post from Dan Jablons at Retail Smart Guys. Dan was recently our guest on the monthly #biometricchat where he talked about the value of using biometric technology in a retail environment, especially at point-of-sale for employees..

I’d like to tell you that this idea came to me while “contemplating in my study” or something as academic and erudite as that.  Truth is, it just sorta came to me while working with a prospective client.  And after it hit me, I realized that this is the basis for survival for all of us.

The person I was working with was in tears.  Too many bills, not enough sales, and their retail business was in great danger.  This person was in a constant state of unbridled worry, sleepless nights, and economic torture.  I suppose we’ve all been through that to some degree or another, and I really just wanted to help that person through this disaster.

It got me thinking about the causes of such stress and worry.  Granted, sales have been down (although they are picking up in some areas), and times are definitely tougher now than they were years ago.  I suppose there are some people who can just naturally handle the stress better than others, or who can simply shake off the bad news.  But that doesn’t really help the people who need help, who are stressed out and need relief.

That’s when it hit me.  It’s a pretty simple solution, amazingly enough.

Worry and stress happen because of uncertainty.  If you are uncertain that you’ll survive, or how you’ll survive, you will worry because the path to success, freedom, and happier times is not visible to you.  As such, everything you look at becomes a problem, everyone you talk to makes you crazy, and life is just unlivable.  Pretty awful.

So what’s the answer?  The antidote to worry and stress is a solid plan, which followed step-by-step would lead you out of the mess you are in, into success.  Simple, right?

The hard part is coming up with the plan, and I believe that it is a rare individual that can do it alone.  Consider this analogy: if you are lost in the woods, you’d need someone who can see where you are, relative to the main road, to help you find your way out.  You might find your own way out, but you’ll wander those dark scary woods alone for a long time before you make it out, and that’s IF you can make it out.

The plan will come from a variety of resources – for retailers, we collect data from their point of sale system, which helps us see the current situation and all the elements that led to it (what was received, what was sold, what we’re stuck with, etc.).  From there, we can look at the current data and derive a solution that gets the retailer out of trouble.  Sure, it’s not easy, and it’s never a quick fix, but with hard work, patience, and most importantly, a solid plan, you can solve anything.

I’ve actually seen this work by applying it to myself.  If I find myself worried about an action plan, a client, or any other area, I call in the experts.  They help me see what I cannot see.  They help me to know what I don’t know, what I cannot figure out on my own, etc.  It plainly, simply, works.

So if you are a retailer and you are struggling, or are worried or stressed out, get a plan.  Contact me for help.

You can also follow Dan on Twitter @danjab