As we approach the second half of the fiscal year, you may already feel it speeding by.

Preparing now can set your team up for success during the forthcoming hectic times.

It’s crucial to ensure your management team is closely monitoring each sales associate’s performance.

This becomes even more important during quieter times when every customer counts and the sales prowess of your associates is put to the test.

During busier periods, a buying frenzy can mask real performance metrics.

But in quieter times, when customers are fewer and purchases aren’t guaranteed, the skillset of each salesperson comes to the fore.

This is the time when the true capabilities of your sales associates emerge.

Consider the following ten strategies to manage sales performance effectively in your stores. Share these strategies with your team and put them into action.

1. Plan work schedules that allow all associates to work both during peak and off-peak hours. This strategy ensures fair comparisons of Sales per Hour among all associates.
2. Review each associate’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) over the past few months. Cross-reference these with past schedules to identify any correlations between scheduling and performance.
3. Benchmark the KPIs of your highest-performing associate and rank all others against this individual. Resist the urge to lower standards – hold everyone to the level of your top performers.
4. Consistently review all KPIs for each associate after every shift or day. Document your observations on your sales reports to remember your insights when providing feedback to the associate.
5. Provide feedback and coaching at the start and end of each shift or day. Timely feedback is more impactful and actionable.
6. While coaching, mention specific observed behaviors and how they impact results. Offer suggestions for improving unproductive behaviors and monitor whether changes are implemented.
7. Ensure product knowledge materials are readily available for review. Have associates read and acknowledge these materials, and don’t tolerate excuses for not staying updated.
8. Ensure your management team understands their role when in charge. Consistency in management is key to effective sales performance.
9. Always have a management team member available to answer questions and assist associates in their efforts to meet sales goals.
10. If an associate continues to underperform despite feedback, coaching, and ample opportunity for improvement, it may be time to initiate a formal disciplinary process, involving your Human Resources Department.