How to Always Be Prepared for Any Visit as a Store Manager

I've been managing store close to a decade.

During this time, I made +100 visits with executives. Some of them were planned. Some were announced the day before. And some just showed up without giving a notice and requested a walk through on the spot.

When I started, some of this visit were not as great as I wanted them to be. But with time, I developed a system that has allowed me to always be in my A game. So now, regardless of who shows up, I'm ready to go.

This is my system.

Daily

Read and understand your business (15 minutes)

I say "read and understand," not just "read," because early on, I would look at the screen, but the information wouldn't sink in.

I spend 15 minutes every day reviewing the business. This is the structure I always follow:

1. Check yesterday's business: Review total volume, key metrics, and identify anything that deviates from the trend.
2. Put those numbers in perspective: Compare them to the past 4 weeks, 13 weeks, and the year-to-date total. Again, look for deviations from the trend.
3. Identify the top 3 impacts: Determine the top 3 factors, either negative or positive, that influenced yesterday's business.
4. Review top transactions: Analyze the top transactions and the sales associates who completed them.

You want to make sure you truly understand what you're reading. The best way to know if the information has sunk in? Try explaining it to someone else.

Walk through the sales floor (15-20 minutes)

Once you've understood the business, and only then, go and walk through the sales floor. Doing this after analyzing the business allows you to spot trends and start drawing conclusions.

Your goal here is to identify top-selling items, departments, and hot or cold presentations (areas that are moving more or less).

With this in mind, start framing what your walk-through will look like in your mind. For example, if yesterday's business was up 15% compared to last year, and up 20% week-over-week, and a new shirt made up 25% of yesterday's sales, that’s a fact worth sharing.

The more you do this, the more "fun facts" you'll gather. And the more "fun facts" you have, the richer and more entertaining your walk-throughs will be.

Creating the Mini Guide (5 minutes)

With all this information in mind, create a mental guide of what a visit would look like.

You already have all the pieces; now you just need to put them together. Start with the business, then outline the step-by-step movements you would make in the store during a walk-through.

For me, it would look something like this:

Business Overview

• Yearly business, Quarter/Month (depending on the time).
• Last week's business.
• The main 3 impacts and whether they align with or deviate from the trend.

Walk-Through

• Gender splits (in %).
• Shopping trends and habits by gender.
• Top departments and "fun facts" by department (share these while walking and showcasing the top items previously identified).

Do this daily; it won't take you more than 5 minutes to keep it in mind.

Trust me, you'll see great results after just one week.

Weekly

Team Meeting (1 hour)

I found this to be key to the success of the whole process.

Doing the daily work will give you a solid understanding after just a week. You'll have a clear idea of what’s moving, the key factors driving the business, and where there are actionable tasks.

The weekly team meeting is when I present these takeaways to the team. I dedicate roughly 5-10 minutes to discuss the business. The purpose of this is to gauge how effective my communication is.

By observing their reactions, I can tell if some of my points need clarification, further explanation, or adjustment.

This is crucial because it builds your confidence.

As they say, practice makes perfect.

Let’s say you have a visit, and it’s your first time presenting without any prior practice. You might be nervous, and that will show.

But if you've done this 10 times with your team behind closed doors, it will be different.

Practice it, but don’t tell them it’s practice. For them, it’s just you sharing the business.

Bonus

Surprise Visit with Another Manager (1 hour)

Once you're comfortable with the daily and weekly steps, I suggest doing a monthly surprise visit with some of your team members. In this case, you’ll be the visitor, and they will present the business facts to you, just as you would normally do.

This exercise benefits both them and you. Watching others do it will push you to engage from their perspective, asking questions and following up during the visit.

It’s an opportunity to put yourself in their shoes, which will further enhance your own visits in the future. You'll be better equipped to predict and anticipate anything they might bring up.

Conclusion

Visits, like anything else, improve with practice. The more you do them, the better you get.

Practice makes perfect. Through repetition and discipline, you’ll achieve greatness.

Keep it up!