Retail's top voices share their keys to succeeding in stores

Thanks for reading The Hustle, a weekly newsletter about frontline workers and the issues that matter most to them. Each week, this series features insights from LinkedIn members about their experiences at work. Quotes may be lightly edited for clarity.

On Wednesday, LinkedIn unveiled its collection of Top Voices for 2019, a group of members who constantly share thought provoking content on this platform, sparking conversations about work among their peers. 

The Top Voices are largely split into groups, by industry, and retail was one of those industries. Ahead of the list's launch, I got to ask the retail honorees a few of questions. Among them: What's been key to your success working in retail? 

Here's what they had to say.

Read: "LinkedIn Top Voices 2019: Retail"

"Giving 110%"

"Honestly, I think the key to my success, just like many others, is hard work and ownership over myself and my business," said Stacia Staska. "I care that I am giving 110% at all times. If my name is on it I want to be the best I possibly can be! I am committed to helping my customers feel amazing, my team grow, and my business thrive!"

Staska, a store manager, ranked eighth on LinkedIn's list of Top Voices in retail. Her profile stood out for all of the constant updates on progress at her Maurices store in greater Minneapolis. After Black Friday, Staska shared another one of those updates, stating she had in fact performed the best she possibly could. In a LinkedIn post she announced her Minneapolis-area store set a record for Black Friday sales and highlighted customer feedback.

"Another amazing WIN yesterday aside from numbers was the consistent feedback from customers walking into the doors about how genuinely excited we were to be there, and how we were the happiest store to walk into," she wrote. "It brings me so much joy to know that my team and company creates not only a great working environment but one our customers love to walk into and shop no matter what day of the year it is."

Sharing the love

"One of my keys to my success in retail is showing my employees appreciation," said Brian Miller, ranked ninth among the Top Voices in retail. "It is important to recognize others when they do something for you or others. Employees that feel appreciated will work harder for you, and keep working for you."

Miller is a store manager at Bath and Body Works in the Mall of America and, true to her word, her updates on LinkedIn frequently note the work of associates under her, especially after a major sale is accomplished.

Miller's words stressing the importance of showing appreciation echoes Whitney Stewart, a fellow retail professional who outlined the difference between managers and leaders in a previous edition of The Hustle.

“Managers will just be there to get the job done, no investment in the team, no appreciation, just get the job done," Stewart told LinkedIn. "Leaders will work alongside the team, develop the team, strengthen the team and appreciate them. The difference between the two? One will get long-term results and one will get right-now results.

Be memorable

"The key to my success in the retail industry has been getting to know as many people as possible in any store I've ever worked in; being kind, saying 'hi' to those people and remembering their names and birthdays and unique things about their lives," said Ville, an asset protection specialist at Best Buy, ranked second on the list.

"Instantly you matter, you're not just an employee number anymore. You're Matt and when Matt doesn't show up to work one day, people notice." 

Much like his fellow Top Voices honorees, Ville's posts reflects his advice for success. While the most common posts from LinkedIn members in retail feature store managers with staff who report to them, it's notable that Ville's posts feature co-workers along a store's hierarchy, from sales associates to those at the the general manager and supervisor level.

"Gema Jacome knows everyone’s name by face and constantly takes the time to just stop and ask “how are you feeling today?” and really mean it," Ville wrote, sharing a picture of himself with a general manager, while noting that she's accomplished what he aims to do: Know everyone.

Client-first service.

"It all comes back to the service," said Rachael Mancuso, a store manager at Lane Bryant. "If you don’t show great service, your client has no reason to return and will turn to shop online or another company."

Mancuso, ranked sixth among Top Voices in retail, has good reason to highlight the incentive of proving stores superior to online shopping. Consider this: So much of the praise Best Buy has received for its sales growth, acknowledges that the brand's in-store customer service is key to fending off the threat of e-commerce. And as Toys R Us attempts a (slow, but steady) comeback, the toy brand has emphasized creating a unique experience for customers who visit its stores.

Mancuso's advice didn't stop there, though. Like Miller, she stressed matching the level of customer service with an equal amount of care for staff.

"The more you invest in your internal client as much as your external client, the job becomes much more rewarding." 

What are your keys for succeeding in retail? Share your thoughts in the comments below.