Performing the music of retail

By Gordon Hecht, YSN Contributor  

Next time you’re planning a fun evening out with your sweetie, be sure to include live music.  

Whether it’s a solo guitarist at the corner pub, chamber music at the community college or $10,000 seats for Taylor Swift, nothing tops the experience of art coming to life before your eyes and ears. 

It’s said that the only uniquely American musical genre is jazz. Like other forms of music, jazz is nursed and rehearsed. But jazz doesn’t fit any formula. Often, it’s adjusted on the stage at the very moment it’s being performed. 

Your retail business can be compared to musical performances. 

On one side is operations. It’s kinda like classical and choral concerts. The goal is to follow the arrangement precisely. Beethoven’s Ninth played by the Boston Symphony should sound remarkably similar to the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s rendition. 

Operations Orchestrations 

Orchestral conductors work to eliminate the variables to get a consistent performance. 

Manufacturing and retail operations also work to eliminate the variables. Every firm pillowtop mattress in your warehouse and each one you deliver should feel and perform exactly alike. 

Your orders should be packed and delivered to your customers in the same fashion each time: A call is placed to schedule, and a call is made one stop before arrival. The hallways and room are surveyed. The existing bed is removed. The new bed is brought in and placed. The old bed is rewrapped in the leftover plastic. The customer is asked to inspect the delivery and sign a receipt. The driver thanks the customer and drives to the next stop. 

On the other side is selling. Sales is the jazz of the business world. Your better salespeople thrive on variations, as every incoming shopper has a unique story and needs. Some arrive with a sour taste because of a previous shopping experience. Others are on a tight budget. Your next “up” may have just won the lottery or received a work bonus and is ready to go first class. They may be building a home and have six months to wait. Or their mom and dad might be visiting and they need a guest bed pronto! 

Sales Solo 

Trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis once said, “Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfil what they feel the moment requires.” 

Roleplaying is the part of training where your salespeople can do the same. Give them real-life sales situations and throw in a few curve balls. See if they can outdo their coworkers. There are no wrong responses. Some are simply better than others! 

You can never cover all the variables, but it will make your sales team more agile. You need a selling process. That means you rehearse demonstrating, sales scripts and closing techniques. Just like the jazzman needs to know the notes. And once the shopper arrives, be sure you play the tune they want to dance to. 


Gordon Hecht is a consultant to the home furnishings trade with over four decades in retail and manufacturing and more than 500 industry newsletters and articles under his belt. His award-winning experience includes tenured time with Ashley Furniture Industries and Serta Simmons Bedding, with progressive responsibility for large and small retailers. Contact him at gordon.hecht@aol.com.    

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