They are found in almost any company. They are particularly relevant for industries such as infrastructure, travel and logistics, manufacturing, health care, and retailing. They are very relevant cogs in the wheel of business and yet their role as the champions of frontline employees doesn’t really get the attention that it deserves. They are the retail sales managers.

Retail managers have a diverse role—They have to work with customers, manage sales associates, hit monthly store quotas and pitch in whenever something needs to get done. To unlock the abilities of his/her frontline team, a retail manager will need to possess these seven skillsets:

Customer Service:

It is important for a retail sales manager to understand that every customer is different and hence each one will have their own motivations, aspirations and reasons for choosing a brand. While some get it naturally, others can be trained for the same.

People Leader:

A retail sales manager’s job involves overseeing other staff and projects in the store. It requires them to motivate the staff, delegate work prudently, set up appropriate training & development for them and create a team environment for everyone to work together. The retail manager must be seen as the person in charge by the staff and the customer.

Resilient:

Effective retail sales managers can turn conflicts into good results by being flexible and mentally tough while dealing with day-to-day variations in service. This could particularly help during the stressful holiday sales periods like Christmas when retail stores turn into high-stress environments. It can lead to burnout if you won’t be able to handle the ups and downs.

Good Communicator:

Great managers communicate what’s important in clear language, be it the work done, coming to work on time or regarding customer service. Both the staff and the customer respond to a manager who genuinely listens to their problems and helps to solve it in a friendly manner.

Troubleshooter:

Good time management helps retail managers to achieve success at the store level, especially when it comes to managing complex situations and problems that crop up at the customer’s end and which the staff is unable to solve. Managing time and change are two crucial skills that a manager will need in the retail field.

Agile decision-making:

Nowhere is the pressure to be agile than in retail sales. Managers will often need to think on their feet in the store, with regards to not just the changing customer but also optimize margins and inventory. They need to delegate tasks.

Sales Driver:

Retail managers should have good commercial focus and understand how the business works as a whole. Many companies insist that retail managers have a background in retail and actual store experience. A good retail manager also motivates his staff to work to offer quality customer service and achieve their sales targets.

Great sales managers are the foundation of any organization’s performance and to provide quality customer service retail sales leaders will need the above mentioned skills to set the tone for the team.