Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1500046
"Consumers can buy shoes anywhere, they need to come into my store," added Ravel. "Make someone smile, you break the ice. Make someone laugh, you have a lifetime customer. Your business is based on your fitting stool. Build your business around that. Create that connection." Staffing challenges, including where to find the sales associates, were top of mind with many retailers. e panel shared that your customers could be your potential new sales associates. Other points, depending on your location, was that your store may be benefitting from associates moving from other states. At the end of the day, it's about the right people, the right process, and the right treatment. e panel went on to say, "remember many of your employees will be spending more time at the store than with their families, so treat them as such." Benefits including 401k, Health Insurance, vacation are the basics. And when it comes to the sales, are you paying your employees or are they earning their pay? (For more on compensation, please see Alan Miklofsky's Column "Should you pay Your Shoe Sales Staff Commissions" on page 22). Regarding staffing, it's about inspiring others to achieve, and celebrating them when they do. But they must show up. We all know that it is challenging to find new employees. You set up interviews, and they do not show up. Worse, you hire them, and they do not show up. In some cases, you may be forced to tolerate bad behavior from employees. As Ravel noted, new employees with no experience will take at least 6 months to train and coach them. Reflecting back to some comments I heard from Beck's Shoes employees last September at their Leadership Summit, "we don't have to be here, we choose to be here." So true. A few conversations at the exhibits concerned high inventory levels. "I like that style, but I can't add it just yet." Mild weather slowed many winter boot sales, constraining the cash flow. Others mentioned footwearinsight.com May/June 2023 ~ Footwear Insight • 5 (L-R) Doug Stephens, author of Resurrecting Retail; Retail Panel moderated by Dave Schoengart, Shoe Sensation with Maurice Breton, Comfort One Shoes, Rick Ravel, Karavel Shoes and Phil Wright, Vernon Powell Shoes; Jill Snyder, Snyder's Shoes NSRA's 2023 Retailer of the Year; Andy Sajdak, Stan's Fit For Your Feet with Shawn Osborne, Two Ten Footwear Foundation and Buddy Teaster, Soles4Souls panel discussion Using Philanthropy In Your Business. (Clockwise from top left) NSRA Hall of Fame Inductees: Karl Toosbuy, Founder of Ecco (presented by Loren Martin E.L.M. shoes and accepted by Eric Smith); Paul Muller, Muller's Shoes; Bruce Katz, Co-founder of Rockport Shoe Company and Founder of Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company (accepted by Roger Katz); Rusty Hall, President of Mephisto, NSRA's 2023 Vendor of the Year, with Sam Elesh and Chris McKoy. Photos: Taylor Krauser / Taylor Jordan Photography.