“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
These famous words from Aristotle sum up an often-quoted but rarely implemented truth—achieving tremendous results is generally about the smallest things, done over and over again. This is especially true when it comes to front-line training. Whether you’re overhauling an existing training program or just looking for a place to start, these best practices take a small effort, but create a huge impact on sales at attraction sites.
1. Have a consistent morning meeting. The best teams across the country have a great morning meeting. They start at the same time, end at the same time, and the content is predictable. So what makes them so special and effective? A strong morning meeting gives your team an opportunity to set the target for the day, share goals and challenges, and celebrate wins. Morning meetings promote cohesiveness, communication, teamwork and feedback.
2. Pay attention to the numbers. You can’t figure out how to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you are. It’s crucial to review the numbers with your team on (at least) a daily basis. Looking at where your numbers are and setting a clear goal helps foster accountability, focus and consistency—it can be discouraging for your team to feel like they’re trying to hit an ill-defined target. Plus, tracking the numbers gives you an opportunity to…
3. Start celebrating wins…no matter how small. Behaviors that are positively reinforced tend to stick. Every time you see something that you want to see more of, bring it up and be specific with your feedback. Morning meetings are a great place to celebrate the wins of the day before. By reinforcing what your staff is doing right, you demonstrate to the rest of the team what success looks like—and that it’s possible! Plus, you make the team member who’s being recognized feel pretty awesome, too.
4. Offer consistent coaching. Feedback shouldn’t feel like a trip to the principal’s office—rather, it should be a regular part of everyone’s day (and maybe an opportunity to hear something good, too!) Aside from your regular meetings, coaches should check in on-site to see what’s happening at your point of sale, at special exhibits, or anywhere staff is interacting with guests.
5. Develop an “every guest, every time” mentality. Transactions may happen at the register, but sales decisions are made anywhere and everywhere—and many times, they’re directly related to the experience the guest has when interacting with your staff. Encouraging your staff to focus on delivering a phenomenal experience to every guest, every time boosts engagement and translates to higher revenue, better package sales, more on-site purchases and increased buzz on surveys and social media.
