Telstra’s three Fleurieu stores, Colonnades, Seaford and Victor Harbor, were looking to breathe new life into the business following a change of ownership. Leading into the busy Christmas retail season staff were missing opportunities, revenue was lost and consequently the staff were inconsistent in achieving commissions.The franchisee who is taking on all three stores in the State’s southern tourism region, best known for wine and beaches, reached out to Hood Sweeney. He wanted to implement a credible and inspiring training program that would remain relevant as the Telstra business evolved through new product launches and staff development.“Telstra Fleurieu needed something bespoke that could identify any shortcomings at the stores and arm our staff with skills and an ongoing framework to boost performance,” said Stuart Wells, who took over the Telstra Fleurieu franchises in 2018.Wind the clock forward to 2019 and the Colonnades, Seaford and Victor Harbor stores have completed the training program, and the results have had the thumbs up from staff and management.“This was a thought-provoking process and really quite inspiring for the staff and leaders involved. Hood Sweeney has given us a toolkit to help broaden skills and get on with the job, yielding some really excellent results so far,” said Stuart.Among the highlights, the Colonnades store achieved its biggest gross profit week in the week that the final training sessions were delivered. Individuals who had struggled were able to outperform previous top performers, and achieve commissions beyond their expectations. Here’s how it played out.Hood Sweeney’s Performance Coaching team began by gathering information, including observation as mystery shoppers in the Colonnades store, the largest of the three and with the most foot traffic.“To help create a successful performance environment, we needed to experience and understand first-hand the experience from the customer and the staff perspectives,” said Hood Sweeney Performance Coach Ben Taylor, who has worked across all three Telstra Fleurieu stores to consolidate performance.He said the observation process highlighted that while staff engaged in transactions with customers, they were not serving them fully, or exploring all of the potential opportunities. Also, the previous coaching that had been done by the Telstra leadership team was outcome based but didn’t explore why staff weren’t achieving their goals.

Telstra Fleurieu Telstra Fleurieu teams ring in success with Performance Coaching

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Compounding those issues, coaching was viewed as a task. It wasn’t prioritised to ensure that it happened regularly. If staff were busy, coaching was the first activity to be rescheduled, or dropped altogether.Hood Sweeney implemented a two-pronged approach and came up with the CES model, Connect, Explore and Serve. The CES model was designed to enable all staff to build a deep connection with their customers, explore needs and wants, and serve them in the best way possible by bringing all opportunities to the table. “We recognised that the leaders in the business needed to better connect with their staff, explore their story and serve them in the right way with coaching and honest conversations,” said Ben.To support the CES, Hood Sweeney also delivered an Operation Performance Management (OPM) framework, which enables a business to be managed at short intervals. “We would meet with individuals to discuss their performance for the previous day, any barriers they encountered, and to give them a game plan for the day ahead,” said Ben. “The facilitator leading the training would be based instore, and on hand to coach in real time, to help reinforce the learning and answer questions as they arose. Before the store opened, we would present, discuss as a group and role play, and then put learnings straight into practice with customers throughout the day. Eventually, the facilitator steps back and is available to act as a trusted advisor.” Colonnades was the first store trained with the CES model through November and December 2018. Seaford and Victor completed their initial intensive training periods earlier this year. The training was well received with positive feedback from all levels of staff.

■ The Colonnades store achieved its biggest gross profit week in the week of the final training sessions.

■ Individuals who had previously struggled, outperformed top performers, and achieved commissions they never thought possible.

■ The Seaford store recorded its biggest week ever, correlating with the training

■ The Seaford Store Manager reported a huge uplift in morale and motivation, which led to improved performance.

The Performance Coaching team at Hood Sweeney specialises in improving business performance:

■ strategic planning ■ team development ■ coaching club ■ leadership ■ business valuations ■ succession.

Coaching enables business owners to build robust and sustainable businesses by shifting their thinking and the action that follows.

Simon Starr Directorsimon.starr@hoodsweeney.com.auM 0488 717 966

Ben Taylor Business Coachben.taylor@hoodsweeney.com.au M 0425 332 718

Engagement rose, with more people expressing that they felt happier at work because they knew how to link their personal goals to their work roles. Delivery across products also expanded, so staff could move away from a transactional relationship and better explore customers’ needs. Some individuals reported first-time sales in products that had previously been a struggle, and reaching personal bests in weekly revenue generation. One staff member said she loved the training because it changed her mindset, leading her to achieve commission and win the high performer’s prize for the week.

If your business could benefit from some support and guidance to get the most from your staff and their leaders, contact the Hood Sweeney Performance Coaching team.

ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS ADVISORYCONSULTING & PERFORMANCE COACHINGFINANCIAL PLANNINGTECHNOLOGY SERVICESFINANCE