[:en]Ahh. You’ve made it to become the head honcho at your c-store.
And now you have a new problem: who can you trust to help you take your c-store’s sales to the top?
Exceptional talents are hard to find anywhere in life because they’re, well, exceptional.
What should you look for in an assistant manager? Or, what qualities can you train in your assistant managers so they become indispensable assets?
Here’s what to aim for:
1. Ability to Suspend Their Own Ego
This can be a difficult talent to find. It may be the hardest one out of these 4. But, it is your assistant manager’s job to make you look good.
You need an assistant manager who willingly takes on the work they may never get the credit for.
Of course, you’ll want to share the credit and tell them how much you appreciate their help because that drives their motivation through the roof.
But, ultimately they must understand they’re present to support you…and not to make themselves look better than you.
2. Ability to Connect with Customers
This doesn’t necessarily mean the ability to make a sale, although it can.
The best assistant managers can read the look on someone’s face, hear their tone of voice, and immediately connect.
They’re empathic. They understand how that customer feels right now. They may tell a joke to that customer because of a longstanding relationship.
Or they might empathize because they know that customer has a child in the hospital, or is going through a divorce.
Small stuff. But when you consider that most customers just amount to transactions at other c-stores, these little connections stand out and build loyalty.
3. Ability to Sell
Now, your assistant manager won’t do as much selling when running your c-store. But it is a special skill they should have.
They should know that merely by selecting a certain item, customers may have an interest in other items too.
So, they can suggest the customer at least take a look at those. Or, the assistant manager would know the specials and immediately recommend one of those also.
4. Ability to Do Most of the Manager’s Job
Some decisions can only be made by the store manager.
But, assistant managers should be ready and able to make nearly every other decision.
Confronting an employee. Handling a customer complaint. Reviewing sales trends.
You should be able to hand off these duties to your assistant manager without any worry about their ability to handle the work.
Yes. Your assistant c-store manager needs these traits.
And now it’s up to you to hire the one with the greatest potential for these. Then, train those abilities so they become reality.[:]
