Performance Beauty Group’s Post

Retail product knowledge: Retail Knowledge enables you to learn, develop and practise the skills required for employment and/or career progression in the retail sector. The qualification covers customer service, selling and team work. #FMCG #retail #sales #achivement #success #respectinworkplace #career #happy #teamwork #teamsupport #teamleadership #teamcollaboration #training #experience #marketing

After an amazing 19.5 years, today is my last day at Kuoni. I started my career at Kuoni as a Sales Consultant in Manchester. I was ambitious but hadn't a clue what I wanted to do for a career. I decided university wasn’t for me and fell into the role after globe trotting for a few years after I left college. The warmth of the team and passion for our customers at Kuoni has never faltered. I always had bosses and leaders who were eager to listen, championed me and supported my desire to move up the ranks. I soon moved to London for a few months to support the new Kensington store opening then fulfilled my dream to work as a Business Development Executive for the Trade relations team. That was a career defining period for me. I loved driving my palm tree wrapped car to all corners of the north. The role taught me so much about relationship building, negotiation and engaging an audience and it built my confidence to move into a leadership role (aided by a dear colleague who gave me a nudge to apply for Manchester store manager). After briefly running the Manchester store alongside my Trade role, I became involved in the rapid expansion of the Kuoni store network. I went from project managing the store openings to Regional Manager and then quite quickly went on run the store network. As the role grew, I took on Trade and later launched a Virtual contact centre born out of the pandemic.  I loved every minute of the variety and learned so much. As well as my Trade days, building the retail team from scratch and watching them flourish was one of biggest career highlights. The Kuoni team’s passion and talent are what makes the business so special. Creating a thriving sales culture and empowering the team to deliver an outstanding customer experience were our obsession.  There are SO many achievements to share.. We developed a ‘People agenda’ designed to deliver a best in class experience for our team which championed recognition and personal growth. There’s our Little Book of Wow, an annual collection of treasured moments that we create for our customers.   We built our unique service philosophy ‘The Kuoni Way’, designed to empower the team to deliver exceptional service at every touch point making us famous for delivering the best customer experience in the industry. I am so proud of my career path from Sales Consultant to Sales Director over my 19 year career at Kuoni. This is testament to an incredible culture that nurtures and recognises homegrown talent. After a hugely fulfilling career, and having learned so much, I believe I have a lot to share in my new chapter as a Leadership Coach (more on that to come soon!).   But for now, an incredible chapter comes to a close. To all of the wonderful people who have been a part of my Kuoni journey, those who have mentored, supported and inspired me, those who I have laughed until I cried with (you know who you are), THANK YOU for absolutely everything.

🌟 Reflecting on a Milestone 🌟 Ten years ago, I was grateful to be recognized with the Watsons HWB Award 2014 for Best Account Management of the Year in Health & Wellness. This accolade was not just a career highlight but a stepping stone for my ongoing development in key account management within the FMCG sector. A heartfelt thank you to the Lifestream Group management for giving me the opportunity to join them and to achieve such a milestone. 🌟 Key Account Management (KAM) in FMCG: A Blend of Strategy and Technical Skill 🌟 Key account management transcends typical sales roles; it involves cultivating long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships between an organization and its most critical customers. In the fast-moving consumer goods industry, these key accounts are essential for sustainable, strategic growth and require substantial investment in both time and resources. In the current data-driven market environment, technical skills have become increasingly crucial in KAM. The ability to proficiently analyze data and interpret market trends through advanced analytics is transformative, enhancing our ability to manage these pivotal relationships effectively. Integrating technical tools enables us to: 📊 Analyze extensive data sets to uncover patterns in customer purchasing behavior, critical for tailoring product offerings and promotions. 🎯 Develop marketing and sales strategies that are not just efficient but are also deeply personalized to meet the unique needs of each account. 🔄 Enhance communication and reporting processes with sophisticated CRM systems, ensuring all customer interactions are meticulously logged and actionable insights are consistently utilized. Embracing these technical capabilities within key account management allows us to navigate the complexities of the FMCG landscape more effectively, ensuring that our strategic partnerships are both resilient and profitable.

🔍 Rethinking Sales Strategies: The Importance of Retailer Relationships in the Cosmetic Industry 💄 In the dynamic world of beauty and cosmetics, it's crucial to evaluate how we engage with our retail partners. Teams of cosmetic brands in India, rely heavily on Beauty Advisors (BAs) to drive sales at counters. While BAs play a significant role, it's time we address an often overlooked aspect: the vital connection with retailers. 🛍️ Current Situation: Over-Reliance on BAs: Communication and relationship-building are frequently centered around BAs, with minimal direct engagement from brand supervisors or managers with retailers. Impact on Relationships: This approach can inadvertently undermine retailer relationships, as retailers may feel undervalued and might shift focus to brands that actively engage with them. Consequences of BA Changes: Frequent changes in BAs can disrupt sales consistency and affect stock availability, impacting brand performance. 📉 The Challenges: Diminished Retailer Engagement: When brand supervisors don’t regularly interact with retailers, it can lead to a disconnect and diminished brand loyalty. Potential for Miscommunication: Relying predominantly on BAs for communication can lead to misinterpretations or missed opportunities to address retailer concerns directly. Risk of Unstable Sales Performance: Changes in BAs can lead to unstable relationships and inconsistent sales, which could be mitigated through stronger retailer bonds. 🤝 What Brands Can Do: Strengthen Direct Engagement: Increase direct communication between brand managers and retailers to build stronger, more personal relationships. Recognize Retailer Feedback: Actively seek and act on feedback from retailers to ensure their needs and perspectives are understood and valued. Ensure Stability: Work towards minimizing BA turnover and ensure a smooth transition to maintain consistent support and service for retailers. Let's remember, a strong retailer relationship is not just an add-on but a cornerstone of sustained success in the beauty industry. It's time for brands to shift focus from solely managing BAs to fostering genuine partnerships with retailers. This approach will not only strengthen brand loyalty but also ensure better market performance. #Cosmetics #BeautyIndustry #RetailerEngagement #BrandStrategy #CustomerRelationships #SalesExcellence #BeautyAdvisors #RetailSuccess SUGAR Cosmetics Colorbar Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd.Maybelline New YorkLakmé Lever Pvt. Ltd.

When I was 19, working for Bacardi Canada as a Sales Merchandiser. I was responsible for merchandising our portfolio and selling in opportunities across 80 stores; Bacardi, Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, and the infamous Bacardi Breezer. (Horrible design btw!). Early on, I noticed that everyone in the field had the same approach: Surface-level chatter followed by a sales pitch. They all did it the same way. It was like Groundhog Day, and I remember thinking to myself, is this what sales is all about. We all look, walk, talk, the exact same way? You’ve got to be kidding me—this is lame. Instead of following the crowd, I focused on how I could truly add value. I grew up drawing and writing and started to map out these different retail locations. I started to think, how could I help store owners optimize their merchandising for their entire store, not just sell our products. I mean the title ‘Merchandiser’ was in my name. I helped them with merchandising, layout, and creating a more attractive shopping experience. This led to us building some real relationships. Other reps would come in and a lot of the time management would be spending their time talking to me about what else we could do. This led to some confused faces. Who is this guy? Isn’t he a Merchandiser? Why are they spending so much time with him? This led to securing prime display locations, winning sheld space, and building strong, loyal relationships. Relationships that I would still leverage 5+ years later, under a new team, selling and marketing different brands. I realized that by finding my own way to be unique and provide a high level of customer service, that the relationship psychology started to shift. It was no longer a Merchandiser - Store Owner. It was a peer to peer relationship. To stand out when selling it often starts out by observing what others are doing and asking yourself “What can I offer that nobody else is?”. By focusing on adding real value and thinking beyond the immediate sale, you create lasting relationships. And when you genuinely help your customers succeed, they will return the favor. #sales #selling #founders #smallbusiness #value

Greetings, connections! I'm happy to report that I've finished the live sales and distribution project that CavinKare offered. Over 130 retailers, including supermarkets, Kirana stores, pharmacies, and upscale and beauty stores, had to participate in the shelf analytics initiative. I surveyed wholesalers, retailers, and store owners during these travels in order to obtain knowledge and insights. I engaged in active communication with shopkeepers during these engagements in order to obtain crucial information regarding product placement, sales trends, and customer behaviour. Additionally, I obtained knowledge of the complexities involved in retail operations, specifically with reference to the prominence and accessibility of products displayed on shelves. Overall, this project was a huge learning opportunity that strengthened my capacity to analyse data collected from shops and enhanced my communication abilities in professional business situations. It also emphasised how crucial product placement and visibility are in affecting customer behaviour and sales on shelves.

How I Spotlighted Beauty Brands to Win on the Sales Floor: As an experienced Beauty Account Manager, I have worked diligently to implement different activations to grow a brand’s retail sales. I developed strong relationships with customers, beauty advisors, key business executives and stakeholders. I’ve worked to identify new business opportunities by evaluating retail sales metrics followed by demographics, areas median income and staying connected to beauty trends. I also bring 10+years of retail sales beauty experience with both personal and professional awareness. I have recruited, trained, coached, motivated, and developed associates on procedures, product knowledge, and team/individual productivity goals. As a top selling specialist, I worked on the Sales & Education portfolio to train beauty team members on the “How to Sell” motto. I spearheaded quarterly beauty trainings/seminars for retailers Ulta Beauty, Sally Beauty, Walgreens and more. As an experienced “Retail Beauty Sales Scholar” and a lover of the beauty industry I have created my own training style to help internal and external team members be successful. I did weekly store visits where I educated, sold, and answered all questions from leadership, customers, and beauty advisors. Understanding the key drivers and conversion rate allowed me the ability to be successful. When hiring brand ambassadors and street team members I created digital assets and did continuous training sessions with my team. I prepared my team for in-store events, expos, and beauty pop-ups. Not everyone will start as a top-seller but teaching the fundamentals and hiring someone who has the genuine passion to succeed is key. SEPHORA Ulta Beauty Target Walmart #beauty #beautyindustry #beautybusiness #beautytrends #haircare #scalpcare #sephora #ultabeauty #target #Walgreens #walmart #cvs #manager #creativemarketing #brandambassador #accountmanager #accountmanagement #beautymanager

What problem can I help solve for you??? If you are familiar with Field Agent Canada - you likely know that we help to support many big national CPG companies with retail visibilty. What you might not know if that we also help solve problems for other brands/industries like produce. PROBLEM: 🍎 A produce brand was supplying product to a national retailer but sales were not strong and the retailer was not increasing order volume. 🍐 The brand could not visit all store locations to investigate the problem in a timely and organized manner. 🍌 The brand lacked visibility and could not clearly determine why sales were low. SOLUTION: 🍇 Field Agent conducted an audit at all banner locations nationally. 🍒 Our agents took photos of display's and answered questions about the condition of the produce/display. FINDINGS: ~ 34% of the displays were empty or nearly empty ~ 20% of the store displays were filled with produce that was either too ripe or too under-ripe ~ 19% of the stores had plenty of product in the back that was not re-stocked ACTION TAKEN: 👍 Field Agent provided a detailed report of our findings - all data was geo-tagged with time and date of images/responses as part of our QC process to ensure data accuracy and integrity. 👍 The brand presented this fact based report to the retailer. RESULTS: 😁 The retailer made changes to their process internally and increased their order volume. 😁 WIN! WIN! for everyone - including the consumer who now gets to enjoy more delicious produce. Please note - the above is just an example of what Field Agent can do to help support your brand. The sample image does not indicate the client we represented with this project. Field Agent Canada #insights #retailaudits #cpg #produce #retail #audits #shelfavailability #mysteryshopping

Never forget what you learn. #FMCG #retail #sales #achivement #success #respectingworkplace #proud #selfconfident #knowledge #career #happy #teamwork #teamsupport #teamleadership #teamcollaboration #training #experience #marketing

An underrated tactic to better understand your category: store visits. Marks and Spencer recently mandated that executives spend seven days annually on the shop floor. If you’re in marketing or sales, you probably know the value of spending time in the field. Competitor insights, spotting new launches, checking out best practice point of sale executions.. But here are three ideas to make the most of store visits in 2024: 🛒 Set a small annual budget to buy stuff. Shop competitors, try out unrelated brands, collect interesting pack designs. The best inspiration usually comes from experiences. 🛒 Get off the beaten path and seek out non-traditional retailers. Independent retailers usually range a wider variety of brands and they are a great place to spot up and coming products. 🛒 Involve your team. A great way to build relationships is to go out and do stuff together - regular store visits can help to deepen connections. 📸 Bonus tip - take lots of photos and file them properly. For those in Melbourne, make the visit to Jefferies | Your Local Provedore - they have easily the best selection of interesting brands and it’s beautifully merchandised. Do you have any ideas you would add? If you liked this post, follow me @ Brent Vrdoljak for more FMCG insights.