As a retail owner or manager, it often seems that you're so busy trying to put out the daily fires that you let certain sales standards slide. It is up to you to decide whether you're willing to accept these behaviors or put an end to the headaches for good. Take the short quiz below, and than let us give you some tips to help you on your way to stress-free managing.

" Do you ask your salespeople to complete tasks, yet end up completing the tasks yourself because they're left unfinished or not taken care of at all? " Do you repeatedly answer the same questions-questions your salespeople should be able to answer themselves? " Do you let lack of compliance with policies or procedures slide because the rule-bender is a long-time employee, a family member or a friend? " Do you hang on to substandard performers because you can't stand the thought of having to find, hire and train a replacement? " Do you wish salespeople would attempt to add-on more frequently?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you're not alone-and help is on the way.

Michele Sizer, Director of Training at The Friedman Group cites the above list of retail headaches as some of the most common obstacles to a retail store manager's success. In addition to conducting Retail Management Training Camps in cities across the U.S. and Canada, Michele goes on location to help retailers pinpoint and rectify the costly trouble spots in their organizations.

Here are some insights/suggestions from Michele to relieve some of the frustrations commonly encountered by retail store managers.

" You ask your salespeople to complete tasks, yet end up completing the tasks yourself because they're left unfinished or not taken care of at all. You're rewarding poor performance. Unless you immediately point out the salesperson's failure to comply with your instructions and provide consequences for further lack of compliance, you're sending a message that you'll take on chores that they're paid to do if they don't feel like doing them themselves. Sound fair? " You repeatedly answer the same questions-questions your salespeople should be able to answer themselves. You're The Answer Person. Why should salespeople go out of their way to find things out for themselves when the information booth is always open? Close the information booth and teach salespeople to do their own legwork when they're asking questions that they can, with a little resourcefulness, find answers to on their own. " You let lack of compliance with policies or procedures slide because the rule-bender is a long-time employee, a family member or a friend.

You're suffering from "familyocity," a veritable plague in the retail industry. Letting someone bend or break the rules is not being nice or being flexible, it's compromising your success, their success, and cultivating a climate of resentment among other staff members. Responsible people understand the importance of playing by the rules. Irresponsible people are harmful to the health of your business and should not be allowed to place it at risk. " You hang on to substandard performers because you can't stand the thought of having to find, hire and train a replacement. You're sacrificing profits and compromising your standards for an invalid reason. Have you ever calculated the price of keeping a substandard performer? It's a worthwhile exercise. Subtract the substandard performer's yearly sales from your top performer's yearly sales and you'll get a quick glimpse of the sales dollars you're willingly surrendering. before you hold on to a poor performer for another day, ask yourself how much money you're willing to throw away before you get fed up and bring in someone who can step up to the plate and contribute to the store's success instead of bogging it down. " You wish salespeople would attempt to add-on more frequently. You're not insisting that salespeople attempt to add on to every sale. You have the right to insist upon things being done your way. Establish a set of non-negotiable sales standards and enforce them as strictly as you enforce keeping cash in the cash register.

This is clearly good advice, but it's only an appetizer. There are many more techniques, strategies and insights relating to each topic touched on above. Think of these tips as the first sip of the tonic that will make your business stronger than ever. Here's to your health!