We thrive on challenging projects. They produce bigger rewards in the end.
Not Your Typical Consultants
We understand the crucial relationships between profitability, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction and productivity. We understand that each individual organization has a unique set of circumstances, challenges and considerations that affects its customer experience. And we understand the grave importance of what every customer-facing team member says and does at each touchpoint in a customer’s journey to optimize both the experience and its revenue potential.
Simply put, we search for productivity holes and fill them. Whatever deficiencies you have or allow us to discover, we have or will develop the right solution. The Friedman Group practically invented best practices in retail service, sales and management with systems and programs that are the most widely used across the globe. We offer an array of services to meet the needs of any organization, no matter what size or industry.
Business & Culture Transformation: After 40 Years, Not Much Surprises Us
• The challenges in making it happen for Nieman Marcus and a rural farm supply store were vastly different, but the goal was still the same; enhance the customer experience and thereby increase sales
• The challenges in instilling sales and management systems at Bata Shoes with their 4,600 locations spread across 29 countries and many cultural differences
• Turning high school aged salespeople working at Godiva Chocolate into sales animals
• Trying to separate the responsibilities of co-owners or partners with opposing viewpoints so they are no longer working against each other
• Helping new franchise owners who have never been in retail before figure out how to gain control of their store and enjoy life more
The point is that every situation is different. Every client is unique, yet most have common constraints or challenges in achieving service and revenue objectives.
This is especially true of smaller clients that may suffer from an obvious lack of codified policies, best practices, comprehensive training and coaching. Yet while many, larger, more sophisticated and successful organizations may have resolved such basic issues long ago, they often still tend to share gaps and deficiencies that can prevent performance optimization.
• Forgetting they are a SALES organization that requires every individual and team to maximize both service and revenue opportunities
• Missing buy-in from employees who do not see their importance in achieving goals
• Developing a “have-to” rather than a “want-to” sales and service environment
• Breaking or weakening links in the organization’s service-profit chain
• Establishing silos/segmentation that hinders collaborative service among teams
• Falling into complacency; not constantly raising the bar on the customer experience
• Relying too heavily on metrics and ignoring the importance of adding passion
You know a lot about your company. We know a lot about retailing. We become your partner. And we welcome your calls and questions long after we’ve departed.
Business & Culture Transformation: It’s All About You
Change may be necessary to reverse decreasing revenue or capitalize on increasing revenue . . . or to survive. If you’re serious about transforming your business and culture, we should talk.
It might start with a thorough Business Improvement Assessment to hand you a blueprint for change.
Or, if you’re truly serious, let’s partner to really drive change and results. Our signature program called Project Gold Star has produced bigger net gains for retailers than anything else we do.
What’s right for you starts with a call. Let’s chat. Together, we might just awesome all over the place!
It Just Works.
But Don't Just Take Our WorD for It, Listen to What Our ClientS Are Saying.
Project Gold Star represents the most money we've ever spent on training in the company's history, and it also represents the biggest return we've ever gotten. We now have an infrastructure and plan of how to manage our retail business for growth. Before we were undisciplined. We had a staff with no direction or goals. Now we're on fire! We're up over 10% from last year on a store that was trending down 15%. I highly recommend this fantastic program.
Matt W. (1 store)
The Friedman Group instilled a definite sales culture that wasn't there before and we're much healthier because of it. Within the company’s consumer sales channels, we're now known as 'the' most sales-oriented group - bar none. Our reputation has spread to the point that job applicants know they'll have to perform and we're getting better quality applicants as a result.
Bruce O. (221 stores)
Project Gold Star changed our staff's focus to sales. We brought two departments in only two locations into the program. Here are our results for the first seven months. In store #1, pilot department was up 56% as opposed to 22% for non-pilot departments. In store #2, pilot up 32%, non-pilot up 16%. We're now playing the 'sales game' and not the 'operational game' and we're having a ball!