I’m sure most established consignment, resale and thrift shopkeepers have two employee manuals around.
One about procedures and policies, and one about expectations for their jobs. Maybe these all-important publications are combined into one. That’s a good start towards having an effective crew of employees or volunteers, but it’s nowhere near enough to truly succeed.
Your business needs a “Staff Selling Resources” manual. Do you help your helpers by giving them the opportunity for self-education?
Here’s how:
First, get a loose leaf binder and some page protectors. It’s fun to shop for these, but if you are adamantly REUSE, or just cheap, post a note on your shop’s community board asking your customers if they have any of these to pass on.
Then, find materials that will teach your staff whatever they need to know about the merchandise you sell. Most of this information can be found on the Internet, and here’s some ideas to get your “Staff Selling Resources” binder started and to save you time, courtesy of Too Good to be Threw’s Pinterest boards. (As always, click to see the graphic full-size and read the helpful captions):
Helping a customer’s all about knowing what will work for her/him:
Source: auntiekate.wordpress.com via HowToConsign.com Consignment on Pinterest
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A picture’s worth a thousand words, particularly if you have to explain what a houndstooth check looks like compared to a gingham check.
Source: blog.amyatlas.com via Kate on Pinterest
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Calling merchandise by its right name, or knowing styles and eras, makes staff more confident and helps them communicate with shoppers:
Source: stylinspire.com via Kate on Pinterest
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Your selling resources can even include styling tips, which help your staff show their professional expertise and impress their customers!
Source: Uploaded by user via Ana on Pinterest
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Many more Pins can be found here and here.
Do you have web resources that your staff find helpful? Share in the comments!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
[…] Do they search for chit-chat with customers? Create a Staff Selling Manual! […]
Boy do I need to work on my employee manual…I had ordered the employee handbook in pdq from you and have not yet read it…been kinda busy…but just today something not so good happened. One of my employees told me “Check out the nice handbag I bought from one of your consignors…a Michaeil Kors Handbag…she said she didn’t want to consign it but needed cash right a way so I bought it from her”. Needless to say I didn’t like that…and told her not to do that again since it was a conflict of interest for the store. So that made me think …Kate is soooo right in having an employee manual and store procedure manual…Thanks for being there and bringing important things up. Started working on the manuals right now.
Yes, VV, conflict of interest is a biggie, and it’s something that must be taught and upheld from Day One with employees and volunteers, which is why I am so adamant about starting an employee policies/procedures manual from Day One… to cover situations you’d never DREAM would happen. I had 2 staffers talking on the sales floor,in front of customers, about stolen goods concerning a third person… nothing to do with my biz, but they just did NOT understand how such a convo would damage the reputation of She Who Signed the Checks!
Thanks Kate for your quick response. I really appreciate you. Martha
THANK you! some great links, too!
Glad to be of help, cabanachatter. After all, working together, we all benefit… and our clientele, even more!