Today, building real relationships is critical to business, especially in food retail. This relates not only to the relationships we form with our customers, but also the relationships we form internally.
<p>By: Amanda Saxton, Manager, Education, Food Marketing Institute<br /> <br /> <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/teamwork-383939_1280.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=767706e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Befriend Your Coworkers" title="Befriend Your Coworkers" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;" />Earlier this year at the <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/financeforum,0">FMI Financial Executive Forum</a> I had the pleasure of hearing from Kevin Paul Scott, co-founder of <a href="http://addo.is/">ADDO Worldwide</a> speak to a group of food retail Chief Financial Officers. Scott’s presentation really resonated with me, and many of the take-a-ways apply to the larger food retail landscape. Scott revealed how the most successful leaders make decisions, engage employees, and connect with customers using what he calls “Essential Exchanges” – what we gain by choosing between good things and even better things. </p> <p>One of Scott’s big points was the idea of “Exchanging Fans for Friends,” which immediately reminded me of social media and the number of followers you have verses the number of people you actively engage with. Because social media presents a hyper reality for users, the true meaning of “friend” has lost its way.</p> <p>Today, building real relationships is critical to business, especially in food retail. This relates not only to the relationships we form with our customers, but also the relationships we form internally. Scott shares that building the right types of internal relationships will establish a level of trust, which may mean showing a level of vulnerability to your co-workers. At the same time, as retailers we need to demonstrate this same level of openness with our customers by offering them the information and answers they seek. </p> <p>Admittedly, I was a bit surprised by Scott’s remarks, since I was taught that you didn’t come to work to make friends. However, you spend more time with your co-workers than you do your own family and it makes sense that you would form relationships with those you work with. At the same time, it makes sense that forming friendships with our customers would solidify a stronger relationship. </p> <p>Scott’s point is that leaders who establish friendships internally had better work results with those individuals. The same can be true for food retailer’s relationship with customers—the stronger relationship we form the more shopper loyalty we see. How can you exchange those Fans for Friends? What would the internal benefits be? How might your shopper respond differently if they saw you as a true friend? </p> <p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/financeforum,0">FMI Financial Executive Forum</a> and all of <a href="https://www.fmi.org/events-education/conferences">FMI’s educational events</a>.</p>
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