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Remember a few years back when everyone was saying online shopping was gonna kill actual

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stores?

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Right, like brick and mortar was dead.

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Yeah, totally.

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But looks like those reports of retail's demise, they were totally exaggerated.

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Yeah, it's kind of a surprise, but we're actually seeing a full-on retail renaissance happening.

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A renaissance, who knew?

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And here's the thing, it's not all about fancy tech and what's it called, those Instagramable

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displays and stuff.

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Yeah, you hit the nail on the head.

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It's something way more, well, human.

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Deep down, I think we all still crave those experiences that go beyond just clicking and

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buying.

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Totally, it's like you want that connection, that personalized touch you just don't get

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online.

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Exactly, that sense of discovery, right?

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You stumble upon that perfect item and you connect with the staff who gets you.

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That's something special.

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Oh, 100%.

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It's not like you're sending a hidden gem, but like a store instead of a, you know.

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Right, not a literal gem.

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Exactly.

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Speaking of hidden gems, this multimedia plus article, the one we're diving into today,

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they call it this retail renaissance and get this, they say the secret weapon is, wait

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for it, the staff.

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I mean, think about it.

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Think back to a shopping experience that was like truly exceptional, when you still tell

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people about.

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Yeah.

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When it comes to colors to donuts, it involved an amazing staff member.

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Oh, absolutely.

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Like, I'll never forget this one time I was trying to find running shoes, not just any

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shoes, the perfect pair.

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Oh, the quest for the perfect shoe, we've all been there.

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Right.

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So the salesperson, they didn't just like point me to the wall of shoes.

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This person actually like talked to me, asked about, you know, how I run and stuff.

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They even watched me run to like analyze my gate.

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Wow, above and beyond.

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Right, I was blown away.

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And the shoes, perfect fit.

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That's what this article is all about.

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Well-trained staff transforming the whole experience.

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They're not just ringing you up.

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They're creating a connection, turning you into like a loyal customer.

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In fact, this article says that businesses with engaged employees, you know, the ones

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who love their jobs, they outperform the others by, get this, 202%.

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Whoa, 202%.

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That's insane.

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That's more than double.

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Clearly, there's something powerful happening here.

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So it's not just about being friendly.

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What skills, like specific skills make these retail stars.

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So we're talking about actual like teachable skills, right?

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Not just like some people are born with it, some people aren't.

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That's the thing.

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Yeah, it's about training and development.

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So what are those essential skills, you know, according to the article?

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Yes, build the secrets.

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Okay.

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So they break it down into like three main areas.

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And the first one might seem obvious, but it's product knowledge.

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Okay, that makes sense.

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But I gotta say, you would not believe how often that's missing.

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Oh, tell me about it.

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It's like the bare minimum, right?

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And like when you're trying to get info from a salesperson who like clearly has no clue

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about the product, so frustrating.

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The worst, it just like instantly kills your confidence in the whole, you know, whole experience.

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Yeah, exactly.

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But on the flip side, when the staff, they know their stuff.

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Like they answer your questions, give you those little insights, maybe even tell you

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how much they love the product themselves.

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It just changes the whole game.

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Like you're not just a number, you're like a valued customer.

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It's like they're saying, hey, we see you, we get you, we're here to help.

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Exactly.

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They're not just pushing a product, they're offering their expertise.

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And you know, we tend to trust that, right?

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Makes us more likely to actually buy something.

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So next skill, customer service.

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Okay, but not just like, you know, the basic have a nice day kind of thing.

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No, no, no, no.

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This is next level.

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Like personalized, anticipate your needs, customer service.

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Okay.

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And now I'm really intrigued.

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Give me an example.

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What does that look like in action?

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Okay.

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They're not just reacting to your questions.

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They're kind of staying one step ahead, like reading your mind almost.

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So they're not just like reacting.

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They're already prepared.

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Right.

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Like a mind reader, but with, you know, shopping bags.

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Love it.

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Okay.

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So that's product knowledge and like next level customer service.

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What's that third must have skill?

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The last one the article really dives into is adaptability and like on the spot problem

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solving.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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In retail, like anything can happen.

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Like long lines, you know, when the thing you want to sold out the worst, right?

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Or just like dealing with a customer who's, you know, having a day, it's all part of

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the job.

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Yeah, for sure.

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And like those little things, they can totally make or break your whole experience.

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You know, totally agree.

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But imagine if like every staff member was equipped to not just deal with those moments,

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but to like totally turn them around.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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It's like instead of a disaster, it becomes this, I don't know, positive thing.

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Right.

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Think about it.

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Like, remember who stayed super calm when everything was going wrong, you know, or like

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found you the last one of that item you thought was gone.

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Yes.

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It's those little things.

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Like they're not just working there.

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They're like problem solvers, brand ambassadors, you know, it's a lot.

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It really makes you wonder, like, are there tools to help train for that?

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I feel like this article mentioned something called insight spot on.

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They did mention insight.

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And yeah, it's actually a platform, like a training thing designed specifically.

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To like level up staff training in retail.

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Okay.

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So tell me more, like what makes insight different?

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What's so special about it?

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So one of the cool things they highlight is the way they do the actual training.

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They've got these like interactive modules, not just, you know, boring old manuals to

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read.

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That's good.

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Because who even reads those anymore?

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Right.

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So instead they've got videos, quizzes, they even simulate like real life situations you

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might encounter on the job.

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That's smart.

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Like way more engaging, right?

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It's like we all learn better by actually doing stuff, not just like sitting there.

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Exactly.

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And the cool thing is to make sure it's actually working.

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Insight gives managers real time feedback and all this data so you can, you know, see

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how everyone's doing, if there are areas they're struggling with.

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So you can tell if they're actually learning this stuff.

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Yes.

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And here's the other thing.

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Insight, it's customizable.

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So if you're a retailer, you can tailor the whole program to match your brand, like your

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specific products, even your company culture.

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Oh, I like that because like what works for one store might not work for another, right?

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100%.

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This way it's all about, you know, creating that perfect fit for your needs.

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This has been so fascinating.

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We started with this whole retail renaissance idea, the power of the human touch, then those

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key skills.

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And now like insight is this real solution to actually make it all happen.

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And it all boils down to this.

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Invest in your people and you're investing in the success of your business.

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Totally.

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It's like everyone wins.

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So as we wrap up our deep dive today, I'm thinking if focusing on the human element can revitalize

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retail, could it work for like everything else too?

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It's something to think about.

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Anyway, thanks for joining us for this deep dive everyone.

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And remember, never underestimate those amazing retail workers.

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They're the ones making it happen.