The favorite thing I see retailers do is offer mothers a flower or something else when they come in on Mother’s Day weekend. No need for the customer to make a purchase. Don’t even promote it. Just a simple wow to remind customers how special the store is and how much the staff appreciates their customers.

I also love seeing companies highlight the mothers who work at the store on social media. You can also do posts from employees on the best advice their mother gave them. There is still time to do a few this week.

All are good reminders that you can celebrate mothers without selling something. Then again, wow your customers and differentiate your experience, and you will sell more.

In the next five days, you need your staff to be what I call 100. That’s 100% of the sales/service experience with 100% of the customers. I shared some tips on how to do that in my Facebook group. 

What’s the best advice your mother gave you?
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​My mother’s advice started as, “Be nice to your brothers.” Over time, I understood it to be nice to everyone you meet.

I sure miss my mother. I wish I would have called more. Asked more questions and listened more. With that said, I’m grateful for the time I spent with her. Also, for the love and support she gave me, especially during the darkest days of my addictions and the early days of getting clean and sober.

Part two – Mother’s Day Advice

"We get what we expect from people. The worst thing I could have done as a mother was to lower my expectations of my children. Instead, I taught them how to achieve more. As leaders, you should do the same with our staff."

"I worked well into my seventies because I loved the people I worked with. The effort you put into building a great team and being a great workplace directly impacts your sales and customer experience."

"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Never underestimate the power of being nice to your staff, customers, and competitors. By the way, you're still being nice when you expect more from your team."

"Leave work on time to be with your family. There's always time to do paperwork and other tasks, but you'll never replace the time you missed with your spouse, significant other, children, and even your pets."

"Lack of accountability leads to problems at home and in your store. If you tell a teenager to be home by 11 p.m., but there are no consequences when they don't walk in the door until 11:30, you can be sure that he won't be home until midnight—or won't come home at all next weekend. Accountability is a good thing, especially when delivering an effective and memorable sales experience."

"You can't pick your family, but you can pick your employees. Hiring is one of the most important things we do to create or impede our success. Your mother probably told you not to be picky about what you eat, but you need to be picky about who you hire. I like hiring people who want to work at my store."

"Chase your dreams. William James once said that most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they have a second. He also said that when you give your dreams all you have, you will be amazed at the energy that comes out of the effort. Are you chasing hard enough?"

…and I know she would have said this…

"Thank you for reading Doug's blog. I had to listen to him for his first 21 years, and it just about wore me out. I appreciate you helping me out."

So let me ask three questions:
1. What was your mother’s second-best advice? My mother’s was, “Move out before I throw you out.” Oh, those early years!

2. What’s the worst Mother’s Day gift you’ve ever given? A co-worker of mine gave his wife a vacuum cleaner from his baby. If he had only asked for advice…

3. Which of the tips and advice resonate the most with you? What actions can you take to leverage it?