SMG is built upon a culture of learning that is comprehensive, and where training never ends. When people discover why and how their work makes a difference and is meaningful and connect the two, they gain a significant winning advantage. We value our people and understand that we are all professionals.
We know that our sales teams are not just retail clerks meant to be hemmed into a mindless existence as merely a cog in the corporate wheel. Many of our retail counterparts view people as a necessary line-item expense on the income statement when in fact people are the very essence of what makes the income statement at the bottom line. In the world of business, most people have on-the-job training specific to the task on hand, but often haven't been exposed to the underlying principles. They understand the duties and responsibilities, but not necessarily the principles that helped create them. Like the old adage, it is like giving someone fish so he can eat for a day instead of teaching him how to fish so he can feed himself for a lifetime.
Our stores average almost $2 million each in total revenue each year. Each store acts as a small business, with each store manager earning an income comparable to that of a small business owner. Yet our store managers don't carry the full entrepreneurial risk and workload. They have the support of our entire operation. Hiring any "warm body" at the lowest price kills retail service and will eventually kill the business. We know of retail establishments that hire someone as an assistant manager one week and promote him or her to store manager role the next. How can someone know the culture and methods of business in less than two weeks? Slack hiring standards reflect a cavalier attitude toward people. This mind set is destructive at any level of the organization.
We are raising up a legion of prosperous professionals and business people. Success depends upon being versed in business and economics, and in particular on the specifics of our industry. Informed business people are more apt to make better decisions and thereby improve their contribution and value to the company. Rewards are sure to follow. In turn, greater contribution means lower costs, better customer service, and higher earnings across the store and the company.