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Jon Dario

This course teaches front line retail managers the skills they need in order to be more effective and more comfortable coaching their teams. The course is delivered via a series of personal and PowerPoint-aided video lectures. Section One starts with a discussion about why coaching is so important to effective retail management. It continues with lessons on coaching fundamentals such as best location and tone to use when coaching, the five steps of coaching, and techniques for making the right amount of time to coach. Section Two, the Coaching Skills Backpack, is a series of techniques which help managers deliver coaching messages in the most effective manner. Lectures in this section teach the best times to use each technique, and they contain examples and demonstrations of the techniques in action. Section Three pulls it all together into the "Four Be's of Coaching." This not only serves as a review of the content from the first two sections, but it also teaches how to establish a productive coaching culture with the team. Students who enroll in this course will gain skills that will make them better coaches and more effective retail leaders.

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What's inside

Learning objective

Coach retail employees effectively. students will learn how to implement basic coaching techniques and how to use advanced coaching skills to help employees close performance gaps.

Syllabus

Students will learn why coaching is so critical to effective retail management, the five steps of coaching and three foundational characteristics of good coaching.
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This introduction describes the layout of the course and the major headlines that will be covered in each section.

This lecture sets the tone for why coaching is such a critical skill for retail managers. It discusses the constant pressures and challenges under which retail managers work and the huge benefit which comes from improving the skills of the team.

This lecture explains the five steps of the coaching process, which are to recognize a performance gap, diagnose the root cause, find a remedy, teach the remedy, and follow up to ensure success.

This lecture teaches some important foundational basics to good coaching, including choice of the right location and use of the right tone.

This lecture teaches the important point that retail managers must MAKE time to coach. It then discusses three techniques for how managers can make enough time for this critical part of their job.

This lecture describes the difference between in-the-moment coaching and connect-the-dots coaching and how the two are used together.

This introduction to Section 2 explains what the "Coaching Skills Backpack" is and how it is used.

This lecture describes the use of the "Feedback Sandwich" in which coaches sandwich constructive feedback in between two slices of positive feedback in order to make the constructive feedback more palatable for the employee.

This lecture explains the skill of "Knocking on the Door" in order to get an employee's consent and attention before delivering feedback.

This lecture discusses the importance of being future-focused when coaching. Rather than dwelling on what went wrong in the past, we talk about what can go right in the future.

This lecture teaches the value of coaching the behavior rather than criticizing the person so as to maintain an employee's self esteem during the feedback process.

This lecture explains how the use of stories and analogies enhance an employee's understanding and retention of the coaching they are given.

This lecture passes along the teachings of Dale Carnegie on how to best influence others. Specifically, students are taught to "make the fault seem easy to correct" and "let the employee save face."

This lecture explains how Dr. Phil's famous line, "How's that working for you?" can be used as an effective retail coaching technique.

This lecture describes the value of stopping an employee and coaching right at the moment something goes wrong rather than letting the entire process go on and trying to backtrack in order to provide feedback.

This lecture serves as a review and summary of the lessons discussed in the first two sections. It does so through the format of the "Four Be's of Coaching," which illustrate the key message of the course - a coach's job is to HELP employees be successful.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Teaches coaching techniques like the 'Feedback Sandwich' and 'Knocking on the Door,' which are useful for delivering constructive feedback effectively
Explores the 'Four Be's of Coaching,' which helps managers establish a productive coaching culture within their teams
Emphasizes making time for coaching, which is a common challenge for retail managers balancing multiple responsibilities
Discusses the importance of being future-focused when coaching, which helps employees focus on improvement rather than past mistakes
Explores techniques for coaching behavior rather than criticizing the person, which helps maintain employee self-esteem during feedback
Explores the difference between in-the-moment coaching and connect-the-dots coaching, which helps managers understand how to use them together

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Reviews summary

Practical retail coaching skills

According to learners, this course provides highly practical and immediately applicable coaching techniques specifically tailored for the retail environment. Students appreciate the clear structure and actionable steps, particularly the focus on the five steps of coaching and the Coaching Skills Backpack. Many find the real-world examples and demonstrations particularly helpful in understanding how to apply the concepts like the Feedback Sandwich and in-the-moment coaching. While some reviews suggest it serves best as a strong foundation and could potentially benefit from deeper dives into certain topics, the overall consensus is that it is a valuable resource for front-line retail managers looking to improve their team leadership and performance.
Could benefit from more advanced or niche topics.
"While excellent for foundational skills, I would have liked to see a bit more depth on handling really challenging coaching situations."
"This course is a fantastic start, but managers dealing with complex performance issues might need supplemental resources."
"It provided a great overview, but some advanced techniques felt covered a bit quickly."
"Perhaps adding modules on coaching different personality types would enhance it."
Provides a solid basis for effective retail coaching.
"This course laid a strong foundation for understanding the 'why' and 'how' of coaching in retail."
"As a new manager, this gave me the confidence to start coaching my employees properly."
"It covers all the essential basics you need to know to begin coaching your team effectively."
"I feel I have a much better grasp on the fundamentals after completing this course."
Examples and demonstrations relate directly to retail.
"The demonstrations of the techniques in retail scenarios were spot on and really helped me visualize applying them."
"The examples used throughout the lectures felt very relatable to the challenges I face as a retail manager."
"It was great to see how concepts like 'Knocking on the Door' work in actual retail interactions."
"Using retail-specific examples made the content much more impactful than a generic coaching course."
Well-organized with actionable steps and frameworks.
"The five-step coaching process is easy to follow and provides a great framework for conversations."
"Loved the 'Coaching Skills Backpack' concept - it makes the different techniques easy to remember and choose from."
"The structure of the course, moving from fundamentals to specific skills, made it very easy to learn."
"The 'Four Be's of Coaching' tied everything together nicely at the end."
Techniques are immediately applicable in retail settings.
"I can start using these coaching skills with my team tomorrow. Very practical and relevant to my daily work."
"This course gave me specific techniques like the feedback sandwich that I can implement right away on the sales floor."
"The methods taught here are perfectly suited for the fast-paced retail environment. I feel more equipped to coach my team effectively."
"I appreciated how the lessons were focused on real scenarios a retail manager faces."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Coaching Skills For Retail Managers with these activities:
Review Communication Skills
Strengthen your foundational communication skills to improve your coaching effectiveness.
Browse courses on Active Listening
Show steps
  • Review materials on active listening and nonverbal communication.
  • Practice empathy and conflict resolution techniques.
Read 'The Coaching Habit'
Learn practical questioning techniques to improve your coaching skills.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Coaching Habit'.
  • Read the book, focusing on the seven essential coaching questions.
  • Reflect on how to apply these questions in your retail management role.
Develop a Coaching Skills Checklist
Create a checklist to guide your coaching sessions and ensure you cover key elements.
Show steps
  • Review the coaching steps and techniques from the course.
  • Create a checklist that includes these elements.
  • Use the checklist during coaching sessions to stay on track.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Role-play Coaching Scenarios
Practice applying coaching techniques in realistic retail scenarios.
Show steps
  • Identify common performance gaps in your retail team.
  • Create role-playing scenarios based on these gaps.
  • Practice coaching employees through these scenarios with a colleague.
  • Solicit feedback on your coaching approach.
Review 'Radical Candor'
Learn how to give effective feedback that is both honest and caring.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Radical Candor'.
  • Read the book, focusing on the four quadrants of radical candor.
  • Reflect on how to apply the principles of radical candor in your retail management role.
Create a Coaching Skills Presentation
Prepare a presentation to share coaching skills and techniques with your team.
Show steps
  • Summarize key coaching concepts from the course.
  • Include practical examples and scenarios.
  • Present the material to your team and facilitate discussion.
Implement a Coaching Program
Design and implement a structured coaching program for your retail team.
Show steps
  • Identify key performance areas for improvement.
  • Develop a coaching plan with specific goals and timelines.
  • Conduct regular coaching sessions with team members.
  • Track progress and make adjustments as needed.

Career center

Learners who complete Coaching Skills For Retail Managers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Retail Store Manager
A Retail Store Manager needs exceptional coaching skills to lead and develop their team. This course helps build the foundation for effective coaching by providing techniques tailored to the retail environment. You will learn how to address performance gaps, diagnose root causes, and implement remedies, ensuring employees reach their full potential. The course's emphasis on creating a productive coaching culture directly translates to improved team performance and customer satisfaction, essential for a successful Retail Store Manager. The course's lectures on the five steps of coaching and three foundational characteristics of good coaching may be particularly useful. Learning how to provide effective feedback and create a supportive environment, as taught in the section on the 'Four Be's of Coaching,' further enhances a manager's ability to lead and inspire their team.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager relies on effective coaching to drive sales performance and team success. This course helps develop essential coaching skills, specifically tailored to managing a retail-based team. You'll gain insights into identifying performance gaps, understanding their causes, and implementing effective solutions. The course's focus on coaching fundamentals, like choosing the right location and tone, helps to build a positive and productive coaching environment. This course may be useful in building rapport with employees and helping them develop their sales skills while also improving team performance as a key component of the Sales Manager role. Sales Managers may find the lectures on the 'Coaching Skills Backpack,' which equips you with various techniques for delivering coaching messages effectively, and the creation of a supportive coaching culture, incredibly valuable.
Customer Service Manager
A Customer Service Manager requires strong coaching abilities to ensure their team delivers exceptional customer experiences. This course helps cultivate these skills, focusing on techniques specifically applicable to the retail setting. The course equips you with strategies to address performance issues, identify underlying causes, and implement the appropriate solution. By emphasizing coaching fundamentals such as creating a positive environment and making time for individual development, the course helps to boost team morale and improve customer satisfaction. A Customer Service Manager benefits from the course's emphasis on building a productive coaching culture, empowering them to guide their team towards success in resolving customer issues and exceeding expectations. The 'Coaching Skills Backpack' will likely be valuable in developing effective strategies for providing feedback and guiding employee behavior.
Training Manager
A Training Manager designs and implements training programs to enhance employee skills and performance. This course may be useful by providing that manager with the skills to coach trainees. The course emphasizes the importance of coaching in retail management, along with how to implement basic techniques and advanced coaching skills to help employees close performance gaps. A Training Manager can better equip retail managers to coach their teams effectively. By understanding the 'Coaching Skills Backpack,' the manager can incorporate these skills into retail training programs, which will improve their success rate.
Human Resources Generalist
A Human Resources Generalist plays a vital role in supporting employee development and performance management. This course may equip an HR Generalist with relevant coaching skills to provide targeted guidance to retail managers. The course can serve as a foundation for developing internal coaching programs or providing resources to managers seeking to improve their coaching abilities. By understanding the principles of effective coaching and the techniques for addressing performance gaps, the Human Resources Generalist can promote a culture of continuous improvement within the retail organization. The 'Four Be's of Coaching' section may be particularly useful for someone in Human Resources.
District Manager
A District Manager oversees multiple retail locations, providing guidance and support to store managers. To be effective, a District Manager can use coaching to develop store managers, improve store performances, and ensure consistent brand standards across each location. District Managers may find the course to be helpful because it teaches coaching fundamentals, such as the best location and tone to use when coaching, the five steps of coaching, and techniques for making the right amount of time to coach. With a strong emphasis on creating and maintaining a coaching culture, a District Manager may improve leadership skills.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager ensures the smooth and efficient functioning of retail operations. This course may improve employee performance, reduce operational inefficiencies, and improve customer satisfaction. By mastering the coaching techniques taught, an Operations Manager can create a more engaged and productive workforce, leading to streamlined processes and improved profitability. The course's focus on the 'Coaching Skills Backpack' may provide an Operations Manager with the skills to provide targeted feedback and guidance to the store teams.
Team Lead
A Team Lead guides and supports a small team of retail employees, often focusing on achieving specific sales targets or customer service goals. This course may be useful by providing the coaching skills to mentor and develop team members, improve individual performance, and foster a collaborative work environment. This course emphasizes coaching fundamentals, such as the best location and tone to use when coaching, the five steps of coaching, and techniques for making the right amount of time to coach. The 'Coaching Skills Backpack' may be especially helpful in providing effective feedback and guidance to each member of the team.
Merchandise Manager
A Merchandise Manager focuses on optimizing product selection, display, and inventory levels to maximize sales and profitability. This course may be useful. The Merchandise Manager might coach employees who do in-store displays so that displays are not repetitive, help customers easily find what they are looking for, and draw the customer's eye. With the 'Four Be's of Coaching,' a Merchandise Manager may improve the team's skills in maintaining and improving on displays.
Loss Prevention Manager
A Loss Prevention Manager is responsible for minimizing theft and other forms of loss within a retail environment. This course may be useful for improving performance and maintaining honesty and integrity. Coaching skills may be useful for addressing performance issues or identifying and deterring potential threats. With the 'Feedback Sandwich,' the Loss Prevention Manager may be able to address performance issues without discouraging employees.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and closes specific projects, often requiring collaboration across different teams. This course may be helpful in improving communication and collaboration. Project Managers can develop the ability to coach project team members to improve their performance. The five steps of the coaching process, which are to recognize a performance gap, diagnose the root cause, find a remedy, teach the remedy, and follow up to ensure success, may be especially relevant to a Project Manager.
Business Consultant
A Business Consultant provides expert advice to organizations on how to improve their performance and efficiency. This course may be useful. Coaching skills can be applied in management settings, specifically retail management. This course may improve the consultant's client's coaching skills, as the five steps of the coaching process, which are to recognize a performance gap, diagnose the root cause, find a remedy, teach the remedy, and follow up to ensure success, are universally valued. The lessons, tools, and techniques provided in the course may aid the consultant in providing expert advice.
Market Research Analyst
A Market Research Analyst analyzes market trends and consumer behavior to advise companies on product development and marketing strategies. This course may be useful. If a Market Research Analyst were to study the relationship between certain retail products and employee performance, they may use the tools and techniques taught in this course to coach retail managers and employees.
Supply Chain Analyst
A Supply Chain Analyst optimizes the flow of goods and information from suppliers to customers. This course may be useful if the Supply Chain Analyst is working on behalf of a retail store. Supply Chain Analysts might use the coaching techniques here to address any performance concerns that might affect the supply chain, for example, shipping delays. With the 'Coaching Skills Backpack,' the analyst may be able to better influence others within the team.
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data to provide insights that drive business decisions. This course may be helpful if the Data Analyst works specifically in a retail environment. By coaching retail managers how to read data, the Data Analyst may be able to improve productivity. The 'Coaching Skills Backpack' may be particularly useful.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Coaching Skills For Retail Managers.
Emphasizes the importance of direct and honest feedback, balanced with caring personally for employees. It complements the course by providing a framework for delivering constructive criticism effectively. It helps retail managers create a culture of open communication and trust, leading to improved performance and employee engagement.

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