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SMAR T MAN A GEMENT VISION Musical Chairs Sometimes a little switch brings a big payoff When it comes to training and schedul- ing, I have learned some very painful lessons. I missed opportunities in who I trained on what, and who I scheduled when and with whom. In my early years of business, I thought that if the person did not fit the particu- lar mold I was looking for, it was time to get rid of them and find somebody new. The painful lesson I learned was when I would run into that person later on and they were excelling at their new position. I noticed that they were filling a role I could have used, and doing very well at it. I was trying to get them into a position that was not the right fit for them. It reminded me of the old adage, "You can't fit a round peg in a square hole." As I have grown, I have realized that employees are truly like a family. And just like when we go on a family trip, I want my whole family in the car, but what is the correct seat for each person to be in? If I have my children in the passenger 163 SMART TAN MAGAZINE [ SmartTan.com seat reading the map, we just might end up veering off course. Even more, it is not safe for them to be sitting in the front should we get into an accident. This is the same thought process I apply to my employees. I learned that I needed to do a better job identifying the correct "seat" for them in my business – how can I use their natural talents and abili- ties to fit the needs that I have? Looking at employees this way has made the entire process of staffing my business much easier. In regards to training, the employee is eager to learn something that comes naturally to them, and thus is more invested. As far as employee retention is concerned, the employees enjoy what they are doing, so they are more apt to stay with the company lon- ger. And because I was not forcing the employee to be something that they were not, morale within the business went up. Getting the employees in the correct role has also increased our sales. With the staff in a better mood, they are more pleasant to our customers. This improves the overall customer experience, which is a major factor in consumer buying decisions. Overall, finding the right place for employees in your business can save a lot of money and headaches in the long run: Increased sales, decreased training expenses and improved employee reten- tion all make for a happy salon owner. Jerry Marfut is a veteran indoor tanning executive and trainer who now serves as a regional director for 7-Eleven franchise operations in Colorado. He has designed sales and management training programs for indoor tanning for more than 15 years. Coupled with his new career as a regional director for 7-Eleven's FRUSRUDWH RIÀFH 0DUIXW KDV XQLTXH LQVLJKW LQWR ERWK VDOHV WUDLQLQJ procedures and successful store operations and management.