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The need for vision

Visualising what success looks like is a key way to keep yourself focussed on what you want to achieve. It is the first point that Richard Hammond makes in his book Smart Retail and for the owner manager it is a vital one.

Mr Hammond writes about Bob Caton, who taught him the techniques of visioning. Mr Caton told him about the house he built for himself in Thailand. "He bought the patch of land as soon as he could afford to and then every night, at home in England, imagined himself sitting on the vehranda at a house that didn't exist. He would describe to himself how it would feel, the taste of the cold beer in his mouth, the warmth of the breeze on his arms...

"The next morning, he would repeat the process and no matter what lay in the day ahead he would get two things achieved - he would feel better about things that he was not all that keen on having to do and he got his house built."

The success of your business depends on your ability to motivate your team to deliver the agreed level of service and to be passionate about customer service. How you are motivated will affect their personal motivation. Having goals is important as it ensures that you have forward momentum, particularly at times when no particular challenge appears to be on the horizon - or in the next parade of shops.
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