Page 68 - enLIGHTenment - November 2017

Measuring Up

It’s the right time of year for showroom

owners to evaluate the performance of

speci c aspects of their business.

BY MARK OKUN

W

hen the goal is to improve the performance of a process, a strategy, an individual,

performance of any aspect of or an organization. They are the unbiased achieve-
your business – sales, delivery, ments of selected aspects of performance as it

professional development, or relates to the goals and benchmarks set earlier in
service – the only way to ac-
the year. This is real data that supports – or dimin-

complish it is to measure actual results against ishes – the impression that subjective information

goals and standards.
makes and is easy to nd in conversation with
O en referred to as Key Performance Indica- team members. Collecting data is only a bene t

tors (KPI), this is any metric used to measure if it is used to make improvements, corrections in
performance. Showrooms can use a variety of direction, coach behaviors, and improve results.

measurements that relate to the activities they
PeoPle Do What You InsPect,
want to improve.
While there are regularly used measurements not What You exPect

in retail (i.e. the September 2017 On the Mark ar- “Inspect what you expect” is a well-worn leader-
ticle Sales Management Is About More Than Just ship quote that provides an accurate direction

Numbers), there are no standards for which KPIs of what to do — but without more information, it

are selected. The indicators put in place are the
falls short on just how to do it. If you only have
guideposts of the progress of the individual initia- KPIs without regular sta interaction, you will not

tives related to an overall strategic goal.
increase performance or create new habits.
KPIs are essential when managing the
Using KPIs to reach success requires

66 enLIGHTenment Magazine | noveMber 2017
www.enlightenmentmag.com