Spieckerman Speaks Retail

Retail’s reinvention will permanently transform organizational structures, roles, and responsibilities. New titles, new players, and flattened reporting structures are the new norm and no two retailers are taking the same approach. As new decision-makers and influencers step in, that spells opportunity for suppliers and solution providers that step up. So why are so many supplier companies still using old-school standards, to hire old-school talent, to take on retail’s new-school retail opportunities? As the retail game changes, so must your player line-up, particularly in sales and business development. In this episode, Carol draws powerful contrasts between traditional hiring standards and the new criteria that will power your retail business into the future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why contacts and connections no longer count

•        Why you can’t afford to let “lone wolves” go on the prowl  

•        Why gender balance (still) sets you apart 

•        Why alignment between sales and marketing is elusive (yet essential)

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As unpredictable, chaotic, and downright exhausting as 2020 has been, this is no time to take your foot off the gas. In fact, the fourth quarter and holiday retail season are a terrific time to make your move and pull out all the stops. After all, ‘tis the season when your retail partners are engaged and determined to make things happen while your competitors could be kicking back! In this episode, Carol shares personal anecdotes and real-world retail dynamics to support your end-of-year offensive. She wraps up the episode by revealing three shifts that will shape the 2020 holiday shopping season. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why retailers move faster at the end of the year

•        How holiday vigilance tees up your 2021

•        Three shifts that will shape the holiday shopping season 

•        Why price plunges may not materialize even as value prevails

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
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Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

We’ve all heard about mega-hype, when the benefits of something are exaggerated to the hilt. The opposite has taken hold in retail –

a condition Carol calls “nega-hype”. As tempting as it is to join the gloom-and-doom crowd, doing so is deadly to your retail positioning and business development. As pessimism hits a fevered pitch, Carol reveals powerful alternatives that drive differentiation and results for retail product, brand, and solution suppliers.

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why nega-hype is so pervasive

•        The best advice Carol received on staying in the game 

•        How price presumptions play into nega-hype

•        One question that will always set you in the right direction

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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Retailers are no longer just places that sell stuff, they are platforms that tie together products, services, data, content, acquisitions, partnerships and much more. It takes a lot of people to run those platforms and the cookiecutter organizational structures that defined retail for decades are being replaced by unique frameworks and new faces. So why are so many suppliers still relying on old-school contact targeting and limiting their outreach? In this episode, Carol cautions against stalking the “usual suspects” as COVID-19 narrows the retail playing field and provides tips and tactics for broadening your influence and staying in the mix.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to own your value harnessing the power of platform positioning
• Three rules to expand your retail reach and build influence
• How to put an end to giveaways and scope creep
• Why going for the close will clog your sales pipeline

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
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Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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Each week on Spieckerman Speaks Retail, Carol will be speaking on her Retail Trajectories – themes and calls to action that transcend categories, channels, business models and touch points.

As retail brand marketers, solution providers and platforms set their sights on fourth quarter and 2021, Carol launches her episode series, “8 Mistakes Retail Suppliers Can’t Afford to Make.” In the series, Carol will take on the top retail B2B positioning and business development hurdles suppliers experience and provide tactics and takeaways for conquering them once and for all.

Carol kicks off the series by cracking retail suppliers’ top business development killer: the “slow no.” Even though retailers are zooming along with acquisitions, technology launches, and partnerships, suppliers have found that this newfound sense of urgency isn’t always directed their way. In fact, getting the green light can still be a slog as personnel changes and strategy shifts chip away at suppliers’ post-pitch prospects. In this episode, Carol breaks down new rules and best practices for mitigating the slow no and revving your retail business development.

In this episode you’ll learn:

1. How your story can get “lost in transition” as retail’s revolving door spins
2. Why retailer’s short attention spans work to your advantage
3. Why “next steps” is the worst way to end a meeting
4. How to get back in the driver’s seat and control outcomes

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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Lately, the conversation in retail has been heavily weighted toward who’s going to make it and who’s on the retail ropes. But if links in the supply chain are broken, none of it matters because products never make it to market! Lynne Sprugel has been building those links throughout her career for retailers like J.C. Penney and Academy Sports. Now, as founder and CEO of Abuzz Global, she provides expansive strategic planning resources and cross-functional supply training to retailers, manufacturers, and other retail stakeholders. In this Voices of Retail Next interview episode, Carol and Lynne discuss shifts in the supply chain – many of which were cranking up long before the corona crisis – and where things go from here.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

1. Three shifts shaping supply chain strategy
2. The future of domestic manufacturing
3. Best practices and pitfalls of private brand development
4. Exciting developments on the sustainability front

Guest contact information:

Lynne Sprugel email [email protected]

Additional resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jstnCcxzduI

“The Current State of the Supply Chain” lecture with Lynne Sprugel and Dr. Sri Beldona

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
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Click and collect, drive up, drive through, home delivery, oh my!

Data confirms that no two consumers define convenience the same way. Yet, before the corona crisis took hold, some retailers had to learn the hard way that dictating choices to consumers just won’t work. Now, as safety emerges as a top consumer concern, retailers that went all-in on convenience and choice are gaining new ground. In this episode, Carol explores the link between convenience and safety and why retail will be operating in an “all of the above” environment going forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Non-price levers that you can pull right now, wherever you play in retail
• Why Amazon failed at redefining convenience
• How retailers’ convenience choices impact supplier success
• Why exploding store counts make sense right now

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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Retailers were rushing back to private brands before the pandemic rocked retail. Their big bets are paying off now as shoppers prioritize value. Retailers’ renewed enthusiasm for private brands has far-reaching implications for brand marketers, solution providers and retailers themselves. In this episode, Carol reveals the opportunities and challenges as the private brand bash kicks into high gear.

In this episode you’ll learn:

1. The new reasons why private brands are proliferating
2. Why brand marketers should position, not panic
3. How “secret brands” are diluting brand impact, and creating opportunities
4. How one brand party crasher is changing the game for everyone else

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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As retailers attempt to pull the trigger on reopening brick and mortar in a big way, they know they have to get it right the first time. Yet so much confusion surrounds what is even possible as the corona crisis plays out. Restoring consumer confidence will require clear answers, actionable best practices, and herculean effort. As CEO of facilities management leader, ServiceChannel, Tom Buiocchi is in the business of making that happen for over 500 name brands across 350,000-plus locations. In this Spieckerman Speaks Retail episode, Carol and Tom discuss what it will really take to get brick and mortar retail rolling once again.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

1. How data will drive retailers’ restart plans
2. Why retail formats and fixtures will never be the same in the wake of COVID-19
3. Which compliance tracking tools will emerge as high touch becomes high stakes
4. Why phased approaches are essential for being reopening-ready

Guest contact information:

Tom Buiocchi email [email protected]

LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombuiocchi/

Website www.servicechannel.com

Resources discussed in the episode

Webinar: www.servicechannel.com/reopening

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
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