Appendix II. Take-action time

Smart Retail is all about the practical. I urge you, please, have a crack at this little personal exercise which is designed to get you started on the route to change. I like selling lots of books, but that process is only really rewarding when I hear that readers have actually used them to make positive moves forward. This exercise is an effective way to kick-start that.

Quickly write down the answers to these four questions. Do it automatically, without over-thinking it. Try to keep writing continuously without pausing. Once you’ve done that, then you can go back over them and do some trimming and tidying. Tackling this exercise this way helps you to be more honest and more practical in your choices.

• What five things have jumped out at you from the pages of this book?

• What is the first thing you plan to do tomorrow morning?

• What objectives will you set for yourself over the rest of the month?

• What are the changes you want to see in your own management style this year? How will you make these changes?

Time plan

And now, more formally, spend a little time filling out this timed plan. Please be honest, stretching, and practical.