This document provides guidance and exercises for Bloomindale's managers on coaching sales associates in the moment. It encourages focusing coaching on reinforcing positive behaviors or redirecting negative ones. Sample scenarios are given that managers would role play responding to using the coaching formulas of reinforce (YOU + behavior + positive consequence) or redirect (I + feelings + behavior + negative consequence + question). The document stresses the importance of observation and feedback over multiple sessions to help associates improve their performance. Managers are tasked with selecting two associates to coach over 3 weeks using the provided worksheets to track the coaching process.

1. COACHING IN THE MOMENT
SMT/ASM GUIDE TO DEVELOPMENTAL CONVERSATIONS
WORKBOOK
2011

2. Coaching in the Moment 2011
TOGETHER WE MAKE BLOOMINGDALE’S ‘LIKE NO OTHER STORE IN THE WORLD’
Coaching Group Exercise:
Reinforce = YOU + specific behaviors + positive consequences
Redirect = I + feelings + specific behaviors + negative consequences + probe
Read each scenario below and we will have a group discussion about what you would say as you coach in the
moment using either the redirect or reinforce:
1. Looking Polished and Professional
Lola has been working with you for about a year. Her performance is good; she is making all of her goals in
credit and sales. She has a good temperament and handles her clients well. The only problem Lola has is her
appearance. Although she clearly puts a great deal of effort into her appearance it is not polished and
professional.
Today she has bright pink two-inch fingernails; purple eye shadow paired with hot pink lips and a platinum
blonde overly teased Dolly Parton style. Her clothing follows the same suit, she is in black but it is the fit and
cut of the clothing that is not b-style.
________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Clienteling
Cara, one of your newer associates seems to be getting the hang of things. She is friendly, approachable and
a great seller. She is also good at opening new accounts. She has not added any clients to her client book.
She has attended the Clienteling class but she seems resistant to call clients. She feels that it is a bother and
that it is pushy.
You have just observed her closing a large sale and she does not offer this service.
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____________________________________________________________________________
3. It’s not my customer
Dan is a great stock associate. He completes his tasks quickly and efficiently. He seems to be so focused that
he does not recognize customers, offer assistance, or show any concern.
You just witnessed a frustrated customer who walked up to Dan and said “finally I find someone who works
here – can you help me find this sheet in king size?” Dan said without looking up – “I am not a sales associate,
but if you go around the corner you will find someone at the next counter”.
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4. Yes I Can!
You overhear your sales professional Betty greet a customer by name, asking how their previous purchase of
Donna Karan bedding had worked out, while replenishing stock on to the floor.
____________________________________________________________________________
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Learning and Development Department 2

3. Coaching in the Moment 2011
Coaching individual exercise:
Part One: Circle the situations that require a more lengthy conversation (five-step format) than a simple
“redirect”.
Part Two: Use the redirect or reinforce when selected by the facilitator.
1. You overhear an associate direct a customer to another store in the mall when he inquires about a
luggage line you do not think you carry.
2. You observe your associate clock-in for work and then put away his/her lunch in the employee lounge
and use the bathroom.
3. You overhear your department’s mentor tell your new hire that it is unlikely he/she will meet the new
account goals.
4. You observe your support professional direct a customer to Men’s Clothing (officially escort to the
department) and introduce the customer to a sales professional.
5. You observe your associate leaning against the cash wrap while customers are looking at merchandise
in the department.
6. You observe your associate tell a customer this is all you need (referring to a CRL label) when a
customer asks for a gift receipt for a comforter set he was purchasing for his daughter. The customer
wanted the receipt.
7. You observe the mentor in your department share with your new hire the importance of offering a
Bloomingdale’s card even during return interactions.
8. You observe your associate complaining about the Company to a customer while ringing the
transaction.
9. You observed your associate offer the service of gift-wrap to a customer who was purchasing an
anniversary gift for her husband. What you heard was: ”Hey don’t forget to take advantage of
complimentary gift wrap for our Ultimate Premier card holders.”
10. You overhear two sales professionals exchange “bad return” war stories on the sales floor in the
earshot of other customers.
11. You observe your associate point to the luggage department when a customer approaches inquiring
about a Tumi garment bag.
12. You overhear two sales professionals talking about their recent dates the weekend before and
engaging in inappropriate conversation with other associates present.
13. You observe the support professional answer the phone (with the appropriate phone greeting) in your
department because the sales professional was engaged with multiple customers.
14. You are a manager in RTW and are standing in the gift-wrap line overhearing the gift-wrap associates
complaining about the Company as they wrap packages.
15. Your associate has body odor and the problem is causing negative discussion on the floor between her
peers.
Learning and Development Department 3

4. Coaching in the Moment 2011
Real life practice:
Do you want to see more of the behaviors? Describe what you saw and the positive consequence.
Reinforce
You + specific behavior + positive consequence
Do you want to see behaviors that you did not observe or ensure you do not see behaviors repeated? Describe how you
felt about what you saw and the negative consequence of those behaviors, then bring the sales professional into the
conversation with a question.
Redirect
I + feelings + specific behavior + negative consequence + probe
Write your scenario:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reinforce or redirect? Write how….
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Write your scenario:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reinforce or redirect? Write how….
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning and Development Department 4

5. Coaching in the Moment 2011
Back on the Job due March 4th
SMT/ASM:
1. Select 2 sales professionals for whom you will provide focused coaching over the course of the next 3 weeks.
2. Complete the coaching cycle, repeat observation and feedback throughout 3 weeks and record
On the attached worksheets
3. Email to Lisa Blazek and cc your supervisor and GM (SMT) and Divisional (59th
St.).
I. Plan:
• Identify skill gap: where actual performance is vs. expected performance
• Meet with sales professional and review expectations vs. current performance
• Tell sales professional that you will be observing and providing feedback on this topic
over the next month
• Express confidence in their ability to improve performance
II. Observe:
• Prioritize time in your day to observe sales professional
III. Provide Feedback:
• Reinforce and redirect. Remember catch them doing something right 75% of the time.
4. Record impact of your conversations and lessons learned
SMT/ASM Supervisor:
1. Observe your direct report reinforce and redirect throughout the course of the next 3 weeks.
2. Provide SMT/ASM with feedback on their coaching performance using coaching formula.
3. Complete coaching cycle with SMT/ASM recording information on attached worksheet
4. Email to Lisa Blazek and cc your supervisor and GM (SMT) and Divisional (59th
St.).
Learning and Development Department 5

6. Coaching in the Moment 2011
Worksheet
Sales Professional Name:__________________________
Plan:
What is the specific performance expectation you will be coaching?
What are the expected/standard behaviors and metrics?
What are the sales professional’s actual behaviors?
Actual metric?
Observe and Give Feedback:
Week Observed Behaviors Coaching and result Metric
1
2
3
Learning and Development Department 6

7. Coaching in the Moment 2011
Worksheet
Sales Professional Name:__________________________
Plan:
What is the specific performance expectation you will be coaching?
What are the expected/standard behaviors and metrics?
What are the sales professional’s actual behaviors?
Actual metric?
Observe and Give Feedback:
Week Observed Behaviors Coaching and result Metric
1
2
3
Learning and Development Department 7