Sector

Sub-Sector
Retail Operations

Retail Team Leader

Published by

Disclaimer
Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following organizations for endorsing the contents of this Participant Handbook; thus
contributing towards skills based on the Qualification Pack (QP) and National Occupational Standards
(NOSs).

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Participant Handbook

About the Book

This Participant Handbook is designed to facilitate training for Retail Team Leader Qualifications Pack (QP).
It provides learners with the necessary knowledge to carry out the job roles and functions of a Team Leader
effectively. The handbook describes strategies to organise product display and visual merchandising in
retail stores, besides processing sale of merchandise and maintaining availability of goods for sale. It also
focuses on ways to address customer needs, handle consumer queries, ensure effective teamwork, and
follow company policies towards health and safety. The handbook aims at rendering as much detail as is
required for a Retail Team Leader to work effectively and efficiently in any retail environment.
The handbook is divided into eleven National Occupational Standards (NOSs). NOSs are Occupational
Standards which have been endorsed and agreed to by the Industry Leaders for various roles. The OS
specify the standards of performance an individual must achieve when carrying out a function in the
workplace, together with the knowledge and understanding they need to meet that standard consistently.

Key characteristics of this handbook:

(i) It enhances the understanding about the policies and regulations in retail sector.
(ii) It provides guidance to perform essential functions safely and cautiously.
(iii) It helps learners understand the job role and responsibilities of a Team Leader in the Retail environment.

Symbols Used

The key learning outcomes are listed at Wherever possible, tips are included in
the beginning of each module. These every module. They provide additional
outline the focus areas that the learners insight to learners on a particular topic
will cover in every module. being discussed.

Key Learning Tips

Outcomes

These provide step-by-step instructions Notes at the end of each module is a

for a specific process. space for learners to list down their key
points related to the topic.

Steps Notes

It is designed to bring or create the These are listed at the beginning of each
condition for learning. unit under every module. They highlight
the focus areas that the learners will
cover in every unit.

Activity Unit
Objectives

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 Retail Team Leader

Table of Contents
S.No. Modules and Units Page No.
1. Introduction 1
UNIT 1.1: Retail Team Leader: An Overview 3
UNIT 1.2: Job Role, Responsibilities and Qualities of a Retail Team Leader 5
2. Organising the Display of Products at the Store (RAS/N0146) 11
UNIT 2.1: Prepare Products for Display 13
UNIT 2.2: Label Product Displays 23
UNIT 2.3: Arrange and Maintain Products for Display 27
3 Plan Visual Merchandising (RAS/N0139) 31
UNIT 3.1: Interpret Visual Design Briefs for Retail Display 33
UNIT 3.2: Role of a Visual Merchandiser in Improving Store Visual Appeal 39
UNIT 3.3: Elements of Display and Potential Places for Product Display 41
UNIT 3.4: Role of Props, Equipment and Materials in Display 44
UNIT 3.5: Updating Stock Records for Merchandise on Display 46
4 Establish and Satisfy Customer Needs (RAS/N0140) 51
UNIT 4.1: Provide Customers with Product Information 53
UNIT 4.2: Role of Product Demonstration in Driving Sales 55
UNIT 4.3: Assist Customers to Choose Products 58
UNIT 4.4: Gather and Analyse Customer Responses 60
UNIT 4.5: Sales Closure and Billing against Customer Purchases 63
UNIT 4.6: Develop and Maintain Good Rapport with Customers 65
5. Processing the Sale of Products (RAS/N0147) 69
UNIT 5.1: Provide Product Insights to Customers 71
UNIT 5.2: Point of Sale Procedures 73
UNIT 5.3: Modes of Payment Available to Customers 77
UNIT 5.4: Arrange Products for Sale 82
6. Maintain the Availability of Goods for Sale to Customers (RAS/N0148) 87
UNIT 6.1: Display Requirements and Types of Merchandise 89
UNIT 6.2: O
 rient and Train Team about Dressing Techniques and Role of Lighting in 93
Visual Displays
UNIT 6.3: E valuate Visual Effects of Displays 97
UNIT 6.4: M
 onitor and Inform Price Changes in Products 99
UNIT 6.5: Identify and remove Unwanted Materials 102
7. Allocate and Check Work in Team (RAS/N0131) 107
UNIT 7.1: Brief Team Members about Work Requirements and Standards 109
UNIT 7.2: Allocate Work Based on Skills and Knowledge of team members 116
UNIT 7.3: Plan Work to Make Optimum Use of Resources 119
UNIT 7.4: Seek Clarifications with Senior Authority 122
UNIT 7.5: Performance Appraisal of Team Members 124

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Participant Handbook

8. Monitor and Deal with Customer Complaints (RAS/N0150) 131

UNIT 8.1: O
 rganisational Procedures and Systems for Customer handling 133
UNIT 8.2: R
 esolution of Customer Service Issues 135
UNIT 8.3: Negotiation with Customers 138
UNIT 8.4: Identify Recurring Customer Service Problems 141
UNIT 8.5: Impact of Successful Problem Resolution on Customer Loyalty 142
9. Communicate Effectively with Stakeholders (RAS/N0145) 145
UNIT 9.1: R
 ole and Significance of Communication in an Organisation 147
UNIT 9.2: F ollow Organisational Standards during Communication 150
UNIT 9.3: C
 heck Proper Functioning of Communication Equipment 152
UNIT 9.4: Importance of Body Language and Feedback in Communication 156
UNIT 9.5: R
 ole of Communication in Resolving Conflicts 158
UNIT 9.6: Communicate with Customers in Respectful Manner 160
10. Maintain Health and Safety (RAS/N0122) 163
UNIT 10.1: Health, Safety, and Security Plans and Procedures 165
UNIT 10.2: Procedure of Safe Lifting and Handling of Goods 169
UNIT 10.3: Understand Hazards 173
UNIT 10.4: Report Safety Concerns and Emergency Medical Plan 177
UNIT 10.5: E vacuation Plan and Measures to Enhance Employee Health 181
11. Work Effectively in a Retail Team (RAS/NO137) 189
UNIT 11.1: Effective Communication and Teamwork 191
UNIT 11.2: Develop Healthy Relationships with Colleagues 199
UNIT 11.3: Plan and Organise Work Routine 202
UNIT 11.4: Collaborate with Colleagues to Achieve Targets 205
UNIT 11.5: Follow Personal Hygiene and Report Misbehaviour to Manager 210
UNIT 11.6: Maintain Balance between Work and Personal Priorities 213
12. Work Effectively in an Organisation (RAS/NO138) 217
UNIT 12.1: Achieve Organisational Goals through Teamwork 219
UNIT 12.2: F ollow Organisational Guidelines and Work Related Instructions 222
UNIT 12.3: O
 perating within the Scope of Job responsibility 225
UNIT 12.4: Set Realistic Targets and Flexible Work Plans 228
UNIT 12.5: Be Open to Feedback 232
13. Employability & Entrepreneurship Skills 237
UNIT 13.1: Personal Strengths & Value Systems 241
UNIT 13.2 : Digital Literacy: A Recap 255
UNIT 13.3: Money Matters 259
UNIT 13.4 : Preparing for Employment & Self Employment 266
UNIT 13.5: Understanding Entrepreneurship 274
UNIT 13.6: Preparing to be an Entrepreneur 294
Exercises: Answers 307

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 1. Introduction
Unit 1.1 - Retail Team Leader: An Overview
Unit 1.2 - Job Role, Responsibilities and Qualities of a
Retail Team Leader
Participant Handbook

Key Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. Define who is a Team Leader and his/her function in the store
2. Explain required attributes for a team leader
3. Understand the role and responsibilities of a team leader

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 Retail Team Leader

UNIT 1.1: Retail Team Leader: An Overview

Unit Objectives
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. Explain who is a team leader
2. Describe the functions of a team leader
3. Describe the required attributes for a team leader

1.1.1 Who is a Retail Team Leader?

A retail team leader is a person who holds a supervisory position directing the sales team in the retail
environment. It is his/her job to help implement a company’s sales strategy and ensure that the rest
of the sales team adheres to these guidelines.
He/She works to help implement and train the staff on executing sales techniques and services
within this framework.
He/She supervises the staff and reviews sales data to ensure that the entire team performs to his/
her expectations.

Fig. 1.1 Team Leader

1.1.2 What Does a Store Team Leader Do?

A store team leader will often be responsible for running a specific department or even a whole shift
of employees. The team leader can have multiple responsibilities depending on the nature of the
store and the number of other employees that work there. This is a good opportunity for individuals
who want to build a career in retail. It will help them gain management experience. Working as a
store team leader often provides opportunities for promotion when more upper-level managerial
positions open up.
Individuals who choose to become store team leaders, or who are chosen by a manager for this role,
would have worked their way up from a more entry-level position, such as a cashier or someone
working on the store floor to the position of a head cashier or some other type of supervisor who
will be responsible for managing his or her peers.

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Participant Handbook

Fig. 1.2 Team Leaders Role in Increasing Sale

The team leader is responsible for maintaining a specific department in the store, which could
include everything from organizing products for display, Planning Visual Merchandising, Processing
Sale of Products, Customer Relationship Management, Stock Merchandising to name a few. This
individual will also be responsible for motivating, encouraging, and giving directions to employees,
and in making sure the team follows the store policies and feels positive about the corporate culture.
A store team leader will often need to prepare reports that have to be presented to the upper
management and other department managers in the store.

1.1.3 Required Attributes for a Retail Team Leader

Retail team leaders involved in retail sales are expected to develop a few attributes, which are known
to aid their job performance.
A team leader involved in retail sales:

Should possess rela onship building skills to interact with clients and team members

Must be service oriented

Should have good supervisory skills

Should have excellent communica on skills

Should have a good temperament

Must possess computer skills (Microso , Excel)

Fig. 1.3 Attributes of a Retail Team Leader

Tips
There are a few challenges that a retail team leader is expected to handle while on duty. How would
you like to use your skills and experience effectively if you were hired for the job, is the question a
prospective team leader like you could be asked. When answering the question, you have to say
that you are motivated by challenges, have the ability to effectively meet challenges, and have the
flexibility and skills necessary to handle a challenging job.

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 Retail Team Leader

UNIT 1.2: J ob Role, Responsibilities and Qualities of a

Retail Team Leader
Unit Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
1. Explain the role of a team leader in a retail store
2. Understand job description of a team leader
3. Learn about the qualities of an effective/a good team leader

1.2.1 Role of a Team Leader in Retail

A team leader performs various duties in a retail business, which may differ on the discretion of the
retailer who employs him/her. However, responsibilities are the same across various online retailers,
retail stores and catalogue-order retailers. The key role of a team leader is to increase the efficiency
of the sales people who have been employed under him/her. All the other roles are basically an
extension of this key role.

Fig. 1.4 Team Leaders with Increasing

Sale

Training and Instructions

The role of a team leader also involves helping and training the new and existing sales people, so they
may acquire a competitive edge on the sales floor. It may comprise advise on handling challenging
customers, help on closing a particular sale or answers to frequently asked questions. Sales training
emphasizes on making sure the sales staff can input data or complete orders, follow company policies
pertaining to dealing with customers or colleagues and work on required machines. Such trainings
also focus on the adequate orientation of a sales person with his/her job and tips that improve his
or her job and sales performance.

Fig. 1.5 Instruction and Training given by

Team Leader

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Participant Handbook

Encourage, Applause and Give Rewards

There are few practices which a team leader should follow such as .
• Encourage his/her employees to achieve their individual sales targets. A team leader must
motivate his/her subordinates to consistently work hard for better results.
• Applaud the employees who perform well and use his/her sign-up or sale as an example to
encourage others.
• Reward his/her team members. Some of the common rewards are bonuses, small prizes and
“employee of the month” awards.
• Correct an employee’s mistake politely It will encourage them to work efficiently to meet their
sales targets.

Fig. 1.6 Colleagues Appreciating Team

Leader after a Presentation

Lead by Example
At a retail store, website or a catalogue call-centre, a team leader does not work up front, but rather
operates behind the scenes. Most situations require a team leader or supervisor to intervene from
the level of a sales associate. In such situations, a team leader needs to lead with an example.

Fig. 1.7 Leading by an Example

When interacting with customers, you must handle them the same way as you want your team
members to handle them. You must be humble, polite and obliging. Even if a customer becomes
hostile, you need to keep calm and deal with the situation as per the policy of the company. You must
avoid any sarcastic or rude comments and refrain from raising your voice.

Communicate Properly
You, as a team leader, need to complete your daily tasks and be open to listening to your sales team.
One of your roles is to act as a link between your team members and the higher management or

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 Retail Team Leader

your immediate boss. It is your duty to raise any concerns your team members have to your boss
about the inappropriate compensation, safety or unfriendly work environment. If you fail to do so,
you raise the risk of a team member escalating the issue to a higher authority, which undoubtedly
would not be a comfortable situation for you.

Fig. 1.8 Communication between the Team Leader and

Retail-Sales Employee

1.2.2 Job Description of a Retail Team Leader

A team leader’s job description in a retail store focuses on maximizing the organization’s sales.
• A team leader makes a sales person better and makes sure that he/she knows all the sales
strategies and techniques to accomplish the sales targets.
• A sales-team leader makes sure the sales department works in an organized and affable
manner. He/she makes sure the staff member maintains records efficiently, which includes
taking delivery notes for the department and entering sales data into the computers.
• Maintaining good customer relations is one of the most important and oldest sales strategies
to achieve high sales and a team leader must not take it for granted.
• A team leader should consider a customer as the king and imparts the same learning to his/
her team members, while teaching them better ways to handle their customers, right from
the moment a customer enters the retail store. The techniques include the manner in which a
customer must be greeted, responded to and answered to. A team leader teaches them to be
friendly and polite, as this motivates the customer to visit the store again for more purchases.
• When dealing with challenging customers, the sales people need to use refined language. Their
behaviour must be pleasant at all times.
• A team leader also makes sure that the sales people abide by the code of conduct laid down by
their organisation/organisations.
• A team leader motivates its sales-team members and encourages them to achieve their sales
targets while focusing on smart work not hard work.
• Sales personnel must also be motivated to work efficiently by creating a healthy competition
among them. It is the responsibility of a sales-team leader to reward a well-performing
employee in a way that is allowed by the organisation.
• A team leader can privately criticise people who have behaved in an unexpected manner those
sales persons.
• A team leader steps in for a settlement when there is a conflict between a customer and a sales person.
• Even when a customer is behaving aggressively and ruthlessly, a team leader must keep calm
and be polite when handling such matters.

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Participant Handbook

Fig. 1.9 Retail Sales Team Leaders

1.2.3 Qualities of a Good and Effective Retail Team Leader

Effective team leadership includes several attributes that can affect the working of a in a positive
manners. Below are some additional of an effective team leader attribute.
• Leads from the Front: Contrary to the old days when team leaders would simply just sit in the
administrative rooms while the real deal would happen at the battlefront. These days they
have to lead from the front. In today’s corporate environment, a team leader does not get any
respect unless he/she gets down to the brass tracks with his/her team members.
• Makes Decisions: The ability to make decisions is the most important characteristic that a team
leader needs to possess. A level-headed person needs to make decisions on various important
things in different scenarios in the professional world. If not taken properly, these decisions can
even negatively impact a person’s career and his/her teams work. Hence, one must make these
decisions carefully. Effective decision-making requires experience.
• Leads by Example: This is one of the most important qualities of a team leader. Leading by
example is one of the most effective ways to drive the team to achieve excellence. It is not an
easy task in this fast-moving world of today, but it is want which to make an effort.
• Maintains a Personal-Professional Life Balance: In the corporate world, an overlap between
personal and professional lives is common. Hence, a team leader must understand this
difference and respect the professional growth and personal life of the team members. Along
with this the team leader, should be able to maintain a balance in his/her life. Stress should not
affect his/her life in an adverse manner.
• Serves as a Cohesive Force: A team leader should act as a cohesive force amongst his/her
team members. Team members in a professional world can’t be on great terms at all times.
Hence, a team leader must ensure that the team members have a comfortable and productive
relationship with one another.
• Forgives, but does not Forget: An effective team leader remembers all the mistakes made by
the team members and ensures they are not repeated. However, he/she should make sure that
a member is not punished for a mistake unnecessarily.

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 Retail Team Leader

Leads from the

Front

Maintains
balance
between
Makes Decision
personal life
and
professional life

Attributes of a
ofTeam
TeamLeader
Leader

Works as a Serves as an
cohesive force example

Forgives, but
does not forget

Fig. 1.10 Team Leader’s Attributes

Tips
Given below are the major responsibilities that should be carried out by the team leaders:
• To maximise sales and service initiatives by actively approaching and assisting customers in
finding and purchasing the required merchandise that meets their requirements
• To lead and motivate sales team, to fully utilize and develop their skills and capabilities and
promotse a culture of high performance and consistent delivery
• To Plan and lead the daily team briefings that encourage contributions from the team whilst
promoting a culture of honesty that allows input on sales, product and operational changes
• To work with the senior management to set objectives and performance standards
• Through regular contact and conversation, monitor the performance of the team including
attendance, punctuality and personal appearance, to ensure that performance is on track.
• To take care of your personal health and safety and that of the others and report if these are
any health and safety concerns

Exercise
1. A retail team leader is a person who holds ............................. position and directs the sales
team in the retail environment.

2. A team leader should be ............................. oriented.

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Participant Handbook

3.. A team leader encourages his/her team to achieve their ............................. sales targets.

Service, Supervisory, department, individual

4. A store team leader will often be responsible for (tick the correct options)
(a) Handling a particular team of workers
(b) Running a specific department
(c) Managing an entire shift of employees
5. Match the following:
(a) A team leader is more like a (i) the team and the supervisor.
(b) A team leader should offer tips and (ii) disputes between sales associates and
training to Customers
(c) Team leader acts as a liaison between (iii) new and existing sales associates.
(d) Team leader is also responsible for (iv) department manager.
settling
6. Leadership is the ability to:
(a) Influence others
(b) Motivate others
(c) Enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organisation
(d) All of the above
7. Key characteristic(s) of a Team Leader include:
(a) Makes Decision
(b) Leads from the front
(c) Serves as an example
(d) All of the above

Notes
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