Tagging Along

March 18, 2014

Right now I am accompanying my husband to a retail trade show in his field and it affords me an opportunity to check out a few ideas I have about my world versus his. I have always said I couldn’t work retail. My passion continues to be the kids and adults we support at Latham Centers. I like my non-profit world and consider our work important, our employees the key to our success. So, while wandering the convention center filled with booth after booth of sparkling gems, I decided to see if there is anything I could learn from this event that could be applied to my field.

Not surprisingly, there was one major take-away that jumped right out at me. It didn’t matter what the objects on display were, and trust me, there were some truly phenomenal pieces, it was the engagement of the person in the booth. I looked for those representatives who were excited by their product–those who were chatting, laughing or greeting people, friends or strangers alike. That I believe, is the key.  Whether you represent a jewelry line or a program such as ours, you need to be committed to it and love it with your heart and soul. When you do, that vibe can be felt by those nearby.  That’s what makes it compelling to stop and check your product out. Latham has that vibe. The staff and our students and adults are our best reps too. Seeing their joy, perseverance, courage, compassion and talent makes it my gem of a workplace and thank goodness, because I really can’t handle retail….

Submitted by:
Chris Gallant