English in Business Situations | Retail Manager | 49
In this English in business situations conversation, Rachel and Emma talk about Rachel’s work as a manager of a retail store that sells clothes and home goods. Listen for common business phrases like ‘hiring process’ and ‘sales goals.’
To listen, press play in the audio player.
Emma (00:02):
You are listening to Dialogue Frog's English in business situations. So, how's work going?
Rachel (00:10):
It's going good. It's getting busy.
Emma (00:12):
Is it really?
Rachel (00:13):
Mm hm. For the listeners, um, I work in a retail store. I'm a manager at a retail store, um, that sells clothing, some home goods, kind of, shoes, a little bit of everything.
Emma (00:27):
So w-why is it getting busy right now?
Rachel (00:30):
Uh, because the seasons are changing, usually, especially with apparel, when the seasons change, people need new clothes, obviously, shorts and tank tops, and maybe some light rain jackets, that kind of stuff.
Emma (00:45):
So then, uh, because of the seasons are changing, d- is your, you probably have your, your corporate is setting a different sales margin for you.
Rachel (00:53):
Yup. We get sales targets every day, sales goals, um, and different metrics that measure our success. Yeah. And we have different ways to look at that every day and kind of adjust, um, depending on the business needs.
Emma (01:09):
So as a manager, um, are you measured against your sales goals?
Rachel (01:15):
Yes, we are. Um, corporate gives us our estimated plan for the day. Um, usually it's in terms of dollars and the good thing is when we beat that sales goal we're, we're doing well, or, you know, turning a profit, that's what we want to be doing is, you know, make money, obviously.
Emma (01:37):
Of course. Uh, so moving on to a different topic, um, as a manager, you also have, um, employees, um, so can you talk a little bit about, uh, what it's like to manage employees or like the hiring process?
Rachel (01:54):
Well, for a corporatized store, um, like the one I work at it's, um, I prefer to think of it as more of a leader because big stores like this, it's a, it's a team effort, it's a group effort. And even though as a manager, I'm held accountable for my metrics and my sales and all those numbers, I still need a team of employees to make it happen. That's true of any, any big business and any big business, anything that's not like a mom and pop or family run operation as you need a team of people. And so I prefer to think of it as being a leader and and leading by example, um, instead of a manager is kind of how I've learned over the years, learned how to, um, run a business.
Emma (02:46):
That sounds pretty great. It sounds like you're probably, uh, a pretty great manager.
Rachel (02:51):
I try. That's what I'm paid for.
Emma (02:54):
Well, thanks for talking to us today. Um, and having this, uh, English in business situations conversation with us, at Dialogue Frog.
business
situations
How's work going?
listeners
retail
manager
clothing
home goods
a little bit of everything
seasons
changing
especially
apparel
obviously
shorts
tank tops
light
rain jacket
stuff
corporate
setting
different
sales margin
sales targets
sales goals
metrics
measure
success
adjust
depending on
needs
manager
measured against
estimated
in terms of
beat
turning a profit
topic
employees
manage
hiring
process
corporatized
leader
team effort
group effort
accountable
big business
mom and pop (type store)
family run
operation
leading by example
run a business
