Sling is now Sling by Toast! Learn more

Sling, the renowned employee scheduling software, has now become Sling by Toast. This acquisition aims to enhance team management by integrating more robust scheduling, communication, and task management features into Toast's ecosystem.

Key Features

• Labor Costs: Optimize your labor costs with precise scheduling.
• Task Management: Assign and delegate tasks effectively per shift or employee.
• Time Clock: Accurately track employee work time from anywhere.
• Multiple Work Locations: Easily schedule and communicate across multiple locations.
• Communication: Stay in touch with messaging, newsfeed, and more.
• Integrations: Manage all your work from a single, easy-to-use platform.

Industries We Serve

Sling by Toast caters to a wide range of industries, including:

• Restaurants
• Entertainment
• Emergency Services
• Retail
• Call Centers
• Caregiving
• Hospitality
• Education
• Security
• Healthcare
• Nonprofits
• Banking

Retail Management 101: 20 Skills You Need to Have

Effective retail management requires a vast array of skills. In a broad sense, those skills boil down to managing your time, managing your staff, managing their training, and managing change.

1. Prioritize Problems

If you work in retail management, you’re going to deal with problems. It’s just a part of the job. Learning to prioritize and tackle issues in order of importance is crucial.

2. Don’t Waste Your Time

Avoid distractions such as unnecessary online activities, and empower your employees to solve minor issues themselves. This helps you stay focused on significant business issues.

3. Learn to Say No

As a retail manager, saying "No" to opportunities that are not in the best interest of your business is essential for maintaining focus and achieving success.

4. Look for Specific Traits When Hiring

Hire employees who already possess essential traits like efficiency, friendliness, and good organization. Training these traits is much more challenging than training for specific retail tasks.

5. Set Realistic Goals

Set reachable, realistic goals for your team to maintain their morale and improve performance incrementally.

6. Schedule Employees Effectively

Use tools like Sling to streamline the scheduling process, ensuring every shift has the right mix of skills and experience.

7. Learn to Delegate

Delegating responsibilities helps you get more done and develops your employees' skills, preparing them for more significant roles in the future.

8. Encourage Cooperation

Fostering a sense of cooperation through team-building exercises and collaborative tasks creates a cohesive unit that works well together under pressure.

9. Be Ready to Innovate

Stay ahead of industry trends and be willing to implement changes to improve processes and customer experience.

10. Display a Positive Attitude

Your attitude affects your team and customers. Maintaining a positive outlook helps create a more productive and pleasant work environment.

11. Demonstrate Stability

Providing consistent communication and clear expectations helps your team adapt to the ever-changing retail environment.

12. Plan Ahead

Anticipate and mitigate potential issues by planning ahead, ensuring smoother operations and less stress for your team.

13. Reward Good Work

Recognize and reward your employees' efforts to boost morale and encourage a culture of excellence.

14. Strengthen Your Customer Service Skills

Model exemplary customer service behaviors to set a high standard for your team.

15. Develop an On-the-Job-Training Program

Continuous training enhances team performance, reduces mistakes, and improves overall business operations.

16. Build a Strong Company Culture

Promote values, behaviors, and habits that contribute to a positive and productive work environment.

17. Prioritize Fitness

Maintain both physical and mental fitness to handle the demands of retail management effectively.

18. Build Your Ability to Multitask

Develop your multitasking skills to manage multiple responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed.

19. Communicate Well

Clear communication helps resolve issues, fosters engagement, and makes customers feel valued.

20. Promote Diversity

Encourage a diverse workforce to bring in a variety of perspectives and skills, improving overall team performance.

Master These Skills One at a Time

Instead of trying to master everything at once, take it slow and learn these skills one at a time. Start with the most critical skill and practice it until it becomes part of your management style before moving to the next.

Take Retail Management to the Next Level

Enhancing your retail management skills requires commitment and time, but the results are worth the effort. Tools like Sling can help simplify employee scheduling, track time, manage tasks, and improve communication, making your job easier and your business more efficient.