4 Ways Your Staff Can Help Increase the Profitability of Your Pharmacy

As a small business owner, you’ve put a lot of time and effort into hiring the right people – those who you think will stay and contribute to the overall success of your business. Whether you realize it or not, your staff is the face of your pharmacy. Their personalities and the way they interact with your customers and perform their daily tasks is a direct reflection of how well you do your job as a business manager. So, how do you motivate your employees to perform to the best of their ability? Here are some tips:

Set Appropriate Standards and Goals

Ina healthy work environment, everyone knows exactly what is expected of them. Setting goals infuses daily work with a sense of purpose and holds everyone accountable. It may come in the form of enforcing standards of professional conduct or in coaching your employees to sell more products. For example, if you are working toward the improvement of your team’s cross-selling techniques, a goal would look like setting a target of X number of customers that purchase a particular product, to also purchase a beneficial vitamin supplement. Or it may be something more simple like teaching your staff to reduce prescription refill times. Whatever standards and goals you decide to improve on first, be sure to make your expectations clear to everyone who will be held accountable for reaching them.

Tie Performance Standards to Compensation

With everyone aware of what is expected from their positions, develop a reward system to praise your staff for a job well done. Besides financial compensation, you may choose to reward your team with gift cards to their favorite restaurants or simply take them out to lunch to celebrate successful project completion and other team milestones. Even small gestures like sending a thank you note or giving a shout-out to your superstar employee in a weekly team meeting goes a long way.

Track and Publish Positive Results

Rewarding each employee for individual accomplishments should be done in the context of the mutual team effort. By tracking the results of performance closely and announcing the positive gains in team meetings, you will generate positive competition, help boost productivity and increase performance.

Ensure Their Happiness

The happiest employees are the ones who consider their jobs meaningful and valuable. They are more willing to engage with customers and provide excellent service than those who simply come in to punch the clock. Keeping your employees happy isn’t as difficult as you may think and increasing salaries is not the only way to create happiness in the workplace. By providing positive feedback, making yourself available for conversations and showing respect, you can considerably increase your employee morale and create a happy and stable work environment.

As an independent pharmacy owner, you rely on your employees and their ability to run daily operations. Let them know what is expected, track overall performance, and reward those who excel. These tips can not only keep your employees happy, but they can also ensure your pharmacy is positioned for growth.

Looking for more tips on how to increase your pharmacy’s profits? Download our free eBook 3 Innovative Ways to Compete in the Pharmacy Market