Kevin Graff - President

What are your retail roots?
Well, retail has been ‘in my blood’ for a very long time. Like many, I earned my first few dollars working in a variety of retail jobs. Selling men’s wear, bicycles, running shoes, food and furniture, I learned the retail ropes from the ground up! I can say that back then I fell in love with being on the sales floor, was a good student of retail and today, I often rely on many of those lessons learned long ago.

What is the Graff Retail philosophy on retailing?
Simple answer for us. We believe, no … we know, that every retailer can sell more of what they sell through their staff. We’ve proven that again and again over the past 20 years. Retailers need to get as serious about their staff performance as they are about their inventory performance.

Why is retail your focus?
We love it! We love the people, the excitement, the never ending changing marketplace. Back in 1988 when we started we knew that retail was the one thing we knew best. We knew we had something to offer retailers that made sense then. Today, we’ve grown to become the leaders in our industry in Canada, and we still remain true to our purely retail focus.

What is the biggest impact Graff Retail
has on its clients?
For most of our clients it comes down to one thing … increased sales. And we deliver.
But, we also succeed at driving down staff turnover rates in the process. In todays tough hiring markets, that’s essential.
What our client’s love is that we set them up with sustainable training systems that keep working months and years after we’ve left the ‘set’. We’re not talking a ‘flash in the pan’ approach. We believe in doing it right.

How would clients describe your
training style?
We hear the same words over and over again from the participants in our programs; passionate, dynamic, informed, never boring, relevant, current, and professional. My favourite is when a participant asks me “how long have you worked for our company?” That’s a big compliment in my books, because it speaks to the commitment we have to doing in depth design in all of our programs. It’s rewarding to hear so often that participants think our training programs are the best they’ve ever attended.

Most common mistake retailers make?
Failing to understand the incredible amount of lost sales dollars that are walking out their stores every day. Just sit on a bench outside any store for an hour one day and watch the lost opportunities. If retailers got committed to properly training and managing the staff performance in their stores, their conversion rates and average transaction values would skyrocket.

Biggest challenge in next decade?
Increasing consumer expectations. Consumers are being offered more and better choices than ever before. That pace of change is going to get even faster. Customers are becoming more knowledgeable, and rightfully more demanding of the in-store shopping experience.
For retailers, that means front line staff and management are going to need to step up their games significantly. If you’re not serious about staff performance now, it’s time to step up your game.

How does Graff Retail stay on top?
Somehow, we got this DNA that doesn’t allow us to fall behind. Maybe it’s a total fear of failure that drives us. I don’t know for sure. What I’m confident of is that our commitment to driving retail results for our clients will never lessen. We love retail. We get our kicks out of seeing staff grow and become more successful, more confident. After 20 years in this business, I’m more passionate than ever about what we do for our clients and the great retail employees we get to meet and
work with.

What can we expect from Graff Retail in the next few years?
Hold on tight! We’re grabbing hold of online learning in a big way. Plus, our team of retailing professionals is growing so we’re able to be even more responsive to our clients needs. And, internationally, watch for Graff Retail to become known around the globe.
It’s going to be a fun ride!

Linda Montalbano - Vice President

How did your retailing career begin?
I got into retail like so many others … by accident! I couldn’t find a job in my field after University so I took a job in retail. My poor mother was devastated to learn that I was selling leather! Looking back, I’ve never made a better decision in my life. I love what I do! I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished to date.

Why did you join decide to switch teams and join the training/consulting side of the business with Graff Retail?
We used many of Graff Retail’s training and management systems where I worked in retail on the front-line and they worked! I shared the same passion for helping retail staff succeed that exists at Graff Retail. It was a perfect fit for me.

So you actually hired Graff Retail in your past as a head of store operations! What were the results in store after implementing the Graff Retail systems?
Everything went up! Sales, conversion rates, average sale and items per sale. I don’t know what more we could have asked for!

You seem very passionate about retailing in general. Where does your passion come from?
I’m extremely proud to be part of this industry. I was Vice President of Store Operations for Danier Leather prior to joining Graff Retail. But, being a Store Manager and District Manager were the most challenging roles I’ve ever held. I don’t think most people really appreciate the skills required to run a retail store and unfortunately, retail still has a stigma attached to it. My mission is to help people succeed and feel good about what they do in the retail industry. I can accomplish this in my current role.

How would a retailer identify the need for additional training systems or consulting services?
Every retailer has to look at their metrics and determine if they are really maximizing the investment in their staff. Determine if there is a lack of consistency in performance from store to store. Challenge the staff turnover rate with Managers, District Managers and front-line staff. Look at the feedback from customer surveys. Some retailers actually believe inconsistency and substandard staff performance is just part of the business. These are the same retailers who are missing huge opportunities every minute their stores are open.

Is there any retailer too big or too small for Graff Retail?
We work with retailers who have fewer than 10 stores and we work with retailers that have over 1000 stores. What all of our clients have in common is a belief that they can sell more through their staff. That’s exactly where we ‘fit in’ with them.

When you take on a new client, where do you start? How do you determine what is needed to best drive store performance?
After we meet with our client we spend time on the front-line, working, observing and talking to staff and customers. Our assessment will ensure that we get to the root of a problem. We really need to understand what is happening before we can make recommendations. As a solutions-based company, we are committed to creating answers that actually work!

How would your clients describe your personal training style?
I’m very passionate about what I do, and that certainly comes across when I speak to audiences. I don’t seem to have a problem getting my point across. And because I don’t take myself too seriously, getting laughs is pretty easy.

Are there any developing trends in training that retailers should be aware of?
Customers are becoming more educated, and more demanding. They expect, and deserve, a great in-store shopping experience. This trend is only going to intensify in the years ahead. This means a greater demand on store staff to be educated, engaged and able to work effectively with customers. If you don’t invest in your staff, you’ll lose this game.

What is your best piece of advice for all the retail executives out there?
GET INTO YOUR STORES!!! The customers and staff are in the store.  Go meet them.  Listen to them.  Learn from them.  Every Friday should be a ‘no office day’!

Evelyn Stocco - Director of Training

Every training team needs a world-class program design architect. At Graff, Evelyn Stocco puts her 20 years in retail training and operations to good use as she conceptualizes and crafts the industry’s best training tools. Evelyn has that very rare combination of talents from having worked in retail for years, while at the same time being a master of training program design.

What drives you as a program designer at Graff Retail?
I know firsthand the impact a good training program has on performance. When designing any program at Graff, my objective is always to make a difference for both the front line and bottom line. I’m only ever interested in designing something that really works, is feasible and gets the desired results.

Wow! 20 years in retail is very impressive. How did you end up specializing in training program design?
My passion for retail has allowed me to experience many retail positions, everything from sales to executive level. Through this journey I discovered I had a knack for finding a better way – whether it was to increase performance results, efficiency, or morale. So, I started pitching my ideas and systems to the decision makers and the rest is history.

What is your best piece of advice for all the retail trainers out there?

• Get out in the field. Work in a store to get a feel for reality and be sure to talk to your customers; both external and internal.
• Learn about your audience’s strengths and challenges.
• Discover what’s working and what’s not and then take it from there.

Dan Bigonesse - Senior Training Consultant

Daniel is our bilingual trainer and program designer. He's perhaps the most dynamic and creative trainer in the country. Daniel continually finds ways to solve client problems and then dazzles his audiences in his training programs.

What makes you passionate about training?
I wake up every morning of a training session and I’m just completely stoked about standing in front of a room of participants knowing that I can help them be better at what they do, be more successful.

I live for what I call the “light bulb moment” – the moment when I see a participant shaking their head in agreement and that fictitious light bulb illuminate over their head. That’s what gets me out of bed every morning!

You have a reputation as being a very creative trainer. How do you make retail training programs fun and fresh each and every time?
Creativity – that scary word that means something different to everyone. The only thing I have to say about creativity is that everybody is creative in their own way. I have made it my mission in life to help people explore and leverage their creativity. All my training programs are designed and facilitated to help participants use their creativity in a positive way.

As far as my own creativity goes, I just always make it apriority to ensure participants have a great time. I firmly believe that people learn better when they are having fun.

What are your training roots?
My start in the training industry was a fluke really. It was only supposed to be a part-time gig until I another “real” job. Well, almost 20 years later and I’m still here and still loving it! I must admit that I have really been fortunate to have designed and facilitated a wide range of training programs for a group of really fun clients. I have had the chance to design and deliver sales training programs, customer service programs and communications skills programs for some of the largest North American retailers. I have also been involved in facilitating many new product ideations, strategic planning sessions and marketing planning sessions for some of the largest brands in the world. And, on top of that, for the last ten years I’ve had the pleasure to work with Graff Retail, helping develop and deliver the most innovative retail training programs in the industry – what more can a trainer ask for!

Word is out about your trademark trainer “move.” How did you perfect the deep knee bend?
Ah yes, the deep knee bend. Well, that is my signature move, isn’t it?! I wish I could tell you that it’s a planned thing, but it really isn’t. It’s completely instinctive behavior that I wasn’t even aware of until someone pointed it out. My body knows when I need to put emphasis on an important learning point and the deep knee bend is that emphasis; a bodily exclamation point if you will!

Mary Gordon - Senior Training Consultant & Business Development

Our resident entrepreneur is in charge of new business at Graff Retail, while still flexing her training and speaking muscles to help her fellow retailers. With a 20 year retail history running the gamete from store owner to Marketing Director for a leading Canadian retailer, Mary Gordon is a jack-of-all retail-trades.

Most people stumble into retail as a career. How did you get your start?
I guess you could say I was born into it. I grew up working in my father’s retail stores and was on the sales floor at a very young age. I did not stumble into retail; in fact, it was my first love right out of high school. I pursued a college education specifically in Retail Management, where I graduated with honors and was a 2 x scholarship winner. Right after graduation, I opened my first retail shop in historic Niagara-on-the-Lake. Being an independent retailer really earned me my “jack-of-all-trades” distinction that I still carry with me today.

When did you develop your love for training?
My first taste of training came when developing employee orientation and selling programs for my own stores. I knew first hand that knowledgeable and confident sales staff meant bigger and better sales for the business. Later in my corporate retail career, I was assigned the role of lead trainer for all new store managers for a large Canadian chain. I really thrived on building my programs and delivering the learning to a large group. From there, I moved on to oversee the customer experience for the entire company. It was this role where my training passion really sparked. I produced and hosted a full library of training videos to reach over 1000 sales associates on the chain’s frontline.

Your retail career seems to have taken a curvy path from independent retailer, to corporate executive and now Graff Retail. Why Graff?
I had my sights on Graff Retail for many years. Graff is the absolute best in retail training and consulting, so of course I wanted to be a part of its team of experts. If seemed like an obvious progression for me and my range of retail and marketing experience is put to good use here. At Graff we are all retailers FIRST, so the fit couldn’t be better!