Energizer Stores
Owner: Nicholas Vendittelli
Utica, MI
Nicholas Vendittelli tells his employees to think “as if,” as in, everything you do think “as if” you owned the company. “Let them feel like they’re moving the company forward, which they are,” Vendittelli says.
This approach to management has helped drive the sales of his ten-year-old store, The Hot Tub Store, located in Utica, Mich.
“Everybody has a sense of pride here when they do something, so letting them take control to an extent and put their ideas in play, they always want to out-work the other guy or out-sell the other guy. They’re always motivated to try something new and get people in the door.”
In turn, his salesmen take a similar approach to their customers, treating them as if they were their mom or dad looking to buy a hot tub.
“We try to take the salesmanship out of sales,” Vendittelli says. “If you can make [your customers] feel comfortable that you’re not trying to sell them something that they don’t need but they’re purchasing something they want, it makes the sale go quite a bit better.”