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The C4 Strategy: The Purpose of Our Pre-Suasive Sales Process

Release Date: 03/27/2025

Moving Units Amidst a Matrix of Metrics with Bradley Sullivan

Stories from the River

Welcome back to Stories From the River, where Charlie Malouf continues his conversation with Bradley Sullivan, the General Manager of the award-winning Albemarle Aces, for an in-depth discussion on leadership, motivation, and what it takes to build a high-performing retail team at Broad River Retail. Against the energetic backdrop of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bradley shares how his obsession with performance metrics, consistency in routines, and a deep investment in the growth of his Memory Makers have been the driving forces behind his team's repeated successes, including multiple top...

Moving Units and the Rise of the Albemarle Aces with Bradley Sullivan at Broad River

Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf sits down with Bradley Sullivan at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to dive into Bradley's unique journey as a Memory Maker at Broad River Retail. Bradley, affectionately known as Sully, recounts his path from his early days in the furniture business, his meaningful recruitment experience at the transformative Purpose 8:28 event (Bradley's 'Day Zero' in Fort Mill, South Carolina, on August 28, 2019), and his rise through various leadership roles within the Company—from his start in Cary as an AGM with Michael Childers, to taking on...

Passport Broad River: GM Jose Blanco on the Heart of Leadership & His 11-Year Journey

Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf sits down with Jose Blanco, the General Manager of the Glenwood Gladiators, as part of the GM Series. Coming to you from the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a week of special events, the two dive into Jose’s extensive 11-year leadership journey at Broad River Retail. Jose shares stories from his beginnings in liquidation furniture sales prior to joining The River and then through his progression through nearly every possible leadership role across many store locations—including Hickory, Arden, Asheville, Matthews, University,...

Annihilating Limits: Alexis Strafuss on Listening and Leadership in Fostering Culture & Connection

Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf welcomes Alexis Strafuss, the General Manager of the Augusta Annihilators, during the GM Rx and the Mission Possible Sleep Summit at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alexis shares her journey from food and beverage management into the furniture retail world with Ashley, starting in 2020 in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes her growth from a Rookie Sales Associate to various leadership roles, including her first General Manager position in Inverness, Florida, and later at flagship locations with Ashley Global Retail...

Insights from Broad River’s Recent Q2 Town Hall

Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf takes viewers and listeners on a behind-the-scenes journey through Broad River Retail’s 2nd Quarter Companywide Town Hall that took place on Friday, May 16, 2025. He explains the origins and purpose of the quarterly Town Halls, highlighting how they have become a crucial channel for transparent communication and engagement with Memory Makers across the company. Charlie walks through the meticulous planning and collaborative preparation that goes into these events, emphasizing the blend of important companywide updates,...

Boosting Confidence and Sales: Ashley’s 'Right to Win' Boot Camp Reflections

Stories from the River

This episode marks the fifth and final installment in the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Boot Camp series on Stories from the River, hosted by Charlie Malouf. The focus of this series is a four-day intensive training held across eight host locations, aimed at elevating the product knowledge and confidence of Broad River's Memory Makers. Charlie interviews Kensley Phillips, Jim Walker, and Josh Hatchell from the Flagship Enterprise, along with Angel Santana from the Rock Hill Raiders, as they reflect on their biggest takeaways and practical insights from the Boot Camp. The Memory Makers emphasize how...

Memory Makers On Sustainability, Innovation and Product Quality at Ashley’s 'Right to Win' Boot Camp

Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, we continue the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp series, focusing on insights from four Memory Makers who participated in the intensive training event at the flagship Pineville location. Joined by Kensley Phillips, Jim Walker, Angel Santana, and Josh Hatchell, the conversation highlights each Memory Maker’s unique perspective on the boot camp’s hands-on approach—especially impressive demonstrations showcasing the durability and innovative construction of Ashley Furniture products, like standing on dresser drawers and sofas to...

Power in Preparation: Inside the Product Knowledge Boot Camp with Chris Berrier

Stories from the River

Welcome to the third episode in the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp series from Stories from the River. Charlie Malouf introduces Chris Berrier, Area Manager of Supernova in the North region. The conversation highlights the extensive boot camp training underway, which draws Memory Makers from three states, taking place in eight different host stores, with sessions led by experienced trainers like Teresa Thompson from Ashley Furniture's Field Sales team. The training focuses primarily on deepening product knowledge across various categories, while also weaving in essential...

Ashley's Right to Win Boot Camp is a Force Multiplier

Stories from the River

Welcome to the second episode in the latest series from Stories from the River - Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp. Today, Charlie Malouf sits down with Teresa Thompson, Ashley Furniture Industries Field Sales Manager and trainer at this year's Boot Camp held in Pineville, North Carolina (one of the eight host sites for the training sessions). Teresa shares her journey from a long career in retail, including stints at Williams Sonoma and in fine jewelry, to her current role with Ashley, where she is part of the original group that launched the field sales training...

Product Smart, People Driven, Purpose Fueled: Product Smart, People Driven, Purpose Fueled: Mobilizing Ashley's 'Right to Win' Boot Camp

Stories from the River

Welcome to a brand-new series on Stories from the River as we go behind the scenes of Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp with Charlie Malouf and Renee Bradley as they unpack what it means for Broad River Retail. Find out how this company-wide training is shaping retail teams and driving results across multiple locations. Charlie and Renee sit down at the Pineville Flagship Ashley Store location and discuss the massive undertaking involved in orchestrating this four-day, multi-site training initiative. Over 330 Memory Makers from all aspects of retail — ranging from Home...

More Episodes

Welcome to the fourth episode of our C4 series on Stories from the River, in which we go behind the scenes at a recent C4 Sales Training event in Charlotte and speak with some of the Memory Makers at Broad River Retail who attended.

Essentially, this episode has two components. Half of the episode features Head Coach Stacey McCormick providing a robust explanation and unpacking of the purpose and science of our proprietary C4 process. The other half of the episode features interviews and feedback from three Memory Makers who participated in the recent C4 training class.

Head Coach Stacey McCormick welcomes you back and dives into the intricacies of the C4 training process at Broad River Retail, explaining its significance in creating memorable experiences for guests. Stacey highlights that the C4 process is foundational for how guests should experience stores, focusing on key aspects of the C4 process - Connecting, Customizing, Committing, and Continuing relationships with guests. Stacey emphasizes the importance of language, timing, and positioning in sales, anchoring the process on authentic connections with guests to foster long-term relationships. He also stresses the necessity of having the right mental and physical positioning to create positive impacts and enjoy mutual success with the guests.

Stacey also provides the five personal and emotional Connection principles:
1. Connect and engage.
2. Be fun, endearing, and build credibility.
3. Influence outcomes.
4. Be urgent.
5. Extend the relationship.

The 2nd half of this episode features insights from Madelin Brown, VIP Sales Manager, Ebony Lee, Home Furnishings Professional, and Steven Ramjit, Regional Manager of the North, who share their experiences with the commission-based environment at Broad River Retail. They discuss how the supportive and collaborative atmosphere among Memory Makers promotes productivity and a sense of family rather than competition. The Memory Makers elaborate on how connecting with guests authentically helps in customizing services to meet their needs, fostering trust and building credibility.

The answer questions related to the biggest myths of commission sales, the biggest takeaways from the C4 training, and how various tools like Draw the Room and 3X optimize the process.

The episode emphasizes that following the C4 process ensures a consistent and rewarding experience for both Memory Makers and guests.

Additional resources:

Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini - https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Suasion-Revolutionary-Way-Influence-Persuade-ebook/dp/B01C36E2YS

The C4 Process Series

Connecting the Dots - How C4 Customizes the Memory Maker Experience - https://youtu.be/W2CWJJ3YF38

Harnessing C4 Techniques: Improve Retail Performance with Connect and Customize - https://youtu.be/zcVz2-UBWsQ

The C4 Playbook: Focusing on the Fundamentals - https://youtu.be/zgHImYaAbHk

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/635LhND724Y

Visit https://www.storiesfromtheriver.com for more episodes.

Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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