Hug Your Way to Success

Every so often, I meet someone who makes a surprising impact on me. This month, I want to share my experience meeting Jack Mitchell. He is the 69-year-old CEO of Mitchells/Richards, a high-end men’s clothing retailer in Connecticut and New York that outfits the Fortune 500 executives who work on Wall Street.

Mitchell was recently in town speaking about his books Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results, and Hug Your People: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees and Achieve Remarkable Results.

Being a true Midwesterner, of course, I thought this guy was going to be an interesting combination of rude New Yorker and annoying Richard Simmons–type flake. After all, how can you rub shoulders with the Wall Street elite and write books about hugging people without being . . . well, a little different?

Wow, was I wrong.

I first heard Mitchell speak to an audience, and then because I was so impressed with what he had to say, I asked him for an interview. I wanted to learn first hand if he was really who he said he was. Without a doubt, Jack Mitchell is one of the most sincere and genuinely enthusiastic people I’ve ever met. He has more enthusiasm in his left pinky than most people have in their bodies (and, by the way, he is neither rude nor “different”).

Apples Don’t Fall Far

Mitchell’s parents founded the apparel chain in 1958. In his books, he writes about his dad opening the first store with three suits, a few dozen shirts, several pairs of socks, some sweaters, and a handful of ties. Today, the business is run by the second and third generations of Mitchells and sells $65 million in apparel annually. The chain of stores includes an inventory of more than 3,000 suits for men and women.

Mitchell says his family’s business is successful because of the relationships they build with customers. The relationships start by making the stores feel welcoming. Mitchell says that his parents “understood that customers wanted five things more than they wanted a great location or an enormous inventory:

1) a friendly greeting,

2) personal interest,

3) a business that makes them feel special,

4) a no-problem attitude, and

5) forward thinking.”

Mitchell sees to it that the list is still a family mantra today.

It’s About Relationships

I asked Mitchell if he really hugs his customers, to which he replied, “Absolutely!” Being a bright guy, he picked up on the doubt that was showing in my expression. He explained that hugging doesn’t have to mean wrapping his arms around everyone who walks in the door. It means doing things for his customers that go beyond what they expect of a retailer. He says it’s about building a personal relationship with every transaction, because “that’s what people want.”