It’s not just jewelers in tourist destinations who can profit from the travel season. “Home” jewelers should be looking to tap this market as well, says GIA-accredited sales pro John Nicolosi. “Have a travel jewelry section (silver, gold over silver, platinum over silver, CZ, etc.) for inexpensive pieces for travel or just low price points,” he recommends. People want to look stylish but not risk their favorite jewelry pieces when at the beach or in the mountains.
MARKETINGAsk for that VIP Info
It’s critical to maintain accurate information on your VIP clients to support a long-term relationship, and often the best way to get it is simply to request it by sending them a personal email asking them to help you update your files, says Jeremy Auslander, owner of Roxbury Jewelry in Los Angeles, CA, listing physical address and husband-and-wife’s birthdays and anniversary as the most important. “Tell them you’ll send a reminder about three weeks out so they’ll never miss an important date,” he says. Make sure you have their best email address too, he adds. “You can do a few of these things by clicking around Facebook and Instagram to find birthdays and anniversaries.”
MARKETINGReward Online Mentions
Online reviews drive sales. And if a staff member’s name is popping up in reviews, more people will come in and ask for that person. To encourage such excellent service, the employees at Wag Nation, an independent pet store in Newport, RI, are generously rewarded each time they are positively reviewed with a bonus that could be anything from store credit to cash to help with their car payment. “The bonus is a great way to show our appreciation and keep our customers at the forefront of everyone’s agenda,” owner Tallia Luvera told our sister magazine PETS+. “Likewise, this allows our staff to feel comfortable taking their time with our customers, walking the store with them, going above and beyond.”
SALESGet Invited to the Wedding
Your target shouldn’t be to sell the diamond. It should be to get invited to the wedding. So says Megan Crabtree, founder of Crabtree Consulting. “If you focus on relationships rather than selling, you win customers for life. If you get invited to a wedding, you made such an impact on your customer that they want you to be a part of one of the best days of their lives,” she explains, adding that you’ll also get introduced to a ton of potential new customers through the couple’s friends and relatives.
BUYINGTake a Pool Day
Going to Vegas for the big trade shows? Stay an extra day to simply unwind by the pool. Yes, we know you’re anxious to get back to the store, but the gains of allowing yourself a breather to allow all that you’ve seen over the last few days to sink in will be repaid handsomely. Trust us. We’re trade show vets.
PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTTests From the Gods
When faced with a frustration, it’s easy to fall prey to anger and want to lash out. But that only ever makes things worse. Instead, try to reframe the experience as a test of the imaginary Stoic gods, says William Irvine, author of The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide To Becoming Tougher, Calmer, And More Resilient. “It’s not a setback, the Stoic gods are testing your resilience,” he says. “They are not punishing you, they are giving you an opportunity to show your courage.”
