This story was originally published in the January 2017 edition of INSTORE.
DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON when your store gets slammed with traffic, you need to stay aware of what’s happening on the showroom floor. Who’s waiting on whom? What’s happening with each client? Have they been greeted? Does a salesperson need an assist? And so on. Remember, the experience delivered is more important than the product purchased. Here’s a checklist of things to remember even during the busiest of times this month.
1. The sweet spot must be covered at all times by someone ready to greet clients. (The “sweet spot” is 15 feet inside your door to the customer’s right as they walk in.)
2. Be sure everyone is greeted, smiled at, acknowledged and spoken to within the first 5 seconds of entering your store.
3. Ask, “How many others are on your list?” after the first item is purchased. The average Christmas shopper buys 15 to 20 gifts. Why should he only buy one from you?
4. Wow everyone. Show everyone a diamond over a carat before he leaves, after everything else is done. Clients buy on impulse all the time, just as you do. They’re easy to show and easy to sell. Start at $5,995; this is an easy number to close. And you’re planting seeds. Say “Guess what’s in the vault?” or “Gotta show you my favorite.” Christmas is a great time to start wowing if you never have before.
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5. Get plenty of sleep.
6. Come in with a great attitude. If your attitude sucks, stay home.
7. Have fun. The client wants to have fun as well, so you should too.
8. Team-sell. Help others succeed when they’re with clients. Assist if needed. Help close if needed. Be supportive if needed.
9. Have water, Coke, coffee, cinnamon rolls and cookies for customers. Make it feel like home. The longer they stay, the more they spend.
10. Make sure all showcases and tools are organized every morning, and check this often every day. Nothing looks worse during a presentation than you running around like a chicken with your head cut off looking for something. If you get it out, put it back where you got it.
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11. Make sure the inside of the showcases is vacuumed and the glass inside the cases is clean.
12. Polish all jewelry before the rush starts.
13. If the price tags are old, replace them. No one wants to buy old-looking jewelry that hasn’t sold.
14. Make sure the store looks like Christmas, even if you don’t personally celebrate the season. The clients coming in do.
15. Replace burned out light bulbs, LEDs and overhead lamps. Jewelry always looks better when it is lit properly.
16. Come in and clean early every morning. Vacuum floors. Remove trash. Be sure the coffee maker is stocked and running.
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17. Don’t do busy work while clients are in the store. Stay late if necessary.
18. Don’t start putting jewelry in the vault when it’s closing time if clients are in the store. They will feel rushed.
19. If your store has a dress-down policy, dress up for the holidays. Being dressed up can help improve your closing ratio.
20. Have sales contests the last 10 days before Christmas, like “Pass the $20.” This means that whoever has the biggest sale of the day goes home with the twenty-dollar bill. Or maybe every day the owner picks a different item that must be sold, and whoever sells it gets $50. Or whoever has the most add-ons.
21. Have a 15-minute meeting every morning to talk about the success of yesterday’s sales and set goals for today.
22. Do not promise repairs or appraisals until after Christmas. Stay motivated to sell and let clients know there will be plenty of time for repairs afterwards.
