All the money you make starts with your sales manager. When it comes to earning, everything except a phone call starts at the front door.
Here are your sales manager’s top priorities:
1. Responsible for opening and closing the store, as well as knowing and teaching security rules and procedures.
2. Should possess GIA knowledge of diamonds and gemstones.
3. Responsible for sales growth, as well as net profit.
4. Set weekly, monthly and yearly sales goals for each salesperson and the store.
Advertisement
5. Conduct monthly reviews for each salesperson’s performance.
6. Maintain an “up system” or rotation so the “sweet spot” is always covered.
7. Responsible for all absolutes (e.g., everyone is greeted within five seconds, everyone not sold is team-sold or T.O.’ed, sales team tries for add-on with every sale).
8. Wow every customer. A client will forget what you say or what you do but they’ll never forget how they’re treated.
9. Make sure every salesperson gets the client’s preferred form of communication.
10. Make sure each salesperson walks each client to the door.
Advertisement
11. Be sure proper information is gathered for clienteling and follow-up.
12. Track closing ratios and discuss success of the team with the owner.
13. Teach proper negotiating standards if your store negotiates.
14. Work with the inventory manager on fast-selling items and old inventory.
15. Store floor cleanliness and neatness.
16. Handle unhappy clients.
Advertisement
17. Run weekly sales meetings.
18. Make sure team is trained thoroughly on writing up repairs accurately and realizing every repair client is an opportunity.
19. Train all new salespeople with the understanding that the learning curve in our industry is three years.
20. Train one-on-one with all salespeople in their areas of weakness.
21. Set standards for corporate sales (if you do them).
22. Set up replacement with insurance companies.
23. Hire and fire all salespeople as necessary.
24. Teach and set standsards for professionalism
25. They can walk in on a sale uninvited, but they don’t put their name on the salesperson’s ticket.
26. They promote recognition, accomplishment and jobs well done.
27. They handle conflicts between team members.
28. Monitor the sales team on the floor with who’s waiting on whom, do they need an assist, do they need a team-sell or T.O., and no salesperson is left stranded.
29. Inventory case counts
30. Organization of the sales floor (tools, pens, lab reports).
31. Make sure case displays are changed periodically.
32. Scheduling.
33. Develop sales and incentive program for sales staff.
34. Develop programs for client retention.
35. Set up vendor training sessions.
A sales manager should earn a salary, but they can earn bonuses based on net profit and increase in sales over year before. They should not have an office — the sales floor is their office.
