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Best of the Best: Doing Your Own Infomercial

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[h3]Windsor Jewelers; Augusta Georgia[/h3]

Best of the Best Logo[dropcap cap=D]onnie Thompson, owner of Windsor Jewelers in Augusta, Georgia, was attending a seminar in New York when what he calls “the little idea light in my head” went off. His inspiration? A conversation with seminar visitors at his table who happened to be employees of QVC, HSN and Value Vision.[/dropcap]

[componentheading]THE IDEA[/componentheading]

Thompson headed back to Augusta with one thought in mind. If the home shopping programs have been successful in educating, communicating, presenting and selling jewelry to consumers, why couldn’t Windsor Jewelers create their own home shopping experience?

[componentheading]THE EXECUTION[/componentheading]

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Don MacNeil, head of Windsor’s marketing team and an experienced media hand, met with cable companies and created an infomercial format that has significantly expanded the company’s market reach in a cost-effective manner. The show runs for 30 minutes and new shows are taped on a bi-monthly basis and air seven days a week in the Augusta and Columbia market.

Best of the Best: Doing Your Own Infomercial

[componentheading]THE REWARDS[/componentheading]

“After reviewing the air-time costs of cable TV in our market, we found the rates surprisingly workable and response and sales from prospects and customers via the show have been exceptional,” says MacNeil.  

The Windsor Info-merical Show includes the store’s own salespeople and creates the perfect atmosphere for informing customers about the store’s brands and telling them about the backgrounds and manufacturing techniques of many of their chosen designers and watch brands. The store carries over 60 brands and has an inventory of more than 50,000 jewelry items. 

What’s next? Says Thompson: “We can learn a lot from these companies who have shown us that professional presentation and romantic explanation are invaluable to selling jewelry. What’s more, you never know when and where the next big idea will come from, but being open to trying something new is indeed key.”

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[span class=note]This story is from the May 2003 edition of INSTORE[/span]

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After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.

When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”

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Best of The Best

Best of the Best: Doing Your Own Infomercial

Published

on

 

[h3]Windsor Jewelers; Augusta Georgia[/h3]

Best of the Best Logo[dropcap cap=D]onnie Thompson, owner of Windsor Jewelers in Augusta, Georgia, was attending a seminar in New York when what he calls “the little idea light in my head” went off. His inspiration? A conversation with seminar visitors at his table who happened to be employees of QVC, HSN and Value Vision.[/dropcap]

[componentheading]THE IDEA[/componentheading]

Thompson headed back to Augusta with one thought in mind. If the home shopping programs have been successful in educating, communicating, presenting and selling jewelry to consumers, why couldn’t Windsor Jewelers create their own home shopping experience?

[componentheading]THE EXECUTION[/componentheading]

Advertisement

Don MacNeil, head of Windsor’s marketing team and an experienced media hand, met with cable companies and created an infomercial format that has significantly expanded the company’s market reach in a cost-effective manner. The show runs for 30 minutes and new shows are taped on a bi-monthly basis and air seven days a week in the Augusta and Columbia market.

Best of the Best: Doing Your Own Infomercial

[componentheading]THE REWARDS[/componentheading]

“After reviewing the air-time costs of cable TV in our market, we found the rates surprisingly workable and response and sales from prospects and customers via the show have been exceptional,” says MacNeil.  

The Windsor Info-merical Show includes the store’s own salespeople and creates the perfect atmosphere for informing customers about the store’s brands and telling them about the backgrounds and manufacturing techniques of many of their chosen designers and watch brands. The store carries over 60 brands and has an inventory of more than 50,000 jewelry items. 

What’s next? Says Thompson: “We can learn a lot from these companies who have shown us that professional presentation and romantic explanation are invaluable to selling jewelry. What’s more, you never know when and where the next big idea will come from, but being open to trying something new is indeed key.”

Advertisement

[span class=note]This story is from the May 2003 edition of INSTORE[/span]

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Retiring? Let Wilkerson Do the Heavy Lifting

Retirement can be a great part of life. As Nanji Singadia puts it, “I want to retire and enjoy my life. I’m 78 now and I just want to take a break.” That said, Nanji decided that the best way to move ahead was to contact the experts at Wilkerson. He chose them because he knew that closing a store is a heavy lift. To maximize sales and move on to the next, best chapter of his life, he called Wilkerson—but not before asking his industry friends for their opinion. He found that Wilkerson was the company most recommended and says their professionalism, experience and the homework they did before the launch all helped to make his going out of business sale a success. “Wilkerson were working on the sale a month it took place,” he says. “They did a great job.”

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