Connect with us

Best of the Best: Hit the Road with Staff

Published

on

Best of the Best Logo[dropcap cap=M]onika and Mark Clodius, owners of Clodius & Co. in Rockford, IL, view their staff as a type of working family. So, what could be more natural than packing up the whole family and hitting the road? “We always try to do something fun for our staff, and it’s even better if it’s educational,” says Monika. — ALY STEIN[/dropcap]

[componentheading]THE IDEA [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Field Trip[/contentheading]

Surviving harsh Illinois weather and a tough recession, Monika and Mark saw The Nature of Diamonds exhibit at the Field Museum as a great opportunity to “reinforce the idea why we work so hard.” Before they expanded their store, they had taken their staff to see some of the largest jewelry stores in the area. Realizing the vision and potential of the expanded store, the staff found their first field trip to be educational and enlightening. So when the Clodiuses heard about the new exhibit at the Field Museum, they jumped on the chance to further enhance their staff’s fervor for the business.

Best of the Best: Hit the Road with Staff

[componentheading]THE EXECUTION [/componentheading]

Advertisement

[contentheading] Logistics [/contentheading]

Executing the trip to the Field Museum took a fair amount of planning. “We hired a coach bus, got tickets in advance, lined up a place to eat and notified customers that we would be closed that day,” Mark says. “(While there,) we learned about the origins and efforts that go into mining diamonds, the physical properties of diamonds, and diamonds through the ages.” After gaining so much from the exhibit, the staff then put what they had learned to use in the store by talking to customers about the exhibit and, as Monika puts it, spreading their “infectious enthusiasm.”

[componentheading]THE REWARD [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Fresh View[/contentheading]

Not only has business improved since the trip, staff morale has as well. Taking a field trip has fostered stronger relationships, both with one another and with the product they sell. “It was impressive to see large pieces and correlate them to pieces we carry and styles that are coming back,” Monika says. “It was great for everyone — jewelers were intrigued to see older pieces and learn how they were manufactured, and for our staff new to the trade, it was like a jump start to Diamonds 101.” The staff had fun, but also took a lot away from the experience, including an in-depth diamond education.

[componentheading]DO IT YOURSELF[/componentheading][li]Plan ahead. Monika and Mark told customers a month in advance they would be closed the day of the trip. [/li]
[li] Find a trip relevant to your store’s wants and needs. “Look at your business and what you want to build, and then see how you can tie it in with what is around locally,” Monika says.[/li]
[li]Keep your ears and eyes open to see what’s out there. Monika recommends that stores “be progressive. Looking at the industry with a fresh view and doing something out of the ordinary brings excitement back.”[/li]

Advertisement

[span class=note]This story is from the November 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

Promoted Headlines

Most Popular

Best of The Best

Best of the Best: Hit the Road with Staff

Published

on

Best of the Best Logo[dropcap cap=M]onika and Mark Clodius, owners of Clodius & Co. in Rockford, IL, view their staff as a type of working family. So, what could be more natural than packing up the whole family and hitting the road? “We always try to do something fun for our staff, and it’s even better if it’s educational,” says Monika. — ALY STEIN[/dropcap]

[componentheading]THE IDEA [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Field Trip[/contentheading]

Surviving harsh Illinois weather and a tough recession, Monika and Mark saw The Nature of Diamonds exhibit at the Field Museum as a great opportunity to “reinforce the idea why we work so hard.” Before they expanded their store, they had taken their staff to see some of the largest jewelry stores in the area. Realizing the vision and potential of the expanded store, the staff found their first field trip to be educational and enlightening. So when the Clodiuses heard about the new exhibit at the Field Museum, they jumped on the chance to further enhance their staff’s fervor for the business.

Best of the Best: Hit the Road with Staff

[componentheading]THE EXECUTION [/componentheading]

Advertisement

[contentheading] Logistics [/contentheading]

Executing the trip to the Field Museum took a fair amount of planning. “We hired a coach bus, got tickets in advance, lined up a place to eat and notified customers that we would be closed that day,” Mark says. “(While there,) we learned about the origins and efforts that go into mining diamonds, the physical properties of diamonds, and diamonds through the ages.” After gaining so much from the exhibit, the staff then put what they had learned to use in the store by talking to customers about the exhibit and, as Monika puts it, spreading their “infectious enthusiasm.”

[componentheading]THE REWARD [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Fresh View[/contentheading]

Not only has business improved since the trip, staff morale has as well. Taking a field trip has fostered stronger relationships, both with one another and with the product they sell. “It was impressive to see large pieces and correlate them to pieces we carry and styles that are coming back,” Monika says. “It was great for everyone — jewelers were intrigued to see older pieces and learn how they were manufactured, and for our staff new to the trade, it was like a jump start to Diamonds 101.” The staff had fun, but also took a lot away from the experience, including an in-depth diamond education.

[componentheading]DO IT YOURSELF[/componentheading][li]Plan ahead. Monika and Mark told customers a month in advance they would be closed the day of the trip. [/li]
[li] Find a trip relevant to your store’s wants and needs. “Look at your business and what you want to build, and then see how you can tie it in with what is around locally,” Monika says.[/li]
[li]Keep your ears and eyes open to see what’s out there. Monika recommends that stores “be progressive. Looking at the industry with a fresh view and doing something out of the ordinary brings excitement back.”[/li]

Advertisement

[span class=note]This story is from the November 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

Promoted Headlines

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe


BULLETINS

INSTORE helps you become a better jeweler
with the biggest daily news headlines and useful tips.
(Mailed 5x per week.)

Latest Comments

Most Popular