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Manager's To Do

Clear Out Old Findings, Make a New Friend and More To-Do Tasks for April

And check up on your diamond inventory — bridal madness is ready to descend.

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Apr. 3-9

MANAGEMENT April is often one of the slower months. Put it to good use by blocking out time to do some planning, get ahead on designing and building your own inventory, reaching out to customers you haven’t heard from in a while, or just taking a rejuvenating break from the store.

SHOWROOM Just like at home, spring means chores. “As soon as it warms a bit, clean, clean, clean,” says Doug Schlotthauer, owner of Douglas Jeweler in Hartford, WI. “Time to clear the air, shampoo the carpets, wash the windows, spruce things up.”

Apr. 10-16

MARKETING “Treat Mother’s Day like a serious shopping holiday and get the word out about your special offers,” urges Julie Terwilliger of Wexford Jewelers in Cadillac, MI, adding that such a positive approach helped her store turn the date “from it being a fairly quiet time to a decent retail opportunity.”

INVENTORY Check up on the diamond bands and the bridal options you’ve got in stock — bridal madness is ready to descend.

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SECURITY Buy a Suspicious Incident Logbook for employees to record things that appear to be “not quite right.” The log can be used to write down license plate numbers, names used, time, physical description and other information that may later help police.

Apr. 17-23

MANAGEMENT Step up your engagement with staff. If you don’t already, draft a schedule to meet with your sales team every week and one-on-one every month. And bring the KPIs, says Tom Williams of Floyd & Green in Aiken, SC. “Most people like to be measured. It’s how we determine success and need for improvements.”

SHOP Go through your jewelers’ bench and findings cabinet and melt or return findings that are more than one year old. Just like inventory, findings have turn and age, and if you haven’t used it in a year, you probably won’t ever, says repairs guru David Geller.

STAFF Ask employees for their summer vacation requests.

Apr. 24-30

MARKETING Here’s a fun goal for the coming warmer months: Make a friend from a different generation. (Could be a youngster or a senior. Either way, they are likely to give you great insights into core markets.)

SPIFFS This Saturday, choose three of the oldest items in your inventory and have your staff wear them, show them to customers and tell them why they are so special. Pay $50 or $100 to staff members who sell one. Show season will be here soon, and you need to start getting rid of your most sales-resistant product.

RESEARCH Take part in a bridal fair to get up to speed on June wedding trends and grooms’ gifts.

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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.

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