The secret to outperforming your rivals
I READ A BOOK RECENTLY called The Dip. It wasn’t a particularly good book ? another quickie by Seth Godin, who used to publish excellent books very infrequently, but now publishes average books on a much more frequent basis.
The title refers to a pattern that occurs in most people’s careers, and most individual projects they take on during their careers. There’s an initial burst of energy, and then a fall ? which might be a ?dip,? in which case your challenge is to work through it, or a ?cliff,? which means you’re in a failing business no amount of effort will help succeed. In which case, you should quit. Yes, quit. Run away as fast as you can.
But most jewelers aren’t facing cliffs ? you’re dealing with dips. Every business does. But few recognize ?The Dip? as an opportunity to turn your business into something very special and put distance between yourself and your rivals.
Every time you get tired or bored or feel ready to settle for something less than your ultimate ambition, remember ?The Dip.? And remember that performing at your very best when you least feel like it is the best way to differentiate yourself from all the companies out there that don’t. Inspire yourself by imagining ?The Dip? as a barrier to entry for all the companies that don’t have your energy.
When exercising, it’s that very last repetition where you work the muscle to failure that provides 90 percent of your muscle growth. Same goes for your business. Work those retail muscles to failure and grow, grow, grow.
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Wishing you the very best business …
David Squires
Executive Editor and Associate Publisher
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Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
