Sept. 3-9
DISPLAYS Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer — it’s time to change up your window displays to give them more of a focus on your bridal offerings.
SALES For young customers in particular, having a diamond that is different from “everybody else’s” has become very important, says designer Todd Reed. “Be interested in the diamond’s provenance. Don’t emphasize the four Cs, but rather the fifth C — the character aspect of it, and that’s pretty priceless in a lot of ways.”
STRATEGY Schedule a brainstorming session with staff. We’ve heard of jewelers who help negotiate discounts from bridal vendors in their market, offer gift certificates for wedding day manicures, even kick in for relationship consultations, What can you do to stand out from the crowd?
Sept. 10-16
CUSTOMER RELATIONS Talk to your insurer about what would be involved in letting some VIP customers borrow some nice jewelry for their special days. And it pretty much guarantees they will tell everyone they know what great service you gave them.
MARKETING Do you have an FAQ page on your website yet? If not, get busy. It allows you to show off your expertise and to avoid answering the same questions over and over.
MERCHANDISING The No. 1 mistake in display, according to Larry Johnson, author of the Complete Guide To Effective Jewelry Display, is hiding the good stuff among the bad. Expensive goods need air to breathe. Make sure your displays give it to them.
Sept. 17-23
SALES Work out a smartphone strategy for your sales presentations. In short, it should involve an employee offering to snap a photo of the ring on the customer’s finger and then immediately emailing it to her with the ring’s details. In addition to the bio data obtained, this keeps the piece and store top of mind in the browser’s mind, and allows her to easily upload it to social media or forward it to friends and family.
OPERATIONS Draft a cleaning schedule to ensure all your bridal goods are polished, sparkly and freshly ticketed.
Sept. 24-30
SHOWROOM Consider installing a large mirror in an area with a bit of privacy and inviting a bride-to-be to try on jewelry while she tries on her wedding gown. “It’s easier to get someone to fall in love with it once you’ve gotten them to put it on,” notes retail expert Paco Underhill.
SALES FLOOR Matching the couple with the right salesperson is a crucial part of bridal sales. Reward and track successful T.O.s to ensure the best fit, recommends sales trainer Shane Decker. “Most stores encourage T.O.s but don’t reward them, and salespeople avoid them because they want all the commission,” he says. “If you reward them tangibly, your salespeople will actually do them.”