BETWEEN FLUCTUATING SALES from month to month and the constant pressure to keep up with everything from client relationships to the latest trends, jewelry retailing can certainly be stressful, and depending in your location, even more so during the summer months. And there are no signs of that changing with 2023 marking the return to relatively normal travel opportunities for affluent clients. Difficult though it may seem, keeping these feelings from creeping into your decisions and communication is critical — and with a bit of a mindset shift, very possible!
“How Did You Hear About Us?”
One of the most important and most overlooked elements of client notes is tracking the true source of business. Knowing where your sales are coming from and focusing your visibility efforts there can make all the difference in formulating a profitable plan for generating new revenue and leads.
It could be that your SEO and digital marketing efforts have paid off, that you have clients and community partners who are being generous with their referrals, or something else entirely. Getting crystal clear on your best sources of sales, whatever they may be, is key to growing your jewelry business without stress this summer.
Expectations and Experiences
Meeting expectations, particularly in a luxury industry like ours, can add a splash of stress to the excitement of receiving an order. Thankfully, creating client experiences that can turn casual jewelry browsers into serious buyers is a time-tested way to nix those nerves right from the start (and add a lot more fun to your selling process).
This may involve offering first-look opportunities to your VIP clients, going out for drinks or dinner to better understand their needs, or even training your sales staff to develop these high-touch relationships as well. Done right, your interactions with clients should leave them feeling that you are a trusted advisor, genuine friend, and go-to choice for all their fine jewelry needs.
Your Precious 100 VVIP Clients
Regardless of how you choose to systematize your clienteling, jewelers should start by identifying their best clients and making changes around them from the top down. It’s important to look at your numbers to get a clear picture of who truly is your best client.
Avoid the temptation to take a broad view of your clients and spread yourself too thin; focus only on your top 100 clients ranked by their lifetime value and how to best serve them. This “red velvet rope” approach emphasizes the relationship with these top clients and ensures that everything else will trickle down.
Look to Your Leaders in Luxury
Once you’ve identified those top clients and the true source of their relationship, it helps to know which members of your team spend the most time on those accounts and what they’re doing to build those relationships. Set aside time on each sales member’s calendar every week to connect with clients, take them off the sales floor and give them a 90-minute allotment to follow up with texts, emails, and DMs with their clients. Keep a running log of these interactions that your team can use to track their own efforts.
Balancing Systems and Sales
While it’s important to create a system that can meet your needs as you grow, you must balance that desire for precision with your need to take imperfect action to generate sales. Many of the systems you create in your jewelry business to nurture your clients won’t actually be seen by them, so it’s perfectly fine if your client notes or communication tracking is a work in progress (and it sure beats relying on inconsistent foot traffic).
Simply taking the time to create and prioritize these systems will help you learn to love on your clients more effectively and develop stronger relationships while lowering stress and raising sales.