Tips and How-To

If You’re Working in Jewelry, Why Not Be Joyful?

Published

6 years ago

April 26, 2018

Trace Shelton Instore May 2018 Issue

Happiness in the workplace means better work, more sales and less attrition.

Pride. Happiness. Satisfaction. I felt all of these a week ago when my oldest child, Rob (above left, next to yours truly), married his lovely fiancée Anasofia. But more than all of these, I felt joy.

Joy isn’t just pleasure; it’s celebration and triumph. It’s happiness with and for others, as well as yourself. It’s the thing that brings tears to the eyes and makes your heart feel as though it could burst.

One doesn’t normally think of working in retail as something that conjures such depth of emotion. But you don’t just work in retail — you sell jewelry. With each piece you transfer from your showcase to the client’s hand, you participate in their most joyful moments.

Can you do that without being joyful yourself? Of course. But why would you?

In our big story this issue, we examine how you and your staff can create an environment of joy in your workplace. (And no, this doesn’t have to mean you’re jumping up and down giving each other high fives every day — it’s about an inner sense of joy one feels while going about their work.) Studies show that joyful employees do more and better work while feeling more satisfied themselves. It’s a true “win-win.”

You can’t force joy. But you can cultivate a climate that encourages it.

When my son slipped that platinum band on his new wife’s finger, everyone in attendance shared a joyful feeling. Jewelry is the symbol that commemorates it.

If you don’t find exhilaration, exuberance and exultation in your work, it’s time to get some. So read on, and bring joy to your world!

If You’re Working in Jewelry, Why Not Be Joyful?

FIVE SMART TIPS YOU’LL FIND INSIDE THIS EDITION

1. Prepare a portfolio for prospective vendors with your store’s history, market demographics, other brands you carry, and credit ratings. (Manager’s To-Do, page 36)

2. Write an email each day thanking someone for something. (The Big Story, page 51)

3. Post humorous videos to social media starring your staff. (Clicks and Bricks, page 68)

4. Emphasize pieces 20 percent more expensive than your average sale in each showcase. (Display by Numbers, page 83)

5. Ask each employee what benefits would motivate them most. (Kyle Bullock, page 118)

This article originally appeared in the May 2018 edition of INSTORE.

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Trace Shelton

Trace Shelton is the editor-in-chief of INSTORE magazine. He can be reached at trace@smartworkmedia.com.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”