(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, has announced the continuation of its educational webinar series. The series will cover a range of topics over the next few months including improving sales techniques and search engine optimization.
Jewelers of America’s webinars are one portion of JA’s educational initiative, designed to educate staff and in turn continue its mission of improving consumer confidence in the fine jewelry industry. “Jewelers of America’s webinar series is an informative educational resource for JA Members that helps to improve skills, marketing strategies, business management and more. The webinar series will continue to focus on key topics that affect jewelers in their daily business practices,” says JA Director of Public Affairs and Education Susan Thea Posnock.
The next webinar will be held on Thursday, March 29, at 2:00PM EST and will focus on “Secret Weapon Selling,” presented by Joy Baldridge, President of Baldridge Seminars International. This session will discuss the art of persuasion, how to successfully close sales, and what it takes to have your company’s best year ever. The following webinar, “SEO in Local Markets,” will dive into techniques to make your store more prominent in search engine results. This webinar will be presented by Alex Fetanat, Founder and CEO of Gemfind, on Thursday, April 19, at 2:00PM EST.
Dates and topics for following upcoming webinars will be released soon. View the full webinar series schedule and pre-register here.
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.
