Leonard Zell, who was a well-known sales trainer in the jewelry industry, has died.
Leonard Zell
He was 97.
Zell passed away in Albany, OR.
He joined the family business, Zell Bros. Jewelers, in 1949 and, studied the art of selling from his father, Harry, according to his obituary. He worked in the retail operation for many years and in 1981 started a new business, Leonard Zell Professional Sales Training.
Through the business, he trained students in the U.S. and throughout the world. Zell created a jewelry sales training manual that became an industry standard, and he also wrote columns for INSTORE in the early 2000s.
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Zell attended Columbia Prep, the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and the University of Portland.
He continued consulting work into his 90s.
Zell is survived by his wife, Marietta, along with many other family members.
Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
