Dec. 4-9
EXPERIENCE When the holidays are at their most hectic, a bathroom can offer a welcome refuge. Get your restroom in the holiday mood with a few extra touches, such as a portable lamp with an appropriately colored shade, holiday towels and a scented candle. Your guests will appreciate the extra effort.
OPERATIONS Stay on top of the Big Three: human resources, marketing and inventory. Says Tonia Ulsh of Mountz Jewelers in Camp Hill, PA: “Continue to keep a positive outlook for me and my team. Work on solidifying wish lists. Continue to re-order fast sellers.”
Sales floor When the going gets tough, everyone can do with a few well-chosen words to stoke the embers. Prepare fridge quotes, inspirational emails and some rocking tunes to get everyone in the mood every day for the next three weeks.
Dec. 11-16
MARKETING Prepare a welcome offer for customers who make their first purchase in December — perhaps a voucher to get them back in the store ahead of Valentine’s Day.
MEETINGS Start holding short morning meetings. Keep everyone updated on things like average sale, which pieces to show first, repair deadlines and any ads you’re running.
STORE Want to assure customers they are dealing with real live humans in your store? Cut a Christmas karaoke video with you and your staff singing timeless holiday classics in booming voices (off-key is fine). Play it occasionally — and at a low volume, please — on your store’s video monitors.
SOCIAL MEDIA Start posting photos of your two best-selling jewelry pieces on Facebook each day. Post the first when you open and the other around 3 p.m. Launch three new Pinterest pages: Last-minute Gift Ideas for Her; Last-minute Gift Ideas for Him; Gift Ideas under $100. Ask each of your employees to post at least one photo a day to your store’s Instagram account. Watch for feedback and keep the conversation going.
Dec. 18-23
MERCHANDISING The last-minute men are on their way. Brainstorm gift ideas and suggestions with your staff, then create a “Holiday Favorites” display case to help procrastinators speed up their gift choices.
EXPERIENCE Double-check every piece and pane of case glass to see that it is sparkling. Don’t let smudges sow seeds of doubt in your customers’ minds.
SALES FLOOR Tell staff: Keep it personal. Ask questions and listen closely to what customers are saying. It’s late in the season, but these are still gifts of love.
Dec. 25-30
INVENTORY Figure out which inventory failed to live up to expectations and needs to go. It’s post-Christmas sales time — a certain group of customers have been waiting all year for this. Don’t let them leave without a slow seller.
PLANNING While the season is still fresh on everyone’s minds, have a meeting to discuss how things went and what could have been done better. Discuss broad targets for the 2018 season.