WEEK 1
Jan. 30-Feb. 4
PUBLIC RELATIONS Send a press release to local media outlets offering them a story with your top 10 gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. Make the list timely, trend-based and unspecific enough that it’s not thrown out as an ad-in-disguise.
display Choose one piece you’d really like to move this V-Day and feature it in your showcases in a special way. “Making it stand out increases your chances of finding a buyer,” says display expert Larry Johnson.
Sales Announce your big spiff for the salesperson who sells the most “jewelry for friends” for Valentine’s. (Have appropriate “friend gifts” ready to show.)
marketing It’s a humble tool, but the old business-cards-in-the-fishbowl-by-the-cash-register thing still works. The reward? A gift card.
WEEK 2Feb. 6-11
SEO Want to create a company blog that Google can’t ignore? Start with the 100 questions customers ask on a daily basis and transform them into 100 blog posts. If you write two times per week, that’s a whole year’s worth of fresh content.
DISPLAY Make sure all your jewelry displays are both clean and uncluttered, says Zdena Jiroutova of Z Folio Gallery in Solvang, CA (PICTURED). “It amazes me how many clients comment on this,” she says.
marketing E-mail reminder: “Three days left ’til Valentine’s Day!” List your top five ideas for gifts.
sales If engagement ring sales are picking up, as they typically do in February, can wedding band sales be far behind? Unfortunately the answer too often is “no.” Create an incentive to get spring wedding couples back in the store.
WEEK 3Feb. 13-18
Marketing Work on a referral system — like maybe a bonus of a $50 in-store credit to every client who refers someone.
showroom As you reset the store in the wake of Valentine’s Day, take a good look around: Is it time for a “face lift”? If it is more than 5 years old, chances are some of your decor elements are starting to look dated or shabby. No need to break the bank; instead, add a coat of paint, a new photo wall, or new carpet. “Look for areas that can make a big impact for a relatively small investment,” says design firm GRID/3’s Ruth Mellergaard.
inventory Go through your unsold Valentine’s stock and see if it can form the basis of a Gift Gallery on your website.
Week 4Feb. 20-25
networking Build your social reach. Look into joining the local country club or sponsoring a local Little League team.
inventory Get an independent appraisal of your inventory. Your old stock is often not as valuable as you may think, but it’s good to know where you stand financially. Some consultants will do it for free as part of their trial service.
marketing Create a display of jewelry options that fall into the $100 to $500 range and promote it to attract those tax rebate dollars that start pouring in from March through May. Most households are expected to spend in the range of $100 to $300, which just happens to be the sweet spot for “fine” fashion jewelry.
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 edition of INSTORE.