Every year, we all make New Year’s resolutions. And sooner or later, we end up breaking them. In fact, depending on when this magazine reaches you, you might have blown a few already. No worries, here are some brand new ones for jewelers that you should really try to keep, courtesy of the team at In the End.
* I will open my store doors bright and early every morning at exactly 10- sharp ? ish.
* I will be genuinely happy when my customer opts for the smaller diamond, knowing that he has made the purchase decision that’s right for him. And I will stop making that face when he does.
* It’s time to change my trade-show merchandising strategy — and stop buying most of my stuff at the booths with the hottest sales staff.
* I will not laugh at the trembling kid with braces attempting to buy his ?girlfriend? a $39 friendship ring.
* Any items in my store that are more than one year old, I will immediately take action on ? by bitterly complaining to staff members about the terrible fashion sense of our customers.
* When customers come in and I have to sell them, I will put my sandwich down.
* It’s time to admit it. I actually do know how to pump gas. And I’m not too bad with a Squeegie, either.
* I will stop saying, ?Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!? and becoming sarcastically servile whenever a customer whips out an American Express platinum card.
* I will no longer use any lame-o ?Fifth C? lines like: ?Here at Anderson Jewelers, we provide you with a ?Fifth C’, ____? (Fill in the blank: ?Courtesy’, ?Commitment to Quality’, ?Crisp and Crunchy Corn on the Cob’, etc., etc.)
* Whenever I’m tempted to use the old ?two-month’s salary? squeeze, I will imagine myself buying golf clubs for my husband … and the salesperson using the same line on me.
* Let’s do it! I will purchase customer-database software, unwrap it, and ? well, let’s not go overboard here.
* I will not shake my head disgustedly while ringing up the next customer who comes in with one of our $50 gift certificates and buys an item worth $49.95.
* I will no longer bite my nails, chain smoke, or mutter ominously to staff: ?I don’t know how much longer we can sustain this,? … every time we show a 5 percent monthly sales decrease.
* I will establish a college fund for my children. (And will quickly quadruple it during a single weekend in Atlantic City.)
* A Mrs. Fields cookie will not qualify as ?lunch?.
* I will read 10 business books this year. Okay, I will read five business books this year. Okay, I will read three business books this year. Okay, I will read John Grisham’s The Firm.