Sales Truths: Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

Published

15 years ago

September 21, 2009

Dave Richardson

WHY IT’S TRUE Mama may not always have been right, but we know she was never wrong! As kids we experienced a lot of these “down” days and yet somehow we survived. Today, we are experiencing some of the greatest challenges in our professional career. The economic challenges we face on almost a daily basis are forcing us to carefully examine our business model, and look at ways we can somehow do things differently, better and with a positive impact.

PLAN OF ACTION Take a close look at your staff. Ask yourself: Are they the quality and caliber of people that you want to help lift your business beyond this recession? If not, seriously consider making some changes. If yes, take the time to train and develop them. Dust off some of the training manuals, videos, CDs, audio cassette tapes DVDs etc. that you purchased and have forgotten about over the years, and use them as a foundation to give your people the skills they need to give you the support you need. Simple stuff like greeting the customer, presenting merchandise, add-on sales, TOs, overcoming objections, and of course closing sales. You don’t want to let Mama down.

[span class=note]This story is from the September 2009 edition of INSTORE[/span]

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”