WHY IT IS TRUE: For most, if not all salespeople, their livelihood is based on successful ongoing performance in your store. It is one thing to complete the sale and stick the commission in their pocket … it is quite another to build a strong, enduring relationship.
PLAN OF ACTION: When people close a sale they should always get the customer’s name, address, phone number, and email address for later follow-up. If the customer isn’t going to buy, the salesperson should turn the individual over to another associate, who should also try to get that information. Create a simple form that can be filled in after the sale, which includes space for all the key data (customer’s name, spouse’s name, kids and grandkids’ names, etc.) — David Richardson
This article originally appeared in the February 2016 edition of INSTORE.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
