Sales Truths: There is No Business Like Show Business

Published

16 years ago

November 21, 2009

Dave Richardson

WHY IT’S TRUE We walk into a movie theater with a bag of popcorn in our hand, or perhaps snuggle comfortably in front of our TV to watch our favorite show. We look forward with great anticipation to the show and walk away either very satisfied, very ambivalent or very dissatisfied. At that moment we make subconscious decision whether or not to ever watch a show again with that particular producer, actor, etc.

PLAN OF ACTION People enter your store with specific expectations. Like it or not, you’re in show business and you and your staff are on stage every time the customer walks in. Enhance their experience by offering a friendly greeting while maintaining good eye contact. Make a dynamite presentation by using all the tools — the counter pad, the ring stick and the selvyt cloth. Make sure the stage is clear of all distractions such as fingerprints on the counter, lint or dirt on the floor. Then give ’em the best show ever!

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

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."