Selling Design : Tara Mikolay
BY INSTORE TEAM
Published in the March-April2012 issue
As a retailer, as much as I love carrying designer jewelry, it’s not always easy because it often has to be “sold” to the customer. Why? What makes designer jewelry harder to sell than more traditional jewelry? My husband and I recently launched our own designer line, so I thought about these questions long and hard.
I believe that the two most important things a jewelry line needs in order to be successful are a story and the marketing materials to go along with it.
The story is crucial because it is the primary ingredient in “romancing the sale.” When my husband and I designed our line, we wanted to go back to a time when a piece of jewelry was worked on for months, when quality was never compromised and the end result was a work of art.
We were inspired by the English Renaissance and decided to design separate collections based on each of the wives of King Henry VIII, all of whom were fascinating icons with a distinct sense of style. This makes selling the line very easy as a retailer. We often have customers try on a ring and comment how it looks like an estate piece. This gives the salesperson a natural introduction into what the designer was inspired by, how the piece was designed, and why certain materials were used. All of this dialogue instills the value in the piece, leaving the customer with a full understanding of the asking price.
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Secondly, as a retailer, it’s incredibly important for brand awareness and sales longevity that each designer provide you with top-notch marketing materials. You have to build interest in the line by brand promotion using high quality images, catalogs, training materials for staff, and customer handouts. Having these items at your staff’s disposal will allow them to reach out to customers with images of items that will complement their most recent purchases.
Tara Mikolay, Owner, Desires By Mikolay and Scott Mikolay Jewelry Design (Chappaqua, NY)
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Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
