Show Your Customers Something Astonishing Just Before Christmas

Published

7 years ago

November 8, 2016

(Our November print issue includes a feature story detailing “10 Steps to Last-Minute Holiday Success.” Today we bring you an excerpt explaining one of those steps: showing them something special.)

Show Your Customers Something Astonishing Just Before Christmas

At Tiny Jewel Box in Washington, DC, the company tagline is, “If it’s not special, it’s not here.” For the holidays this year, a collection of three Michael Galmer evening purses in silver, lined in 24K gold with silver mesh, will be on display. Each is numbered, hallmarked and priced at $6,500.

The collection not only fits the company’s philosophy, but is attracting attention from local media. One newsworthy hook: The first purse has been acquired by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum to showcase the art of repousse silver crafting. Says Tiny Jewel Box president Matthew Rosenheim: “These handcrafted, numbered purses will appeal to a woman who insists on rare pieces she won’t see worn by every other woman.”

Mary Jo Chanski of Hannoush Jewelers in Rutland, VT, always orders special inventory on memo for the fourth quarter. “Each year we get some crazy sexy cool last minute pieces for the last few days before Christmas,” she says. “They are extremely unique, extremely beautiful and extremely expensive. But you never know who’s going to walk in and say ‘YES! This year I am buying my wife a diamond tiara!’”

On the other end of the price-point spectrum, Niki Novello of Cleveland Jewelry Design showed and sold dozens of Alpaca wool scarves with embroidered initials last year for about $20 as add-on purchases. “A $20 gift that is personalized is very hard to come by, and embroidered scarves are elegant and classy. People buy them for gift exchanges at their businesses.”

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”