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Smooth Seller: Elaine Pieper

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Clarkson Jewelers,St. Louis, MO

 

Smooth Seller: Elaine Pieper

When Elaine Pieper was about to turn 50, she started checking off items on her “bucket list” and got a new lease on life. Her energy has filtered into the workplace, as well. She hit $1 million in sales by September, and is on track to making 2010 her best year ever. Pieper got her start as a bench jeweler and designer, but in 1991, she came to Clarkson’s and found a new niche in sales. — Eileen McClelland

INTERVIEW

ADVICE FOR NEWBIES: Have fun and make each customer’s experience memorable. That’s what makes the job special.

BE GENTLE: I don’t push things on people. I listen to them and try to help them find something that’s going to make their gift special.

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SECRET TO SUCCESS: I don’t go to work every day saying, I’m going to sell a $40,000 watch today. I learned over time how to build a customer base, learned to listen, and it has just slowly evolved.

HELP THE GUYS: If it’s an engagement ring or an anniversary gift, I give them a suggestion on how to present it: Put it on her pillow and when she wakes up she’s going to have this wonderful surprise and your whole day is going to be wonderful.

SET THE MOOD: One of my first jobs was at Steak ’N Shake. An older gentleman came in every day for breakfast, and he said, “Let me just tell you one thing: The way you talk to your customers sets the mood.” So I try to greet customers and say hello, and use their name if I know it or get a feel for what their day is like. I can have a conversation before it even gets around to what brought them into the store.

MAKE IT FUN: A fun shopping experience is about trying things on and being interactive.

GIVE IT YOUR ALL: I worry about what happens in the store when I’m not there. If I have a customer who needs to get something done, I go into work on my day off or go into work early. Sometimes you have to give more than 100 percent.

This story is from the December 2010 edition of INSTORE

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SPONSORED VIDEO

After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.

When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”

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Smooth Sellers

Smooth Seller: Elaine Pieper

Published

on

Clarkson Jewelers,St. Louis, MO

 

Smooth Seller: Elaine Pieper

When Elaine Pieper was about to turn 50, she started checking off items on her “bucket list” and got a new lease on life. Her energy has filtered into the workplace, as well. She hit $1 million in sales by September, and is on track to making 2010 her best year ever. Pieper got her start as a bench jeweler and designer, but in 1991, she came to Clarkson’s and found a new niche in sales. — Eileen McClelland

INTERVIEW

ADVICE FOR NEWBIES: Have fun and make each customer’s experience memorable. That’s what makes the job special.

BE GENTLE: I don’t push things on people. I listen to them and try to help them find something that’s going to make their gift special.

Advertisement

SECRET TO SUCCESS: I don’t go to work every day saying, I’m going to sell a $40,000 watch today. I learned over time how to build a customer base, learned to listen, and it has just slowly evolved.

HELP THE GUYS: If it’s an engagement ring or an anniversary gift, I give them a suggestion on how to present it: Put it on her pillow and when she wakes up she’s going to have this wonderful surprise and your whole day is going to be wonderful.

SET THE MOOD: One of my first jobs was at Steak ’N Shake. An older gentleman came in every day for breakfast, and he said, “Let me just tell you one thing: The way you talk to your customers sets the mood.” So I try to greet customers and say hello, and use their name if I know it or get a feel for what their day is like. I can have a conversation before it even gets around to what brought them into the store.

MAKE IT FUN: A fun shopping experience is about trying things on and being interactive.

GIVE IT YOUR ALL: I worry about what happens in the store when I’m not there. If I have a customer who needs to get something done, I go into work on my day off or go into work early. Sometimes you have to give more than 100 percent.

This story is from the December 2010 edition of INSTORE

Advertisement

Advertisement

SPONSORED VIDEO

After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.

When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”

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