Zen Jeweler: Losing At Solitaire

Published

17 years ago

July 2, 2008

INSTORE Staff

I USED TO PLAY a lot of solitaire. Over time, I learned I was playing a game designed to make me lose. There was no way to tell from the hand whether the next cards would fall properly. There was only luck, and the game was designed to keep me playing, and keep me losing.

Now I’m in another game, this one called retail. And I have a real tool that is almost never used by retailers, a tool I should use more often. You see, in solitaire, you play alone. In business, you have a tool that helps you predict what will be hot, prevent losses, figure out what displays are working, even judge which media to use. That tool is other people.

You haven’t noticed them yet? They are on your staff and reading all the magazines you don’t have time to read. They are cutting your hair and would love to talk about their jewelry. They are your best customers, brought together for lunch and a discussion.

Still want to play solitaire? Trust me, you’ll lose.

Retiring? Let Wilkerson Do the Heavy Lifting

Retirement can be a great part of life. As Nanji Singadia puts it, “I want to retire and enjoy my life. I’m 78 now and I just want to take a break.” That said, Nanji decided that the best way to move ahead was to contact the experts at Wilkerson. He chose them because he knew that closing a store is a heavy lift. To maximize sales and move on to the next, best chapter of his life, he called Wilkerson—but not before asking his industry friends for their opinion. He found that Wilkerson was the company most recommended and says their professionalism, experience and the homework they did before the launch all helped to make his going out of business sale a success. “Wilkerson were working on the sale a month it took place,” he says. “They did a great job.”