Selling watch repairs is like selling internal surgery — you can’t show the customer what’s going to occur inside. But if you have some old watches, the following technique will surely increase watch repair sales, profits and closing ratios.
First, buy six broken watches: two mechanical wind, two self-winding and two battery-operated.
Then, buy a large picture frame and a piece of foam. Take apart the watches and take off the bands. Place on top of the foam one of the mechanical watches with an open back, and below it separate out all of the parts of the matching watch. Now viewers can see what the completed watch looks like, as well as all of its individual parts. Next to this, do the same for the auto-wind watches and the battery-operated watches. Put a glass frame over the entire display.
Now you have something to use when training your staff, and the staff can use it for watch intake and presentations with customers. Train your staff how to show the customer what potential problems can occur and teach them typically what breaks.
Train your employees to know that if a customer asks, “Why so much?” they can show them that the watchmaker has to examine 50-plus pieces just to see what the problem is. He must then clean all the parts and put them back together again.
I’d suggest using the Geller Blue Book just to give customers a range of what the repair could cost. This will make your staff feel and act confident, and you’ll get higher closing ratios for estimates. For example, they might say: “This could cost between $135 and $225 dollars; if it’s more than that, we’ll call. Shall we proceed and give this to the watchmaker?”
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This alone will save the store and watchmaker the grief of calling and waiting for approvals on watch repair estimates.
Now you’ve got a tried-and-true method of closing full price watch repairs — and all it took were some broken watches and a few supplies from the craft store.
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.
