1 .Test drive your bracelets
Most jewelry is easy to put on and take off, but bracelets can be a notable exception. If a client lives alone or has mobility issues, it may be more difficult to wear certain bracelets, notes Sophia Macris, creative director at Verragio Fine Jewelry. The answer? Be sure to “test drive the bracelets in your cases to see which ones are the easiest to put on and take off (and why—are they flexible? Stretchy?)” And when you sell a bracelet to a client, make sure they test drive it, too, she says.
2. Heart it
To Gen Zers, emojis aren’t just a throwaway tap on their phone — they are central to the way they communicate as the original digital natives. According to a YouGov survey, almost nine in 10 of Gen Zers say emojis are useful at work, compared to fewer than half of Boomers and Gen Xers who feel the same. Millennials are also 2.5 times as likely to say they’re motivated by emoji reactions from colleagues and bosses than are Boomers, while almost two in three Gen Zers admitted they’re more likely to read messages that include emojis. By 2030, Gen Z will account for almost one-third of all workers and will be responsible for a large share of the country’s consumption. To get on the same page, you’ll likely need to up your emoji game, even if it’s something as simple as replacing “nice work” messages with a “heart”.
3. Unlock more custom orders
Those few seconds of quiet as you wait for a customer’s credit card to go through can be awkward – or, if you’re like Eve J. Alfille of Eve J. Alfille Gallery & Studio in Evanston, IL, an opportunity to unlock your next sale. Alfille recommends you simply turn to the customer and ask: “And what is your next project?”
They will smile and hesitate, taken aback, Alfille says. But push on with a version of this script:
“If you still have bits and pieces of jewelry in a drawer, or single lost earrings, or things you don’t wear, bring them in, and we can sit down, look at them, and maybe create something you will enjoy wearing! We can make an appointment whenever you like!”
4. Overcommit … just a smidge
When it comes to taking on projects, taking on a little more than you can comfortably handle can pay dividends, argues OpenAI chief Sam Altman on his personal blog. “I think it’s good to overcommit a little bit. I find that I generally get done what I take on, and if I have a little bit too much to do it makes me more efficient at everything, which is a way to train to avoid distractions (a great habit to build!).” Altman does end with a caution not to over do it “Overcommitting a lot is disastrous.”
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5. Gain maximum credibility
Agreements established BEFORE money changes hands are the agreements that will forever guide a relationship, says business author and ad man Roy H. Williams, so say the difficult thing up front. “The time to explain what will not be included is when the sale hasn’t yet been made. Clearly and memorably emphasize anything you need your customer to remember in the future,” he writes in his MondayMorningMemo newsletter. “To gloss over a possible disappointment during your presentation is to deceive your customer and poison their future trust in you,” he says. Remember, you have maximum credibility when you put the sale at risk.
6. Take your problems outside
When done on a consistent basis, one-on-one meetings with employees create a foundation of understanding that increases effectiveness and supports the professional growth of your staff. But having them in the same place you all work can give them the feeling of just one more work-related procedure to get through. An option – taking your one-on-one on the road, or at least the sidewalk. Get out of the office for a power walk and talk. Stick to good practice – be candid, be sure you’re doing less than half the talking, note the issues that will require follow-up … and look right before you cross the road.
7. Heed the rule of 3
Facing growing pains? You may have violated the Rule of 3, as espoused by Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder of Rakuten — often referred to as the “Amazon of Japan.” Mikitani posits that your business will “break” every time it triples in size. When you’re a one-man shop, everything runs fine, but once you get to three people and then 10 and then 30, you need to change the way you communicate, handle payroll, handle jobs and so on. To avoid such chaos as you grow, continuously assess and adapt your systems and processes every time you reach one of these critical thresholds, according to a post about Mikitani’s theory in Business Insider.
8. Throw out the script
Scripts are useful, but they will never cover every possibility that may arise — plus they can make you sound like a robot. A good salesperson not only needs to be able to wing it but also come across as authentic. The secret is to give up on perfection, says Stanford Business School’s Matt Abrahams on the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. “When you stop chasing perfection, you’re more likely to communicate from a relaxed, intuitive place. That makes it so much more likely you’ll have an authentic connection with whoever you’re speaking to,” he says. It’s important to stay present in the moment, maintain curiosity, and practice active listening to respond more naturally and effectively. He also advises reframing nervousness as excitement and trusting your instincts, which can help reduce anxiety and improve your ability to communicate clearly and confidently on the fly.
9. Jujitsu those Insults
If an angry customer abuses you, pause for a second, look at them and ask, Are you OK? According to Daniel Goleman, the author of “Emotional Intelligence”, such a response can throw the insulter off guard, disrupt their negative energy, and often lead to a more constructive conversation. “It also demonstrates emotional intelligence by addressing the underlying issues that may have prompted the insult, rather than escalating hostility,” he says.
10. Verb your job
As the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur, it can be helpful to think of your job as a verb rather than a noun, as in “I fix and sell jewelry” rather than “I am a jeweler.” It may feel like a silly word swap, but the mental shift can help disentangle who you are as a person from how you spend your days making money, says Art Markman, a professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of Bring Your Brain To Work. This kind of mental compartmentalization not only protects you from lows in one area of life spilling over into another, but it can also enhance your overall performance. Having some space — both mentally and physically — allows your brain the downtime it needs, Markman notes. “Even if your main goal is maximum productivity, you need some time away to make that possible.”
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