Stoke the Fires
Anticipating is half the joy of anything — Christmas presents, vacation planning, even trunk shows. Next time you’re doing such an event, heighten the excitement by inviting some of your best prospects in for a “Sneak Preview”, like the Gem Collection Tallahassee, FL, did with a recent Hearts On Fire show.
SALES
Start Befriending
This is such a crucial time of year for not only repeat customers but also to cultivate relationships with new customers. The key is to be “true to yourself,” says Morgan Bartel, co-owner of Susann’s Custom Jewelers in Corpus Christi, TX. “Customers can spot a salesman a mile away. Stop selling and start befriending.” Oz Hefner of Oz’s Jewelers concurs. “So many people change who they are during the holiday season, just be who you are just like the rest of the year.”
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EVENTS
Try a Try-it-on Party
It’s something you may have noticed yourself: customers being reluctant to stray from the styles they’ve always worn. To encourage them to experiment with different looks, Alchemy 9.2.5 in Belmont, MA, holds “Try It On” parties. “The party allows patrons to let their hair down and hopefully with the encouragement of their friends, see themselves in a new light,” says owner Kirsten Ball. “Who doesn’t want to live a little dangerously?”
HUMAN RESOURCES
The War for Talent
With the aim to make sure it gets the best job applicants, tech research firm CB Insights offers an award of $5,000 to anyone who can recommend a successful candidate for a position. That seems to be a ridiculously generous amount … until you consider that hiring is an expensive process to get wrong (according to some estimates, it can cost as much as nine months of a “wrong” employee’s salary). You can see how it structures the offer here.
PROMOTIONS
Flash of Genius
Few girls forget where they got their ears pierced. And to make sure they remember this often first experience with a jewelry store, Orin Jewelers in Garden City, MI, gives them flashing “blinky rings.” Smart.
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STAFF
When Animals Take Over
Everyone loves a store mascot, especially one with an officially recognized role. The “Director of Grrrrrreetings” at Sarini Fine Jewellery in Vulcan, AB, is a German shepherd, who in addition to being on hand in-store to meet customers, makes regular appearances in the store’s Instagram feed. At The Jewelers in Lebanon, TN, the position of “Security Guard & Office Manager” was for years held by the store cat, Peridot. The loved pet passed away in 2016, but the sense of fun at The Jewelers lives on.
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Blooper Marketing
If you cut a video for television, YouTube or Facebook, don’t let those off-cuts go to waste. Do a blooper reel, a la Sherrie’s Jewelry Box in Tigard, OR. Owners Sherrie Devaney and her husband may not quite be ready to host an hour of JTV programming, but they come across as a fun, genuine couple to take care of your jewelry shopping needs. See their out-takes at instr.us/ismag111803.