When I first opened my jewelry store nearly a quarter of a century ago, I labored under the delusion that “if I build it, they will come!” When I opened my doors, I thought I had a pretty good following since I’d been in the area for a long time working in another jewelry operation. Some of those folks did follow me, but gee whiz, was I in for a rude awakening!
After the first few months, I noticed things slowing down and buying traffic coming to a trickle instead of a steady stream. Why was this happening, I wondered? I stubbornly plowed ahead for a few years and made ends meet but nothing more. I clung to the belief that because I was a good goldsmith, watch repairman, gem cutter and appraiser (yes, I did all these things back then) that people would want to flood my doors and do business with me. Boy was I wrong!
You see friends, it really doesn’t matter how good you are as a jewelry salesman, goldsmith, watch repairman or designer. That is a tough thing to swallow, I know! But with the help of some friends in the business and a great business coach, I found the great secret of success in the jewelry biz.
Here it is: I changed my way of thinking about the jewelry store I owned. Instead of being a “jeweler” per se, I became a “marketer of jewelry and jewelry-related services.” Do you see the subtle shift here?
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It doesn’t matter if you’re the best jeweler in town with the coolest jewelry lines around if nobody knows about you. Take the time just like I did to hone your marketing skills. Instead of just skimming the pages of this magazine, devour the articles and take the time to become your area’s Marketer of Jewelry and Jewelry Related Services. Like me, you’ll discover that this little shift in your thinking will start paying big dividends in the future.
By the way, I have a gift for you! Sign up at hudsongoldmine.com/billsreport for a free report on “Three Ways To Bring Buying Traffic Into Your Jewelry Store.”
Bill Warren owns a successful jewelry store in the mountains of western NC. He speaks at industry events and trade shows on marketing and optimizing independent jewelry store operations. Email him at goldman86@bellsouth.net
This article originally appeared in the July 2018 edition of INSTORE.
