MANAGEMENT
What if my best salesperson is also the biggest jerk in the store?
Then you’ve got a problem money can’t fix. Stanford professor Bob Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, says even “successful” jerks destroy culture by draining morale, pushing away good employees, and damaging customer relationships. Don’t let sales numbers blind you to the long-term cost. Confront the behavior directly, set clear expectations, and give them the chance to change. If they won’t — cut them loose. The short-term revenue hit is nothing compared to the long-term rot of keeping them.
OPERATIONS
We’re considering delivery by appointment only instead of open hours. My father says we’ll look like we’re going out of business. Is this retail suicide?
It’s actually the opposite of retail suicide … when done correctly. T. Lee Jewelers in Minneapolis transitioned from retail to house-calls-only, focusing entirely on custom work. According to T. Lee, everything became simpler — lower rent, smaller staff, better work-life balance, and clients seem more relaxed about timelines. She maintains client flow through referral-only acceptance and hosted gemstone roundtables. The key is positioning the new format as enhanced, exclusive personal service, not retreat. Some businesses thrive with less overhead and more focus.
MOTIVATION
What should I say when outside economics — not effort — hurts sales?
Remind them it’s not a lost season — it’s a “relationship-building season.” Brenda Newman, owner of The Jewelry Source in El Segundo, CA, leaned on that reframe during an earlier economic slump. Harvard researcher Shawn Achor backs her up: teams who saw downturns as challenges cut stress by 23 percent. Positivity won’t pay the bills by itself, but it fuels the persistence that keeps customers close until better times return.
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MANAGEMENT
How can I match jobs to people who’ll actually want them?
Handing out jobs can feel like punishment duty — until you realize different people see the same task very differently. Business coach Dave Bailey recommends an exercise called Planning Poker: you describe the job, whether it’s redesigning the bridal showcase or calling past customers, and everyone silently picks a numbered card for how much effort it will take. A “2” means easy, a “9” means hard. When the cards flip, you see the spread. The gaps spark quick discussion — maybe one person knows there’s hidden work while another doesn’t. But here’s the bonus: those mismatched numbers often reveal natural fits. Someone who rates phone calls as a “2” should be the one making them, while the staffer who sees calls as a “9” can take on a different job they find easier. Planning Poker turns assigning work from guesswork into a team exercise where staff feel heard, jobs get divided fairly, and people actually end up with tasks they don’t dread.
MANAGEMENT
My staff rolls their eyes when I suggest daily meetings. Are they really necessary?
Tell your eye-rollers that even football teams huddle between plays. Store performance coach David Brown asks, “There is no way a football coach would send a team out without talking to them before and during the game yet many store owners don’t follow the same rules?” Five minutes. Yesterday’s score, today’s game plan, who’s doing what. The stores that mock this are the ones getting crushed by those who do it.
SALES
What’s a good way to break case intimidation?
Hand over the biggest rock you’ve got. Brian McCall of Midwest Jewelers in Zionsville, IN, loves to tell browsers: “Let’s play!” That can mean slipping a $225,000 diamond ring on someone’s finger just for fun. No pressure. The joke is half shock, half delight — and it breaks the ice so smaller-ticket items feel approachable. Play turns silence into curiosity. (Obviously, whether you try this tip or not depends strongly on your security environment.)
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FINANCE
My CPA says dump everything over 2 years old. That’s literally half my showcases — about $300K retail. Is she insane?
She’s the only sane person in your store. David Geller, columnist, explains the math: “Buy an item for $500 in January, sell it by December for $1,000 profit. Do that three years running, you make $3,000. Keep it three years to sell once? You lost $2,000.” Your two-year-old inventory isn’t vintage wine —it’s dead weight. Other retailers turn inventory quarterly. Furniture stores clear everything in four months. You’re hoarding. Liquidate at 40% off, give staff 10% commission on old goods, or scrap it. Your CPA sees what you refuse to: that $300K is killing you.
ESTATE JEWELRY
What’s the difference between estate, vintage, and antique?
Words matter. Beth Bernstein, author of The Modern Guide to Antique Jewellery, breaks it down: Antique = 100 years or older. Vintage = newer, up through the 1980s. Estate = the umbrella that covers them both. Get it wrong and you sound like a rookie on your own sales floor.
MORE ONLINE: Why to rehearse proposals, the value of “luck diaries”, and how to respond to the customers who say their wives “don’t really like jewelry”. Read it here.
