Week 1 June 5-10
STAFF If you’re at the Vegas shows, phone your local pizzeria and order a couple of deluxe 14-inchers for your staff back in the store. They think you’re living it up, which may be far from the truth, but let them know you’re thinking about them.
Customer service “I always treat everyone like they have a million dollars to spend,” says Lara Bergseth of Idar Jewellers in Victoria, British Columbia (PICTURED). People really appreciate not being judged. I once had a lady send me a note that said, ‘I only spent $1,500, but you made me feel like I spent $15,000. Thank you!’”
MARKETING Father’s Day (June 18) is two weeks away. Begin posting your specials on your website today, then wait a day and send your Dad’s Day promotional e-mail.
SALES FLOOR You should start to see wives and daughters coming in this week (and maybe those slacker sons next week). Don’t forget to ask the girls if they’d like to see a little something special for themselves as well.
Week 2 June 12-17
MANAGEMENT There’s a good chance you were exposed to some great ideas at a trade event in the past few months. Draw up a plan to implement the best of those suggestions before another year passes and you’re again sitting in a trade session thinking, “I should do that.”
MARKETING On your return from the Vegas shows, mail or email a trends report to customers based on your show buying. Headline it: “Hottest Trends Straight From the Las Vegas Jewelry and Watch Shows.”
MARKETING Start thinking about a summer event. Tie in the food and wine with the source of the gemstones. Become known in the community for bringing in artists or craftspeople or speakers for public events.
Week 3 June 19-24
TECHNOLOGY Take advantage of the coming slow season to familiarize yourself with any new equipment or software you may have purchased. Become a master, not a slave of your technology.
TRAINING Write down one important skill that you can teach each member of your staff. By the end of next week, make sure that you’ve spent at least some time working with each staffer on that skill.
MARKETING Do a mail-out to remind customers about your backroom services in summer. Check that you have the supplies you need to support such a service, including specialty tissue to protect sterling from tarnishing and gold/platinum from scratching; plastic bags to retard tarnishing from air contact; flannels for outer protection; adhesive-style plastic for immobilization for shipping, and white gloves for staff when they take in items.
Week 4 June 26-July 1
INVENTORY Don’t leave your new goods from Vegas sitting in the vault. Get everything priced and in your cases within a day of its arrival.
TELEMARKETING It’s been six months since Christmas. Ask holiday-season customers to bring in their jewelry for a free checkup.
MANAGEMENT Invite 10 customers to form an advisory panel for your store, recommends trainer Kate Peterson. Schedule three meetings a year and ask them to discuss what they like and how they would advise you to improve and grow. “Pay” them with lunch and gift cards — and most important, use what they tell you!
This article originally appeared in the June 2017 edition of INSTORE.