SIXTY PERCENT OF working Americans today say they’ve left a job or considered leaving a job because they didn’t like their direct supervisor (according to a survey from human resource consulting firm Randstad US). So, while business is good right now, from what I’ve seen, the biggest problem for jewelers and all relational selling businesses is PEOPLE. We either don’t have enough of them, or we can’t keep the ones we’ve got.
It would behoove you as owners and managers to take a good hard look at your business model — and more importantly, your management style — and ask yourself, “Am I the problem?” Or “Could I do better at managing my team?”
In his book Creating Magic, Lee Cockerell, vice-president and manager of many Disney properties, uses the acronym RAVE: Respect, Appreciate and Value Everyone. One example he used was early in his life, he was a grease boy at a large hotel that had a burger joint inside. He was treated like dirt, but HE knew in his heart that if he didn’t collect the grease, burgers could not be made. No burgers, no customers. No customers, no restaurant. What a great attitude about the importance of every job and every position in our companies.
How do you show your team that you respect, appreciate and value them? And I wonder, if we had the opportunity to find out the REAL reason some good people have left our stores, what would that be?
Make it your goal this year to have a RAVE attitude toward your team and do whatever you can: Attend a seminar, buy a book, listen to a book, anything you can do to grow as a leader. Determine that you are going to be a better leader and grow a beautiful store culture so that people will not want to leave and people will be knocking down your door to work for you.
Just do a little self-analysis right now and ask yourself: What do I need to change in my personality or management style to create a RAVE environment at my store? Go after it! You’ll be a better person for it and the ROI will pour over in so many ways.
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Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
