Dave Richardson

Why Attitude Is More Important Than Experience When Hiring

Pick the right attributes and you will score a real winner.

Published

6 years ago

December 26, 2018

Dave Richardson Instore December 2018 Issue

WHY IT IS TRUE: The key question in hiring a new sales associate is, can this person sell? The second question is, does this person have any jewelry sales experience?

PLAN OF ACTION: Be careful hiring someone with jewelry experience, particularly if that experience comes from different stores over a number of years.

My philosophy has always been this: it is easier to train a good salesperson to sell jewelry than to train someone who knows jewelry how to sell.

Most importantly though, look at the person’s attitude toward selling, enthusiasm for working with customers, and results during their sales career. Chances are you will score a real winner.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”