Today’s post is about moonshots. About trying something risky and big — no matter what limitations and excuses you’ve had in the past. There is NOTHING stopping you from taking the first step to running your dream business.

Having that new store in a better location. Opening that pop-up boutique in your community’s arts district. Launching that new product line. Becoming more important in your community. Building a word-of-mouth engine that NEVER stops running. Getting your store to the top of the search results in your community.

You can do it. Even with low/limited investment and only the tools available to you, your ingenuity and the excitement of you and your staff.

You can DO it. No excuses.

For us, “World’s Greatest” has been a moonshot-type effort.

We believe there’s a market and a use for a high-end, content-rich, carefully-curated daily content piece that UNDERSTANDS jewelers' daily life and wants only the following things:

• To give you a fun, interesting read each morning
• To provide you with a few talking points with customers
• To supply you with a good idea or two (or three or four) you can use that very day

However, it would be foolish to assume this is going to be successful. This may not be the right product. Or the right time.

And if it ISN’T the right time, we’ll take the lessons learned from this effort, regroup, and get ready for the next moonshot.

The name of this project — originally, it was a code name but it stuck — is “World’s Greatest Jewelry Bulletin”.

Flipping that idea back to you, and the business case of a jewelry store, maybe you promise the “World’s Greatest Customer Service” and everybody in your store focuses on providing memorably, outstanding, over-the-top customer service. (Tip: If you’re not IMMEDIATELY getting rave reviews from customers, you’re not doing enough.)

Or maybe your goal is to create the world’s most memorable and distinctive store and your path is to infuse EVERY DETAIL of your store with creativity and energy. In that case, one detail might be to promise every customer who enters your store gets one of “Grandma Sally’s World’s Greatest Caramel Chip Cookies”. (Greatest just invented those, but now he can practically SMELL them.)

Do they have to be the “world’s greatest” caramel-chip cookies? Nope. But they should be pretty darn good. What they need to be is the absolute best you can make them. (Then multiply by 100 different “world’s greatest” details.)

That’s the goal in a nutshell. Set your sights on the moon. Your biggest, most exciting business goal.

And then, using EVERY OUNCE of your power, even though it seems impossible, you start to levitate — first, an inch off the ground; then a foot; then 10 feet and ... suddenly, somehow ... you’re FLYING.

We wish you the best in your moonshot. If you want to help OUR moonshot, here's how:

Subscribe today to keep receiving World's Greatest in April.

Remember TODAY IS THE LAST DAY of free circulation.

Starting tomorrow “World’s Greatest” bulletins will go to paid subscribers only.

Since this is still only a test project, our ONLY current subscription option is $20 for the month of April.

Want to help us keep this newsletter running? Here’s how to help:

1. Spread the word to co-workers, industry contacts and industry friends. If you can think of ANYONE who would benefit from this content, forward them this email with your recommendation.
2. Use the “Forward” button at the top of this email to share with up to 10 contacts.
3. Copy the link "instoremag.com/great6" and send via social media DM or to any jewelers groups you participate in.

Let's keep this thing going!

Questions and comments? Write [email protected].

METALS REPORT

Gold passes $3,100 level for first time.

Gold increased 0.65% to $3,105.80 (at 12 AM Monday EDT); platinum increased 0.10% to $994; palladium was up 0.31% to $998. (See latest prices at Kitco.)

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Madonna shows off wild diamond-lapis grill.

Analysis: Should the natural diamond business go on attack against lab-grown? / June gemological conference to focus on American gemstones. / Neiman Marcus downtown Dallas location to stay open through 2025 holidays.

Today’s Dates

• “Days” of the Day: World Backup Day, National Prom Day, National She’s Funny That Way Day (share your favorite female comedians online)
• “DAYS” THIS WEEK: April Fools' Day, National Walking Day (April 2), National Handmade Day (April 5), National Deep Dish Pizza Day (April 5)
• Famous Birthdays: Happy 80th to Gabe Kaplan of Welcome Back Kotter (b. 1945), AC/DC guitarist Angus Young hits 70 (b. 1955).
• UPCOMING: April 6 is the 165th anniversary of the birth of one of jewelry’s all-time greatest designers, René Lalique. (He died in 1945. Here’s a video overview of his work.)
• Entertainment Anniversaries: Busy day for movie release anniversaries: Tommy Boy was released in 1995 (catch Chris Farley’s epic “I killed my sale” clip); Hillary Swank’s Oscar-winner Boys Don’t Cry (2000); John Cusack record-store rom-com High Fidelity (2000); and for the old-timers, Doris Day’s Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960).
• UPCOMING: Coming this Friday, the long-awaited A Minecraft Movie, starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black. (See a few ideas below.)
• Trade Show: SIHH Watches and Wonders in Geneva starts tomorrow and continues through April 7. If you’re there, two things: 1.) we hate you; and 2.) don’t forget to keep your clients up to date with your globe-trotting buying adventures.

This Week’s Jewelers' Horoscope

The stars are speaking Gemini's language — and they’re LOUD about it. As for Pisces, bless your tender, talented heart, but this week is testing you.

CHECK YOUR HOROSCOPE: Aries / Taurus / Gemini / Cancer / Leo / Virgo / Libra / Scorpio / Sagittarius / Capricorn / Aquarius / Pisces / Best and Worst Signs of the Week

End of Month Survey

We know it wasn’t a full month, but Greatest still wants to know how we did with our first week-plus of content. Fill out our one-minute survey here.

TIP: : Want to know what YOUR customers think? Ask them on a regular basis — i.e. once a month at the end of your emails. Keep it quick: just 3-4 questions and a comment box for venting (or raving).

Strategic Planner

The last weekday or two of the month is prime time to consult the calendar and plot your next move. Opportunities range from “just drop it into conversation like it’s no big deal” to “full-blown store event with snacks, signage, and maybe a confetti cannon.” In the middle: toss up a social post, sweeten it with a promo, roll out a themed product drop, or curate a collection to mark the day. Go big, go small, or go ... medium. Your call.

April’s biggest events are:

• April Fools' Day (a few ideas)
• Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 11-13, 18-20)
• Passover (April 14-22)
• Tax Day (April 15)
• Easter (April 20)
• Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 25)
• Administrative Professionals' Day (April 23 ... some ideas)

Beyond that, here is a list of other April events to consider. (Note: The list is AI-generated.)

The month is also jam-packed with sports including the Masters in golf (April 10-13), NBA and NHL playoffs, and the first weeks of the Major League Baseball season.

All these sporting events could merely mean a busy month at your in-store bar. But you could try to make sales by offering gemstone and material color combinations to match your local playoff team (for a few NBA examples, Cleveland Cavaliers — wine, gold, navy and black; Lakers — purple, gold and white; Knicks — royal blue, orange and silver). If you’ve got a captive audience, don’t be afraid to insinuate that your designs possess some level of mystical powers to assist home team victories.

During April you should also be planning for upcoming May and June events including:

• National Small Business Week (May 1-7)
• Mother’s Day (May 11 ... a few ideas)
• Pride Month (June)
• JCK Las Vegas (June 6-9)
• Father’s Day (June 15)

Not to mention prom season, graduations, and more.

10 Things To Do In Your Store Today

• TAX DAY: Is your “Tax Day Layaway” program up and running? Do customers know you’re offering a reduced deposit for layaways during this time of year? Invite area women’s groups and clubs to come in for “Tax Day Layaway Browsing Tours”.
• EASTER: Here are a few Easter ideas over the years from the pages of INSTORE:
• Adeler Jewelers' Children’s Spring Festival and Egg Hunt, which has drawn up to 450 kids.
• Uptown Diamond in Houston’s “The World’s Most Expensive Easter Egg Hunt”.
• Walton’s Jewelry in Franklin, TN's annual habit of hiding a gold painted egg downtown.
• Barnes Jewelers' minor league baseball/Easter egg hunt combination.
• MINECRAFT MOVIE: If you’ve got lots of younger customers (let’s say 35 years or less), the release of the Minecraft movie this Friday (April 4) could be a can’t-miss film. Could you capitalize on the interest by offering a “Minecraft” selection of antique mine-cut diamonds? Even better, wait to see how the movie does in the box office over its first weekend, and if it looks like it did well, you can post “Speaking of 'Minecraft' …”
• ARBOR DAY/EARTH DAY: How are you marking the two closely-spaced environmental holidays in your community? Here are a few ideas:
  • Participate in community trash-collecting or tree-planting. (Bring business cards.)
  • Promote ethical, eco-friendly jewelry brands in your inventory.
  • Promote your estate-jewelry selection, which you can say offers “the world’s cleanest and safest mode of mining — mining grandma’s jewelry chest”.
• TECH: Check your computer back-up system this week. Is it current? In most things in life, good enough is just fine. But NOT when it comes to backing up your files. “Be a pro when it comes to storing and saving your data. Back up your backup,” says Kevin Kelly in his book, Excellent Advice for Living. Kelly recommends one physical backup (at least) and one in the cloud. And if you really want peace of mind, keep more than one of each. “How much would you pay to retrieve all your data, photos, notes, if you lost them? Backups are cheap compared to regrets,” he says.
• MOTHER’S DAY: Reach out to a local florist to have bouquets ready for the Mother’s Day weekend (May 9-11). “Help your male clients take something off their list when they've forgotten to buy flowers for Mother's Day. And who knows, maybe they will buy a bit of sparkle from you to go with the flowers,” says Kathleen Cutler of Kathleen Cutler Strategy.
• NATIONAL HANDMADE DAY: Promote your collection of local, handmade jewelry artists this Saturday.
• MARKETING: Ensure your jewelers aren’t left twiddling their thumbs: Hold a “Spring Cleaning” promotion. Invite customers to come in for a free or reduced jewelry cleaning. Include “Custom Consultations” for clients who are interested in redesigning a piece in their existing jewelry wardrobe.
• HAVE A BEER: Monday the 7th is National Beer Day, held to commemorate the end of prohibition in 1933. Hold an “Acme Jewelers Happy Hour” to celebrate the day with X% off (and free frosty beverages, of course). This is the perfect time for male customers to get in some early shopping for Mother’s Day.
• WORK-LIFE: We suggested Friday to travel abroad to an industry event. Even if that idea doesn’t interest you, you should start planning your July or August vacation in March or April at the latest. Why so early? Three reasons: 1.) To get the room you want; 2.) So you commit to actually taking a break, and perhaps, most importantly; 3.) To get the most happiness and excitement from the experience. A study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life found that the most enjoyable thing about taking a vacation is actually planning it. The takeaway? By planning early, you’ll have plenty of time to soak in the fun of planning it.

Sales Contest of the Week

Gumball Machine

HOW IT WORKS: Every time someone closes a sale, they earn a penny. At the end of the week, pennies get handed out, and each salesperson drops theirs into a gumball machine. Whatever color gumball comes out determines their reward — maybe 25¢ for white, $1 for red, $10 for blue. Cue the suspenseful knob-turning and dramatic color reveals.

If each member of your team is cranking out 30+ sales a week, this could get ... long. To keep it fun (and avoid putting everyone to sleep), adjust the ratio — maybe 5 or 10 sales = 1 penny — and scale the gumball values to match.

You can find a classic gumball machine on Amazon or eBay for around $150. Stock it with colorful Dubble Bubble gumballs. Bonus: it doubles as a fun attraction for kids — with their parents' blessing and your best customer service smile.

MORE ON SPIFFS: Here is David Geller on how to better value spiffs to move old merchandise.

Disclaimer: Sales spiffs and contests are not appropriate for every store. But, used correctly, they can create energy and fun in your store and incentivize sales-boosting behaviors.

Project “Add Personality”

Each week, we’re trying to add personality and unique style to one specific area of your store. The idea is to eliminate any areas in your store that are ho-hum. Last week, we covered store bags. This week, let’s talk about bringing a breath of fresh air — literally — into your space by adding greenery.

Plants and green accents might not be the first things that come to mind when you think of a jewelry store, but when used thoughtfully, they can make your space feel more inviting, healthy and down-to-earth.

One of the best usages of green space we’ve seen is at Occasions Fine Jewelry in Midland, TX, where interior designer Leslie McGwire worked with owner Michael Fleck to install a living green wall, which has become a focal point of the recently reimagined showroom. The greenery acts as an oasis in the store that has an ambience and color palette best described as "desert luxury."

A full-scale green wall might not be in the cards for every store, but adding touches of greenery—whether it’s a few well-placed indoor plants, fresh flowers, or even an outdoor display—can go a long way in refreshing your space. And with spring in the air, there’s no better time to give it a try!

Ask World’s Greatest

Any suggestions for those customers who slobber on their fingers to remove a ring, but still can’t get the ring off … and even if they did, you wouldn’t want to TOUCH it?

There are two issues here — 1.) the stuck ring, 2.) the customer saliva.

To deal with the saliva, offer a spritz of Purell the instant you realize that frantic ring-licking/ring-spitting is set to commence.

As for the stuck ring, if the Purell doesn’t help get it off (in most cases, it should), you can then suggest holding the hand high to drain blood from the finger.

If that doesn’t work — before you haul out the ring cutter — try this approach we found on YouTube (entitled “Doctor said to cut off the finger, Jeweler said to cut the ring. Here is what an engineer did.”) The engineer’s technique involved flattening the finger by wrapping string around it, then easing the ring off by unwinding the string from the rear side of the ring. Best if you watch … it’s pretty cool.

Send your questions to [email protected]