HOT SELLERS

Proven Best Sellers Right Here!

must do something about it. Then a good leader asks the group opinions as to how they as a team can alleviate excess discounting.

If it’s left as a singular event and everyone scatters as the doors open, then it’s a waste of time, money and frustrates your people. Rather, put your sales manager or anyone (if you don’t have a sales manager) in charge of leading the discussion towards that topic throughout the week. This is so much more effective if the discussion happens just as a customer leaves should not be in the presence of other customers.

Here’s an example: You watch a training video on NOT DISCOUNTING. First you have an honest group discussion on how your store is doing with this. You get folks to understand the current state your store is in and then to realize that THEY

Next, salesperson Tina is working with a client and gives in to a 30% discount and throws in the head and sizing. Her backup buddy overheard the presentation and when that client leaves, the two discuss ways to avoid discounting in the future. These can often be brilliant and can draw the two buddies closer together.

In a sense, this is the role paying that we always hear about but never do. Your team is involved in an ONGOING DISCUSSION, focusing on the problem and fixing it together. Now of course with this particular topic of non-discounting, games, contests and monetary incentives always make things more interesting.

As simple as this method sounds, as a trainer, I’m often asked by jewelers to “Come in and fix my team.” But I know from experience that I will only go in there, create some immediate change, and it will usually fall back to business as usual in a few weeks.

Effective training must be an ongoing discussion that involves everyone constantly solving problems together and making corrections. I know many stores who will play a training audio or video file while setting up and then discussing the training right before the store opens. Some have full-on training meetings once a week and others even send their people the session to listen to in their car or at home, then a discussion at the store during setup. However you chose to train your people, you will be much more effective and have great growth in sales and store culture if its FREQUENT and REGULAR, INVOLVES THEIR INPUT FOR BUY IN and CREATES AN ONGOING, DAILY DISCUSSION.

One final thought. In this day and age when finding good people can prove difficult, regularly offering effective training to your existing and new people can really help boost their decision to stay at your store. It will be a signal to them that you mean business and that they have upward income mobility because your team is always moving forward.

James (Jimmy) DeGroot is a professional jewelry sales and operations trainer from the jeweler’s side of the counter. Contact Jimmy at jim@jewelrystoretraining.com or call 920-492-1191.

Benchmark Benchmark

Luxurious Dragon Scale: Our most-popular luxury ring is the Diamond Dragon Scale band. This ring features 1 carat of edge-set diamonds surrounding a raised and textured continuous pattern. It is available in white, rose, or yellow gold to suit all styles. Style CFBP889857Y MSRP: $4,250 BenchmarkRings.com

Textured Wall Fracture: Our best-selling metal combination of Gold and Tantalum is featured on this beautiful Wall Fracture ring. With your choice of white, yellow, or rose gold in the center, surrounded by sleek Tantalum edges, this ring is sure to get noticed! Style CF978633GTAY MSRP: $850 BenchmarkRings.com