7 minute read
THE MILLENNIAL WHO SAVED A PAWNSHOP
Rachel (left) and Natalee Fitch along with Rachel’s husband run
Central Texas Gun and Pawn.
PHOTOS BY LILIANNA STORY PHOTOGRAPHY
That’s the philosophy of Rachel Fitch, a longtime business owner in Kerrville, Texas.
Kerrville is a city in the Hill Country of Central Texas that’s best known for its beautiful parks lining the Guadalupe River, which runs directly through the town. The home of the Museum of Western Art, it is a small town with a big appreciation for art. Recently, Fitch commissioned a local artist, Aurora Joleen, to complete a mural for her store, Central Texas Gun and Pawn.
The mural is a nod to local wildlife and the area’s natural beauty. It features rolling hills, local flora, as well as the armadillo and chaparral—or roadrunner. Fitch describes the piece as a love letter to the town that she loves.
She and her husband moved to Kerrville in 1992. She launched Fitch Estate Sales in the summer of 1993. “I was willing to outwork anybody,” she says, remembering days when she would care for their children during the day until her husband returned home from work in the evening when she would go out to stage and price a household for the weekend’s sales. Fitch did things differently than most estate sale companies. “In 2004, I was one of the first estate sale companies to get a website and had about 6,000 people in the local area sign up for my email list,” she recalls.
She went on to become a founding member of the National Estate Sale Association.
Humble beginnings inspire Fitch’s commitment to her growing business empire. Born and raised in Forth Worth, she recalls knowing hunger as a child. “I’m building a legacy for my children. They will never know hunger or want. My husband and I made sure of it.”
A pawn ticket hanging on the wall of her pawn shop, in fact, has a very significant story behind it. “Before I owned it, I pawned my wedding rings in this pawnshop. So I get it,” she explains.
That second shop, Gold Cup Jewelry and Pawn, is where her daughter Natalee, 25, has launched something of a phenomenon in the form of Facebook Live events. Her timing couldn’t have been better.
“It was the last week of March, and the world was changing rapidly due to the COVID-19 crisis. Like all pawnbrokers, we were looking for new ways to connect with our customers. We had developed a curbside pawn, but there were just so many challenges. We knew that we needed a new approach. One of the things that we’re known for is our inventory of James Avery,” Natalee explained.
James Avery Artisan Jewelry is an immensely popular jewelry line in the region, founded in Kerrville from humble beginnings. To Texans, this jewelry is more than just popular; it is a profoundly important marker of big and small milestones.
Knowing that their customers relish the James Avery inventory that their store is known for, Natalee planned a live video event that she called a virtual tour of their collection. They instantly knew that they were on to something and set about to improve on their model.
“One of our early mistakes was in filming from a laptop,” Natalee remembers, noting that it kept her from something that would become an essential secret to their success over time—creating personal connections with viewers.
Rachel describes Natalee’s approach to this new endeavor, “She spends time with merchandising and presenting the inventory beforehand. Natalee is purposeful in the cadence of the conversation and the way she dresses, looks, and acts. Her approach conveys that she knows what she is doing and establishes trust.”
TipsFOR SUCCESS IN LIVE VIDEO EVENTS
Stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, with movie theaters closed and no restaurants to dine in, Americans have been spending more of their lives online. Total internet hits have surged by between 50% and 70%, according to preliminary statistics.
Add to this the fact that Facebook live video receives, on average, 135% more organic reach than a photo post, and it’s plain to see that there is a clear case for Doug Vaughan jumping in.
To launch a Live video, simply go to your Facebook business page. When using the Pages app on your phone, you’ll see a button at the top, which says, “Live.” Add your title for your Live event and a hook for why people should watch. Once you’re comfortable with it, you can play around with filters, or flip the camera back and forth between ‘selfie’ mode or forward-facing to add interest. You’ll get a 3…2…1…countdown to prepare your beautiful smile welcoming your fans to watch.
Going live on Facebook is easy. Growing your sales and engagement, however, takes a lot of preparation and strategy.
Doug Vaughan of Bypass Pawn in Morehead, Kentucky, has used his technical expertise and knack for marketing to develop an approach to selling via live video that is so successful he actually consults with other shops to help them set up their own studios. He recommends focusing on what he calls the trifecta—technology, presentation, and product.
“When people are scrolling through their newsfeed, and they see what looks like a professional production, they’re more likely to want to click on it and use that volume button to listen in and find out what’s going on,” Vaughan says. “Our videos are engaging, whether it’s a graphic that is overlaid on the video or something else that builds curiosity.”
He describes Facebook Live videos as a pandora’s box “People have now been forced to adapt, and there’s no going back. Live video will forever change the face of advertising and content presentation.”
After 2.5 years and tens of thousands of views, he has his video productions down to a science, but he still enjoys raising the bar of his videos. “It helps me feel good when I can connect a person to the thing that they’re looking for.”
This fresh perspective doesn’t end when the live video events stop filming, “Natalee reminds me that we are a people-loving, stuff-selling, and fun-having company. I think that’s why people are falling in love with her every day.”
Watching their videos make it easy to see the care that is taken in the preparations beforehand. “We work hard to convey the authenticity,” Natalee says, “I make a point to regularly remind the viewers that it will be me who is processing their transaction. I greet them, and I say their names. I work hard to engage with them. And they really take note.”
The outcomes are notable as well. In six weeks, this dynamic duo made over $70,000 from sales made via Facebook Live events. They also grew their Facebook page following by 1,100 and established a private group that gained more than 600 members in its first three weeks. They’ve gained customers from across the nation with many in states like California, Florida, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and more.
Natalee credits the success of their launch to a following that she developed by being an active member of several online groups focused on selling items, including fine jewelry and luxury handbags. She interacted with members there and established relationships all over the country. By the time they were ready to launch their first event, she posted an announcement on her personal profile and got over 500 likes.
“The millennials that work with me, including Natalee, churn out epic work. It’s strange to me when I hear other pawnbrokers complain about millennials and makes me question why they can’t see that millennials simply do things differently, and usually better,” Rachel notes.
When it comes to daughter Natalee, she says, “I’m really proud of her. She has no idea how powerful she is. She’s just sailing along using her gifts and saving the pawnshop. She’s a superhero.”
“THEMillennials
COMPLAIN ABOUT Millennials
AND MAKES ME QUESTION WHY THEY
CAN’T SEE THAT Millennials SIMPLY
DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY, AND USUALLY BETTER.”
