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Indianapolis, IN--We’ve counted all of our money from December, enjoyed a little time off in January, and this year many had a bigger Valentine’s Day than the usual blip on the screen it is in the jewelry business.  Ahhh…February. 

Wait, what?  It’s March already?!  Time flies, and we better make sure we have our act together for spring: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations! Do we have a solid plan to sell, sell, sell this spring?  Here are a few key strategies to get a jumpstart on the important spring selling season:

Collaborate:  Make sure buying and marketing are not operating in silos.  A buyer should share their excitement on what they have picked out for spring and make sure that marketing feels like it can create equal excitement promoting it.  Like any good marriage, if buying and marketing collaborate it helps your store to live happily ever after.

Communicate:  Spring is big.  People are busy.  You have to let your customers know what you have to offer.  Hit them from all directions – email, direct mail, mass advertise, call, email again – in that order, over a 6-8-week period.  One touch doesn’t cut it in today’s busy world.  The old adage of it takes 3 times to make an impression still stands (and sometimes it takes more.) 

Educate:  Hold a quick store meeting or 4 (don’t put out a memo and do NOT think people actually read your emails) to tell your staff what you tell your customers.  Sounds elementary, eh?  Do NOT let the customer know more than your staff about what you’re selling.  Make them quick (15 minutes) and energizing.  Have people shout out reasons why they would buy that new thingy you just bought.  Those (multiple) reasons will end up being tools they can use to SELL it over the counter!  Include everyone in on these quick meetings, from the janitor to the owner.  Being all-inclusive builds comradery and a great culture.

Motivate:  Rev up your sales staff by creating sales spiffs and contests.  But before you map out the same ol’ incentives, ASK them what they want.  Cash is king, but sales people often derive great joy from bragging rights and public recognition, too.  Maybe it’s a fancy dinner out with the owner, an award (think stuffed animal or bottle of liquor, not trophy or plaque) prominently displayed in the store with their name on it, or having the music of their choice played in the store for a day... the key is to make it creative and different!  Have people work in teams to compete for the win to make it even more fun (and productive!)

Things can get a little sleepy around the store during the slower first quarter of the year.  Everything and everyone seems fine, but don’t settle for “fine.” It’s March--SPRING into action!

Lori Roberts, vice president of Tufts Communications started her marketing career early.  As a middle-schooler, she flipped through magazine ads, dissecting each one to figure out how they were supposed to make her “feel” then writing letters to the companies that ran them. As a grown up, Lori has enjoyed a long marketing career in the exciting industries of movies, shoes & apparel and most recently in the world of jewelry & watches.  She spent the past 18 years leading marketing and strategic planning for two of the country’s top independent retailers, Reis-Nichols in Indiana and Fink’s Jewelers on the east coast. Returning to her original passion, she now lends her expertise to create custom magazines and marketing materials for luxury retailers across North America. Her new column, “From Your Perspective,” will be featured monthly in The Centurion Newsletter. Reach her by email at  lori@tuftscom.com or call (765) 819-2400.