Sales Strategy

How A Plastic Zip Bag Helped One CA Jeweler Rocket His Custom Design Business March 28, 2018 (0 comments)

San Ramon, CA—Greg Stopka, the owner of JewelSmiths, a custom-design specialty jeweler, discovered a key sticking point about his core business strategy: customers were intimidated by the idea of custom jewelry design.

While liking it in theory—after all, who doesn’t want something entirely unique and personalized—the phrase “custom design” equaled “expensive” in many consumers’ minds. So instead, Stopka began focusing on the idea of “restoration,” “rehabbing,” and “transformation,” instead of custom design. By giving a simple plastic zipper bag (left) to every repair customer with instructions to fill it with old, broken jewelry, he has solidly increased his business.

In this article in MJSA Journal, Stopka explains that he keeps sketch pads and pencils all over the store. Once customers start talking about the jewelry they need to have repaired or sized, he grabs a pencil and as he’s gently suggesting ideas, he sketches a basic thought in broad, soft strokes. Suddenly the idea of an affordably transformed piece takes shape and the customer commits.

Stopka got the idea from James Porte of Porte Marketing Group, who offers zip bags and printed postcard inserts for the custom design promotion. Here are some other examples of jewelry stores who have done a similar promotion:

Call James Porte at 954-817-3911 or email Portemarketing@gmail.com for more information.