Sales Strategy
Jimmy DeGroot: End the Chaos Quit Something Today | September 18, 2025 (0 comments)
Appleton, WI--The Slow Growth Podcast this week was about chaos—the kind every retailer recognizes: an endless to-do list, a store that hums (and sometimes howls), and the feeling that you did everything today and somehow moved nothing forward.
Here’s the paradox Kyle Bullock learned the hard way: as your business grows, you must do less, not more, not “just one more thing,” but less. He needed to aggressively pare back. Most stores Jimmy and Kyle analyze are spending 70–80% of their time on activities that produce 15–20% of revenue. When Kyle asks, “If you stopped that and focused on the top 20%, how long would it take to recover the profit?” most owners say, “Immediately, or at most a few weeks.” Then they don’t stop. Why? Habit, emotion, and the fear of saying no.
No is your growth lever. You’re defined more by what you refuse than what you accept. Set minimums for example with repairs “We can’t touch it for less than $75”. Stop loss-leaders that rarely, if ever lead to anything. If it truly matters to your mission, redesign it to be profitable—or release it.
Second, delegate to greatness. You learned to be good at bookkeeping, inventory, marketing, and sales—but are you the best at all four? Of course not. Hire the best you can find and make the economics explicit: “Here’s what success looks like; here are the numbers to hit.” The only acceptable pitch from a pro is, “It’s not cheap—and it will pay for itself in dollars earned or saved.” When you buy back your time, you return to your genius zone, and the business actually grows.
Third, do the part you love (and are great at). In my store, I wasn’t the happiest person behind the case. I loved supporting my team—handing off a watch battery so they could sell the add-on, writing radio ads, shaking hands and cheering people on. When I centered my work there, chaos dropped and results climbed.
Want calm? Quit something—today. Quit what doesn’t grow your people, profits, or purpose. Then staff the rest with elite talent and clear metrics. The payoff isn’t just margin; it’s walking with your spouse and kids on a Tuesday night, phone at home, store running, mind clear.
James (Jimmy) DeGroot is a professional jewelry sales and operations trainer from the jeweler’s side of the counter. Having been in management and the jewelry business for over 20 years, Jimmy offers weekly training to jewelers nationwide via the Train Retail website. Jimmy and his partner Kyle Bullock help jewelry stores grow their profits and their people to fulfill their greater purpose! We do it through one-on-one business coaching, sales training, and leadership development. Contact Jimmy at jimmy@trainretail.com or call 920-492-1191.