Sales Strategy

Jimmy DeGroot: Magnolia Market Nails the Customer Experience April 25, 2024 (0 comments)

Green Bay, WI--Last week during our visit to Austin for the American Gem Society Conclave. My wife Sharon and I made a day trip up to Waco, Texas, home of Chip and Joanne Gaines’ Magnolia Market. Every single moment of our visit was a delight and it inspired me to take from that experience to get us thinking about our guest experience from the parking lot to … well the parking lot again.

The first thing we noticed was the relaxed, no pressure vibe of the place.  None of the employees was pushy or even salesy, rather everything was relaxed and really allowed guests to just take it all in, from the beautiful flowers to the allergy friendly menus.  There were plenty of spaces to sit and relax and just take it all in.

Next, every person was kind, patient and courteous.  I added patient in there because when you have a location with thousands of people coming through, you tend to get a few bad eggs.  We witnessed the kindest of employees that were genuine and truly cared for people.  There were no cliche comebacks or canned responses, just genuine, nice people.  And it appeared as though many were from nearby Baylor College. So, to have young people be kind and courteous… well that’s just incredible.

Then there was the facility itself, clean, manicured, cared for and overall beautiful. It even smelled amazing. We truly felt hugged and cared for even though Chip and Joanna were nowhere to be found. There wasn’t even a flower to be deadheaded. It was all impeccable. And it was the same visiting their Hotel 1928. Everything was consistent.

When we got home, I began editing Kyle Bullock’s Management Foundations videos that we are unveiling soon on the Train Retail Platform and in the very first video he asks owners and managers, “How do you want people to feel about your store when they’re not there?” This is all part of setting your desired culture. I love this question because when we can answer it confidently, then all types of decisions are easy to make because it all points to the culture you desire.

Think of a place where you truly love to visit and why it makes you feel like it does.  Then simply take action on your inspiration and be purposeful about creating the store culture you desire. And oh, don’t you worry about the sales. They’ll come because people will want to do business with you.

I encourage you to visit the Magnolia Market website.

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 is an AGS titleholder and specializes in training relevant and timely methods for jewelry teams. He can do a full training on making Bridal Presentations the best they can be, among many other regular training options. Contact Jimmy at jimmy@trainretail.com or call 920-492-1191.