Make or Break: What You Must Find Out About Your Jewelry Salespeople

Your sales team can make or break your business. It is the final point of contact with your customer, and the impression customers take with them will convince them whether to buy from you, or someone else.

No matter how lovely your merchandise or how appealing your store, you’re only as successful as your sales team.

Training staff to be multifaceted, positive, and focused in a fast-paced and stressful environment takes a lot of finesse and patience. Creating the best team begins with finding the best people for the job.

How to be awesome

“My number-one tip on how to build a successful sales team is to hire the right people, not the people with the right experience,” says Elle Hill, CEO of jewelry-growth experts Hill & Company.

“What we need to know about…a product can be taught. What cannot be gleaned from any lesson is how to be awesome.”

Preparation and motivation play a big part in performance. Regular meetings and brand-specific training help Reeds Jewelers stay on top of its customers’ needs, while role-play sessions help members of RDI Diamonds’ team prepare for challenges they may encounter.

Craving validation

Finding the right incentive to energize your team can prove the difference between a good salesperson and a superstar.

“We offer a variety of contests,” says Jason Kresge, director of store operations for Reeds.

NO MATTER HOW
LOVELY YOUR
MERCHANDISE YOU’RE
ONLY AS SUCCESSFUL
AS YOUR SALES TEAM

“One driving force [in quality salespeople] is the addiction to competition. A simple contest can motivate our teams to make a difference at the highest level.”

Hill agrees that finding the right motivation is essential, as your sales team is your first client, and selling them helps them sell to others.

“[Find] out what motivates each of them,” she explains. “Some may be motivated by discounts on products, [while] others by credit toward college fees for their children.”

However, Karen Barry, a senior consultant with retail sales trainer The Friedman Group, says it shouldn’t be about motivating them, but instead about creating an environment that inspires them to motivate themselves.

“Reward them for a job well done,” she notes. “Show them you’ve noticed and appreciate when they do something right. Salespeople crave
validation.”

Keep your ears open

Being prepared for any situation is vital, says Andrew Rickard, vice president of operations for RDI.

“Sales people talk too much, and listen too little. Finding out all you can about your client is imperative. There is no ‘silver bullet,’ that works on every person.” Having the patience to persevere is what makes a winning sales leader, he adds.

“What we do is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes incredible endurance. I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing!”