Mar 29, 2017
In today’s technologically-advanced world, businesspeople from all over the planet are conducting business in ways that were once unheard of. With the advent of the internet came such avenues as email and Skype. With technology such as smartphones, we have the ability to text and use FaceTime. Yet, while Skype and FaceTime allow you to see the person you’re speaking with, they don’t provide the benefits that come with the traditional face-to-face meeting.
Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter how advanced our technology is, there will never be a replacement for meeting your clients and customers in person. When an individual is right in front of you, you have the opportunity to communicate with him/her in ways that computers and mobile devices simply don’t allow. And for members of the jewelry industry, the importance of being able to present your pieces in person makes all the difference in the world.
No jeweller needs to be reminded of the fact that the majority of shoppers like to take a look at the pieces of jewelry they’re interested in. And by “take a look”, we mean touch, hold, feel and try on.
Not to mention, experienced jewelry store owners know the importance of developing relationships with their customers. They’re aware that jewelry purchases are often of a personal nature, so they make attempts to get to know a little bit about each of their shoppers in efforts to help them make buying decisions that will keep them coming back.
On Forbes.com, Mina Chang notes that this is particularly true for female shoppers. “The beauty of communication is found in the nuance that’s only felt in face-to-face conversations,” she writes, “This is especially important for women because we’re better at picking up on body language and changing emotions that can only be sensed in person. And when a whopping 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by non-verbal cues, talking face-to-face becomes more important than ever.”
Non-verbal cues – also known as body language – are arguably the most significant facet of the in-person presentation that makes it more effective than any other communication mode. The ways in which we use our hands to further a point or express glee on our faces work to endear our businesses to the people who visit them. Hand gestures and facial expressions communicate a lot more than words alone. On Inc.com, Rene Shimada Siegel speaks to this fact when discussing her methods of hiring consultants.
“We host consultant coffees and invite a handful of independent consultants to our office in order to better understand the nuances of each professional in a relaxed setting,” she explains, “We need to know what isn’t on the resume that makes each person unique. In their eyes and in their body language, we can see confidence, empathy, fear, friendliness or sincerity. That ability to ‘read’ a candidate beyond their keywords is a huge competitive advantage for us.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we believe so strongly in the power of the in-person presentation that we have developed one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services to encourage more of your customers to visit you in your store. Our highly-experienced team of phone agents call your customers on your behalf to offer them personal invites to your next in-store event. We’ve found that when given greater opportunities to present jewelry to customers in person, our clients succeed in both boosting sales and growing their list of repeat customers!
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Mar 22, 2017
To simply state that “jewelry sells itself” is to misunderstand the jewelry industry. Of course, jewelry will never go out of style. It is highly doubtful there will ever come a time when watches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other luxurious accessories will be considered undesirable. However, it’s important to never underestimate the personal nature of the majority of jewelry purchases.
Jewelry store owners across North America know that most consumers put a lot of thought into their jewelry purchases. Whether for themselves or for loved ones, the pieces they choose to buy often have some sort of sentimental value. This is why the relationship between a jeweller and his/her customers is an incredibly important one. Jewelry doesn’t exactly sell itself without the store endearing itself to its target audience.
Therefore, a jewelry store owner must always be focused on how to continually encourage customers to visit his/her store. Here are three ways to do that:
1. Make excellent customer service a highlight of your brand.
It will certainly benefit you to offer beautifully-crafted jewelry in your store. But, without making your customers feel welcome, it is unlikely you will get regular foot traffic from the same people and/or repeat business from previous customers. Shoppers like to feel valued. Doing your part to ensure that excellent customer service is a staple in your store will go a long way in keeping people coming back.
On Leadpages.com, Rachel Wedlund explains how her focus on customer service helped to create and maintain loyal customers for her jewelry store. “Don’t forget to treat all customers well regardless of spend,” she advises, “In my retail days, we had an unassuming married couple purchase nothing but $10 watch batteries from our jewelry store for years (experiencing excellent customer service each time). When they finally bought their first piece of jewelry from our store, it was a $30,000 diamond ring for their anniversary. They didn’t look anywhere else.”
2. Offer up freebies.
Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t like getting things for free? Keep in mind that what you offer doesn’t have to cost you anything. We’re talking about things like free advice or follow up phone calls. On VendHQ.com, Francesca Nicasio reveals that Tanzanite Jewelry Designs owner, Jeff Moriarty believes in the freebie policy. And it has worked wonders for his store.
“Once a month we offer free jewelry cleaning,” Moriarty reports, “Customers can bring in any jewelry they have (of course we have a limit), and we will clean it for them while they wait. During this time, they get to browse our store and hopefully make a purchase or at least have us in their heads for future purchases.”
3. Host an in-store promotional event.
At TK Enterprises Inc., we specialize in making personal invites to in-store events for jewelry stores all over North America. Our highly-experienced team of phone agents works on behalf of jewelry stores to contact their customers in order to make those personal invites. Our Retail Event Marketing services have proven to not only encourage high turnout rates, but they have shown to significantly grow loyal relationships between our clients and their customers.
Wedlund shares that in-store events have been very beneficial for her jewelry store. “For years, I worked at an independent jewelry store, where the biggest event was an annual customer appreciation sale,” she explains.
“During the in-store event, every item in the store was on sale, we provided free coffee and cookies, and we raffled off watches and gift certificates…entrants provided their email addresses so we could re-engage our customers in the future…This simple strategy was a way to remind guests of the good time they had and get them to come back in weeks or months down the road.”
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page to have someone contact you!
Mar 15, 2017
Allow us to answer the question posed by the title of this week’s blog this way: parties are fun! You can call them whatever you want – parties, events, get-togethers, celebrations, occasions – but the same thing rings true for each of them. People enjoy interacting with other people in social settings. The very concept of an in-store event is one that evokes feelings of joy and excitement. The potential presence of music, free food and yes, other people, is often enough to encourage invitees to attend.
Why should you invite your customers to an in-store event at your jewelry store?
Considering everything that we just mentioned, it’s wise to never forget that jewelry purchases are, most often, of personal natures. Regularly purchased as gifts for loved ones, a lot of thought and consideration goes into buying jewelry. This is a top reason why giving yourself the opportunity to speak with your customers is a great idea.
Being able to interact with your customers at an in-store event enables you to ask probing questions to get to know them better. As a result, you’ll be better equipped to meet their needs. This includes offering items that meet both their budgets and personal tastes. An in-store event gives you an opportunity to learn more about the people who support your business. However, it also gives your customers opportunities to learn more about you.
How can you create a “learning event” out of your in-store event?
On VerticalResponse.com, Kim Stiglitz explains that learning events are the type of events that teach attendees how to make use of the products and services offered by a business. However, the most impactful of learning events are the ones that are interactive and hands-on. This is where store owners literally place their products in the hands of their event attendees.
“If you’ve ever stepped foot in an Apple store, you know the power of putting your product or service into people’s hands,” says Stiglitz, “When they see it, touch it, experience the results of using it and how it can help them, it’s priceless.” The same can easily be said for your jewelry pieces. Naturally, many would-be customers like to try on the pieces of jewelry they’re interested in to see how they look. Your in-store events give your customers ample opportunities to look into mirrors wearing your products.
How do in-store events strengthen customer relationships?
When customers are invited to your in-store event, they are given senses of being VIPs. Exclusive invites, after all, are ways of saying “you’re important to me”. Who doesn’t love the feeling of being important? And who wouldn’t enjoy being treated like a VIP? Stiglitz highlights the benefits of making customers feel like they’re part of something exclusive.
“People love to be part of exclusive, special things and a VIP event can help attract them like crazy,” she writes, “You can create a members-only event or a VIP event for your most loyal customers and offer them special shopping hours, a nice discount and elevated customer service. These types of events have been wildly popular for years and spawned the now well-known concept of Friends & Family day events, etc.”
How can you guarantee that your next in-store event is a success?
At TK Enterprises Inc., we firmly stand behind our one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services and confidently offer them as your best chance of packing the house for your next in-store event. Our phone agents have decades of experience, calling customers to offer exclusive invites to in-store events. By making friendly, personal connections with customers, our team has been able to help countless jewelry store owners enjoy major successes!
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Mar 8, 2017
Your store is a provider of some of the world’s finest jewelry. It is home to many of the most luxurious and beautiful pieces available in your industry. However, you’re noticing that there has been a bit of a lag in customer traffic lately. Could it be that public interest in jewelry has waned in recent months? Are your products less desirable than those sold by your competitors? Chances are that neither is the case. The slow sales may have something to do with your customer service practices.
No matter your industry, customer service must be placed at the top of your priority list. Consumers tend to gravitate towards businesses that offer them worthwhile customer experiences – not just worthwhile products. This is why the team at TK Enterprises Inc. makes it a point to run campaigns through our one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services that insist upon putting ourselves in the shoes of the customers we call on behalf of our clients.
How would we like to be treated?
This is the question we ask ourselves before each call is made. We answer the question by treating your customers exactly the way we would want to be treated. And, as you may have imagined, that is with great respect, courtesy and appreciation. Our services are made to make your customers feel valued and welcomed as we provide personal invites to your store’s next in-store event.
What are some of the most significant benefits of providing excellent customer service?
Perhaps, the first and most obvious is that it’s going to help retain your customers. When customers are happy with your service, it stands to reason that they will continue to support your store long into the future. As mentioned, consumers place a lot of value on their experiences with various brands.
However, excellent customer service also helps you to grow your customer base through that all-too-wonderful concept known as word-of-mouth promotion. It’s widely known as the best type of promotion any business can receive because word-of-mouth advertising is considered genuine and trustworthy. Happy customers make the absolute best advertisers. The more they talk about your business, the larger your customer base is bound to get.
And naturally, this increases profitability. “When your service is good, and the word of mouth and references are good, you will acquire new customers at a fraction of the cost you were supposed to,” writes Hitesh Bhasin on Marketing91.com, “A normal business spends a lot in advertising, promotions and whatnot to get customers to walk in to their doors. But with good customer service, all that is being done by your existing customers. This ensures fantastic profitability as you are getting maximum returns on the investment already done.”
Why should your focus on excellent customer service start on the phone?
Usually, you have to wait until a customer visits your store in order to demonstrate your amazing penchant for providing excellent customer service. However, these days, it’s important to show a little initiative. Calling your customers directly shows that you don’t take them for granted. And inviting them to your next in-store event shows that you consider them special.
This is a main benefit of the Retail Event Marketing services provided by TK Enterprises Inc. Our talented and experienced phone agents put themselves in your shoes and assume the responsibility of providing excellent customer service on behalf of your brand. The great impressions we’ve always been able to make over the phone has greatly assisted our clients in packing the house for their in-store events!
For more information about our services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Mar 1, 2017
A few weeks back, we blogged about the concept of clienteling – a clever marketing technique used by retailers to learn more about customer preferences. With the information accumulated through clienteling, retailers are better able to cater their products and services to the people most likely to visit their stores. Clienteling is all about implementing a personal approach to advertising a company in order to grow its customer loyalty.
In many cases, retailers utilize mobile technology to spark greater interest in their customer base. It should come as a surprise to no one that the growing popularity of online shopping has many customers heading to the internet in order to make their purchases. Many forms of clienteling take advantage of this truth. They use such devices as email marketing, social media and mobile apps to improve customer relationships.
At TK Enterprises Inc., our many years of experience have proven that none of these methods quite match up to the good old face-to-face meeting. In other words, a customer’s in-store experience continues to have the greatest impact on his or her buying decisions. Our Retail Event Marketing services, therefore, remain one of today’s most effective clienteling solutions. Our friendly and knowledgeable team of phone agents know how to establish the personal connections needed to set your store apart from its competitors – by offering personal invitations to your store.
The main objective of the phone calls that our team makes on your company’s behalf is to personally invite your customers to an upcoming in-store event. These phone calls are targeted towards individuals who have made purchases from your jewelry store in the past. By personalizing the invitations, your store stands a much greater chance of having a full house on the date of its special event.
It’s important to acknowledge the importance of encouraging repeat business. On Oorjit.com, it is explained that one of the main benefits of clienteling is that it encourages both repeat business and word-of-mouth promotion. “Repeat customers are the key to expanding your fan base,” says the site, “Because they are sure to spread the word about how awesome you are! In this age of connectivity, reference through networking is effective, viral and extremely cheap.”
It needs to be noted that clienteling isn’t just a great way to encourage multiple visits to your store. The point of the in-person visit, as we mentioned earlier, is to give your sales associates better opportunities to get to know your customers directly. That way, they can learn more about their specific likes, dislikes and concerns. They can then tailor their future shopping experiences around those preferences.
On MultichannelMerchant.com, Tim Barton speaks to this point. “By tailoring services to individual tastes, store associates are not just more likely to increase customer shopping cart sizes during that encounter; they are creating a seamless encounter that will encourage that shopper to return again and again,” he writes.
At TK Enterprises Inc., our experience with providing clienteling solutions to jewelry retailers across North America is second to none. We happily take care of a lot of the work that business owners are too busy for or too uncomfortable with to tackle themselves. Our one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing services utilize a team of very knowledgeable and friendly phone agents with decades of experience.
Allow us to contact your customers on your behalf so that we may offer them personal invites to your next in-store event. The success rates of our clients are proof that this form of clienteling is highly effective. For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
