Dec 19, 2018
The holiday season is quickly approaching and something many of us look forward to all year long. It is the season of giving and being able to connect with loved ones that you have not seen in quite some time. It is a reason to bring people together, to reminisce and to create new memories.
A constant struggle this time of year is trying to decide on the perfect gift for the special people in your life. We all plan and try to create a list of potential gifts that are best suited; but then when it comes time to purchase the gifts, you ask yourself “Is this gift really good enough?” or “Does this really suit them?”. Without a doubt, when that person opens your gift, you want nothing more than to see the excitement on their face and satisfaction that you made a great choice. The simplest and most impactful solution – jewelry.
Jewelry is something that one does not generally buy for themselves and it can be sentimental. It can be worn everyday with any outfit or on a specific occasion. Jewelry is a timeless gift that can be given at any age. The best thing about jewelry is that it can be worn now and be given as a gift for generations to come. We all have relatives that have family heirlooms they’ve had for generations or heard of proposals that were initiated with a great grandmother’s ring. Jewelry truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
A perfect gift for a parent, or grandparent is something that symbolizes family. Jewelry can be extremely customizable and definitely the gift of a lifetime. There are many rings or necklaces that can hold the birthstones of your loved ones or a charm bracelet with pendants that embrace the personality or hobby of someone that you cherish.
A gift of jewelry begins a story, a special piece to mark a special date. A child can receive their first charm on a charm bracelet or a pair of earrings on their graduation day that their mother received on hers. One piece of jewelry can collect a lifetime of memories that can be passed on. Jewelry is meaningful and reflects a moment in time and that sentiment will be cherished forever every time it is looked upon.
Especially during the holidays, jewelry is the best universal gift. Our unique service is specifically designed for high-end jewelry retailers who are looking to increase traffic for their in-store events. We make phone calls to existing customers to personally invite them to a variety of events that can be held at your store location. We’ve found that phone calls are undoubtedly the best way to send out invites because they are the most effective methods of making personal connections with the people most likely to support your business.
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.
Sep 26, 2018
There will never come a time when zero communication between businesses and their clients is acceptable. Naturally, it’s important for there to be ways to get in touch and interact in order to build brand loyalty. In today’s world, there are many different ways to communicate – social media being among the most popular. But, make no mistake about it. Short of a face-to-face meeting, there is still no better way to have a conversation than over the phone.
You can’t type as quickly as you can speak.
As Gregg Johnson of Harvard Business Review explains, there is simply no comparison to the live conversation. In terms of delivering a message, actual speaking (as opposed to typing) provides us all with the ability to communicate a lot more effectively. He highlights some indisputable facts about the delivery ability of speaking compared to that of typing or texting.
“As brands prioritize this digital experience, they often overlook a simple fact: communicating by voice is faster, easier, and more effective than typing messages back and forth,” writes Johnson, “Humans generally speak at 125-175 words per minute and can listen at a rate of up to 450 words per minute. In contrast, the average typist does 38-40 words per minute — and that’s on a full-fledged keyboard, not on a mobile phone.”
Consumers prefer genuine human interactions.
One of the reasons the telephone remains a top way to effectively communicate with customers is because conversations happen in real time. When a question is asked, it can be answered right away. Waiting several hours or even days for an answer has become the norm in the world of e-mail. This is generally considered unacceptable.
“Customers still love talking to a real human being, and they still hate complicated automated menus that take forever to get through to the person they need,” notes Arina on Casengo.com, “Although calling is still popular on its own, surveys find that 50% of customers choose to call if none of the other communication methods brought the desired result.”
Customers are calling more, not less.
We certainly wouldn’t suggest that you eliminate such modes of communication as e-mail and your social media accounts to communicate with members of your target audience. However, we would strongly advise that you place increased efforts on the ways in which you handle customer service over the phone. As Johnson reveals, today’s consumers are increasingly using the phone to have their problems resolved.
“Calls to businesses have significantly increased in response to the mass adoption of mobile phones,” he informs, “Filling out a form on a five-inch screen is a much clunkier experience than calling a business directly from a search result or a Facebook ad. According to the advertising and marketing advisory firm BIA/Kelsey, calls to businesses are expected to exceed 169 billion per year by 2020.”
Allow us to get on the phone for you!
The phone agents who are part of the TK Enterprises Inc. team have over 30 years of experience. For information about how our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services can grow the relationships between your jewelry store and its customers, 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!
Sep 19, 2018
With the fall season officially getting underway this Saturday, there will be a shift in the way people approach their shopping routines. This is especially true for those who plan on shopping for jewelry. As all jewelers and fashion-conscious people alike are aware, the changing of the season brings about a changing of fashion sense. As a result, there are particular pieces you may wish to consider promoting in the weeks to come.
Here are three fresh jewelry marketing techniques for the fall:
1. Book a professional photo shoot.
There are few ways to better create an attention-grabbing marketing campaign than to post vibrant photos on your company website and social media pages. Taking pictures of your jewelry, however, shouldn’t be done with your smartphone. Hire a professional photographer to not only take the shots, but to design backgrounds that greatly compliment the pieces you wish to promote for the fall.
“Showing off your jewelry isn’t just a matter of having photos,” agrees Joy Gendusa on PostcardMania.com, “You need HIGH QUALITY photos to capture the intricate details of your diamonds and gems…Photos that clearly SHOW the quality and beauty of your jewelry will make your jewelry store marketing much more effective because prospects will instantly be able to SEE that you have something worth buying.”
2. Make heavy use of your social media accounts.
What good are beautiful pictures if no one sees them? As mentioned, your website should include an array of the photos taken at your recent shoot. But your company’s social media accounts should also play host to your eye-catching pictures. It’s well known that the majority of social media users greatly enjoy viewing and sharing photos. As Gendusa insists, “people LOOK and click when they see images!”
She goes on to reveal a number of very telling statistics about social media use: 79% of the U.S. population uses Facebook, 70% of Facebook users login daily and 75% of users take action after seeing an Instagram advertising post. “Social media is a FREE way to get your jewelry marketing out so people can see what beautiful items you have for sale, and you can drive clicks from social media back to your website,” Gendusa adds.
3. Make it all about customer service.
You can launch the most elaborate marketing campaign in your company’s history. But it won’t likely create the type of interest in your brand that genuinely enjoyable interactions can. Never forget to put the needs and wants of your customers first. Remember to treat them like people and not just means to potential sales.
“When a consumer is making a sizable purchase, be it a diamond engagement ring or a gold bracelet, they want to get the best product for the best price,” writes Nancy Friedman on FitSmallBusiness.com, “But they also expect the salesperson to not only be knowledgeable, but to provide superior customer service. Eighty-seven percent of customers share good experiences with others, and 88 percent are influenced by online customer service reviews when making a buying decision.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewelers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our 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!
Sep 5, 2018
In the year 2018, we have more ways to communicate with each other than ever before. Between all of those social media platforms, messaging apps and our email accounts, it’s practically impossible to not stay in touch. There is something about all of those modes of communication, however, that lack a human quality. It’s hard to have genuine interactions when a message is sent and its reply could potentially take hours to appear.
A natural conversation, on the other hand, is one that can help two or more individuals get a true sense for what the other parties are talking about. Bonds can be made easier. And, of course, actual talking involves inflections, tones and gestures that help to better communicate messages. This is why the majority of your customers would much rather talk to you on the phone than use any of the above mentioned communication methods in order to receive customer service.
Studies show that customers prefer the phone.
It should come as no surprise that millennials enjoy using social media in order to keep in contact. However, even consumers who are part of the younger generation often herald the telephone as a top means of getting a problem resolved with a company. Edgar Maurice Rollon of Anderson Group offers some interesting statistics that speak to that point.
“In a survey by the Northridge Group, about 56% of respondents find communication through phones ‘easy’ and less complicated compared to other channels,” he reveals, “In the same survey, phone interactions produced the highest ratio of customer issue resolutions, with about 87% of the respondents claiming they got their issues resolved with the problems they raised through a phone call.”
Customers want the human touch.
What a telephone conversation can do that other modern forms of communication cannot is offer the opportunity for immediate back and forth dialogue. Questions can be answered immediately – not minutes later. This is likely why other research has found that the vast majority of consumers prefer that there is a “human touch” involved in the customer service provided by the companies they do business with.
On ContactCenterPipeline.com, Susan Hash reveals the findings of a global study released by Verint Systems, with support from Opinium Research and IDC. It surveyed over 24,000 consumers in 12 countries and polled more than 1,000 businesses. The study’s objective, she reveals, was to identify the right balance between digital and human customer service and whether consumers preferred digital or traditional channels.
“When the service request is simple, 22% of survey participants chose the phone as the most popular channel, while email and SMS tied for second place at 19% each,” Hash writes, “As service requests become more complex, reliance on human interaction increases. More than one-third (34%) of respondents said that they prefer to go in-store for answers to complex inquiries, while 33% said they prefer the phone. The highest-ranked digital channel was email with only 7% of consumers reporting that they use it to handle complex requests.”
Put our expertise to work for you!
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have over 30 years of experience offering the human touch to jewelry store customers. For more information about our one-of-a-kind 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!
Aug 29, 2018
The TK Enterprises Inc. team has had the great pleasure of attending many a jewelry showcase over the past few years. Our experiences as a vendor at each of these amazing events have been both exciting and educational. As you may have imagined, we’re not the average vendor. As opposed to displaying a wide range of beautiful jewelry, our booths are information centers that help provide jewelers with great insight into how to grow their businesses.
Of course, we’re only too proud to share our stories about how our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services have helped jewelers from all over North America achieve great success with their in-store events. Our experienced team of phone agents puts in hundreds of calls a day to contact customers of jewelry stores to invite them to upcoming events, but we also follow up on recent sales and inform customers about new promotions.
Meet us in Miami this October!
Naturally, we could go into greater detail. But, as our attendance at jewelry shows continent-wide have taught us, it’s so much better to have discussions in person. This is why we’d like to extend an invitation to you to join us in Miami, Florida at the JIS Show! The forthcoming show takes place between October 19th and 22nd at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is located at 1901 Convention Center Drive.
“Jewelers International Showcase (JIS) is a trade-only jewelry ‘buying and selling’ event brand in its fourth decade serving the industry,” explains the JIS website, “Each JIS Show is specifically timed to meet the seasonal buying needs of retailers from Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and beyond. JIS was the original and continues to be the premier event brand for immediate at-show delivery of finished jewelry product at all price points.”
TK Enterprises Inc. will be at booth #1847.
If you are attending the JIS show in Miami this October, we would love for you to stop by and talk with our team. We do want to let you know that we tend to be quite busy at these shows, so your best bet is to book an appointment with us in advance. That way, you can be guaranteed a specific time slot that will give you the freedom to ask questions and become better informed about how our Event Marketing services can help to boost your business.
As our event calendar announces, to book an appointment with the TK Enterprises Inc. team at booth #1847, simply email our CEO, Heidi Kaufmann at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com. We very much look forward to the opportunity of speaking with you in person. We trust that the upcoming JIS Show in Miami will be one to remember!
Give us a call!
Of course, if you are unable to attend the show, we’d be happy to have a conversation with you over the phone. To learn more about our 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!
Aug 22, 2018
In today’s world, we have the ability to communicate with each other in a myriad of ways. Text messaging, emailing and social media messaging have all become incredibly popular modes of staying in touch. However, all of them combined can’t replicate the experience of conversing with someone face to face. Without the use of hand gestures, facial expressions and other forms of body language, communication is much harder.
This is especially true for relationships between business owners and their customers. With so many different people making up your customer base, it’s neither easy nor practical to get to know each and every one of them personally. That is, of course, unless you’re seeing them in person on a regular basis. Reaching out through text, email or social media doesn’t quite allow you to develop the same kinds of bonds you’d have if you interacted more often in person.
“Facial expressions often communicate so much more than words.”
This from Rene Shimada Siegel on Inc.com: “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. 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.”
For all of the above listed reasons, the TK Enterprises Inc. team advocates quite strongly for the in-person meeting. This is why we take such great pride in specializing in a one-of-a-kind service that brings jewelry store owners and their customers together. With the help of our Event Marketing services, jewelers all across North America have been able to enjoy increased growth in their customer relationships.
We call your customers directly.
Our experienced team of phone agents calls customers directly to offer them personal and exclusive invites to in-store events. The team also teaches about upcoming promotions and follows up on recent sales. The in-person interactions that are created as a result of our Event Marketing services have enabled our clients to not only grow their customer relationships, but significantly boost their sales as well.
One of the reasons for the higher sales numbers is the fact that happy customers result in more customers. When a happy customer promotes a company he/she has done business with, it counts for a lot more than a television commercial ever could. On Wistia.com, Margot Da Cunha references word of mouth promotion as an inevitable benefit of meeting customers in person.
There’s nothing quite like word of mouth promotion.
“Think about that individual who changes jobs and brings your software to each and every company she works for,” she writes, “Or the fellow who is so delighted by your line of kitchen appliances that every gift he gives is from that product line. This can lead to a lifetime of word-of-mouth marketing, and a superfan club of customers who will stay loyal with you until the end of time.”
For more information about our 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!
Aug 15, 2018
We are currently in the midst of what retail pundits call the second busiest shopping season of the year. Apparently, back to school season is second only to the obvious end-of-year holiday celebration in terms of seeing boosts in retail sales. With the start of school just a few weeks away, merchants from all over North America are now heavily promoting their back to school sales.
Clearly, not all retailers sell items that are specific to a student’s return to school. But, it’s important to remember that there are many items outside of pens, paper, backpacks and clothing that are needed during this time of year. Consider the fact that parents everywhere are looking for ways to relax themselves following very busy summers. Owners of salons, for example, would be wise to offer discount manicures and pedicures to hard-working moms and dads.
How can your jewelry store profit from back to school season?
As a jeweler, it’s certainly never lost on you that fashion remains at the forefront of most consumers’ minds all year round. And, of course, fashion trends change depending on the time of year. With the summertime slowly winding down, most shoppers are currently on the lookout for such items as sweaters, boots, hats and scarves. Promoting your jewelry as accessories to new fall fashions is a great way to get in on the back to school shopping craze.
“Back to School and the return of fall means a different clothing selection, and people are looking at new book and hobby choices,” says Brandon Pierre on SPSCommerce.com, “Since they’re going to be spending less time outside, now that school is back in session, they want something to do. Fashion, of course, follows the seasons just as it always has, with a different color palette, longer sleeves and thicker fabrics.”
What types of jewelry will be most sought after for fall?
A variety of experts will share a myriad of different opinions. So, our advice is to utilize your experience and consider the various pieces of jewelry that you’ve noticed are your most popular sellers during this time of year. WorldMarket.com points out that the autumn season usually encourages people to wear more earthy tones. As a result, it highlights gold as a top autumn jewelry trend.
“We’re betting it all on the staying power of these fresh takes on gold-toned jewelry,” says the site, “Unusual accents like azure stones, leather-wrapped strands and tribal beading deliver a down to earth feel to this most heavenly hue.”
What is the best way to promote your back to school sale?
At TK Enterprises Inc., we’re big proponents of the in-store event. Our long-standing history has taught us that jewelers who invite their customers back into their stores for exclusive experiences reap the highest benefits. Our Event Marketing services are one-of-a-kind in that they put a highly experienced team of phone agents to the task of calling customers on behalf of our clients.
Get us to get on the phone for you! For more information about our 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!
Aug 8, 2018
The phone is an interesting device, isn’t it? It has truly stood the test of time. In a world that currently houses such communication tools as social media accounts, messaging apps and email, the telephone remains the top way for businesses all across North America to stay in touch with their colleagues and customers.
Of course, not every telephone user is created equal. There are experts in the field of telephone communications and their skills are evidenced by some of the specific techniques they use to impress the people they speak to on the other lines.
How do phone agents endear themselves to customers they’ve never met before? Here are three ways:
1. They know when to speak and when to zip it.
Talented phone agents know that conversations are two-way streets. They make it a point to not do all the talking. Knowing that you have the attention of your callers includes hearing them out and not interrupting while they’re speaking. A back and forth dialogue is the best kind of conversation to have over the phone. It proves that your customer is engaged.
“Put yourself in the shoes of the customers – you do not want to be interrupted when you finally express your concerns, right?” asks John Taylor of Insights For Professionals, “Do not interrupt them when they are telling you their concerns. Make sure that you listen to the customer’s whole story no matter how long it can get. This alone will make them feel important.”
2. They know how to name drop the right way.
You know that thing that most people find annoying when it’s done in regular conversations? Yes, name dropping to project a sense of status can be perceived as unsavory. However, the most talented of phone agents know that dropping the names of the people they speak to over the phone is a key ingredient to their success. It expresses familiarity and friendliness. However, as Brandon Wong of CallPage explains, it’s important not to overdo it.
“Speaking on a first name basis removes barriers and builds rapport between the two parties,” he writes, “That being said, do not overuse this tactic…Use their names no more than three times in a conversation. It is a subtle, but effective technique to convey that the company is more than just a business, but a friend that can be counted on in the long run.”
3. They express empathy when necessary.
Some telemarketers fall into lulls when speaking to clients, forgetting that they are people with feelings. You’d be surprised to know how far an “I’m so sorry to hear that, I can understand your frustration” can go. Expressing empathy shows concern, respect and courteousness, none of which will go unnoticed by your customers.
“Do not tell a customer to calm down when he or she is madly complaining about a product or service as this will not help,” advises Taylor, “Instead, reassure the customer by telling them, ‘How awful’ or ‘I understand where you’re coming from’ in a slighter louder tone than the customer.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we proudly employ a team of experienced and friendly phone agents who make our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services so highly regarded. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how you can take advantage of them for your jewelry store! Call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195, email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Aug 1, 2018
Today is somewhat of a bittersweet day for most people. The beginning of August signifies that the summer is approximately halfway complete. A month from now, families all over North America will be preparing for the back-to-school season, having no choice but to accept that summertime has come to an end. The first of August, however, also marks an excellent time to increase efforts for having summer fun!
As a jewelry store owner, it’s wise to take advantage of the remaining five or so weeks of summer. It goes without saying that most individuals love the summer’s warm and sunny months. And with August now underway, people will be looking for as many ways as they can to make the most out of the summertime they have left.
It’s time to throw an in-store event!
Summer events are fun – simple and plain. They make for great opportunities for you to not just welcome your current customers back to your store, but for you to meet new potential customers in the process. When you host an event that is enjoyable for all, it helps to significantly boost your brand image. Just as importantly, it enables you to forge new relationships that you can benefit from in the months and years to come.
“Hosting a summer themed event at your location is an exciting way to boost traffic and sales in just a few hours,” says Carolyn DeLavalle of Swivel Works, “Offer your clients incentives such as snacks, beverages, and entertainment during the event. Give a swag bag as a Gift with Purchase to help increase sales. This will show that you value their patronage and also set you apart from your competitors.”
Speed up your slow season!
On Entrepreneur.com, Marcia Layton Turner places hosting a summer event at the very top of her list of marketing tips to heat up sales during the summer. She notes that, for some businesses, sales tend to cool down when the temperatures rise. An in-store event, therefore, makes for an excellent method of increasing consumer traffic during the slow season.
“Just as friends host barbeques and pool parties, come up with your own in-store promotion to give shoppers a reason to stop by,” she writes, “You might schedule an in-store demonstration by one of your suppliers, set up a silent auction to benefit an area charity, or give prizes to the first 25 attendees through the door, for example. Serve lemonade and crank up your air conditioning to keep shoppers comfortable and lingering longer by your merchandise.”
Allow us to do the inviting for you!
Phone calls are highly effective at delivering the message of your upcoming in-store event to your invitees because our team of experience phone agents will either speak directly with your customers or leave enthusiastic voicemails. Most of our clients have incorporated our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services as part of their business models and no longer have their teams make any calls at all!
For more information about our 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!
Jul 25, 2018
“There’s No Business Like Show Business”. This title of a 1946 song, written by Irving Berlin, and later spawning a movie of the same name, has become a popular idiom all throughout North America. However, at TK Enterprises Inc., we’d imagine that retailers from all industries would agree on a slightly varied approach to that phrase: “There’s no business like repeat business!”
You’d be hard pressed to find a retailer who disagrees with the fact that a key to business success is securing long-term loyalty from customers. Repeat customers aren’t just great for a company’s regular sales numbers, they are often excellent advertisers for the businesses they support. Word-of-mouth promotion is widely heralded as the best kind of promotion any company can get!
So, how can you ensure that your customers keep coming back?
Implement changes based on their feedback.
Customers truly appreciate the feeling of being valued. When they offer suggestions or even lodge complaints, it’s important to take what they say seriously. Who better to listen to when it comes to figuring out ways to satisfy your customers than those very customers? Taking it from the horses’ mouths is an excellent way to increase customer satisfaction and thereby, securing repeat business.
On Inc.com, Rhett Power insists that accepting customer feedback is a top way to show customers you care. “Your customers are ready to give you their feedback, suggestions, and ideas,” he writes, “All you need to do it ask. For example, are you thinking of adding a new product? Give a sample to your best customers. Ask them to try it out, and give your their feedback. They may just save you from sinking money into inventory that won’t sell.”
Surprise them with sweetness.
Who doesn’t like getting a little something extra during the shopping experience? When you throw surprise perks the way of your customers, they won’t soon forget them. By offering out-of-nowhere discounts, providing free gift cards or even throwing in free gift wrapping, you stand to make big fans out of the people who support your brand.
“Although reciprocity works incredibly well on its own, research shows that it is even more powerful when started by surprise,” writes Greg Ciotti on ConvinceAndConvert.com, “For a simple example, recall a time that someone did something nice for you unexpectedly; the gesture probably wasn’t all that unusual, but the fact that it came out of nowhere left a strong impression on you.”
Invite them to exclusive events.
“Show your most valued customers you appreciate their business by inviting them to special events,” advises Power, “Perhaps you can give them a special offer on items they regularly purchase or access to an after-hours sale available to a chosen few.” At TK Enterprises Inc., we specialize in inviting customers to the special in-store events thrown by jewelers all across North America.
Over the past several years, we have made well over a million calls for jewelry stores providing us the experience required to develop a core team of callers and a proven system of calling. For more information about our one-of-a-kind 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!
