How to Re-Energize Your Employees

by Angie Ash, EVP Let’s face it, time flies. 10 years ago, retail jewelers didn’t have the technology that’s at their fingertips now. There was no Clientbook or Podium in the market yet. Websites weren’t as user-friendly as they are today, and photography options were limited to certain lightboxes; never mind how long it took to clean up photos! But, just like within every business, things change in the jewelry industry too. Shopify sites are becoming de rigueur, retailers are doing right-now follow-up with customers via Clientbook and Podium, and jewelry photos can be uploaded to Pic-up Media, retouched, and sent back in practically a snap. However, as nice as it is to have practically instant gratification at your fingertips, it’s not always easy for retailers, much less their sales associates, to get on board with the latest and greatest. Retailers may question if the current new thing is just a passing fad or something that can truly be useful before they invest their time and money in it. A case in point is the good old QR code. When they first came out several years ago, retail jewelers were using them on everything, including what made no sense, like banners right outside their stores or on billboards cars were passing at 55 mph+. Today, they’ve wizened up to feature them on more useful pieces where the creative can be kept clean and more information can be made available to the consumer with a quick scan. So how can retailers empower and energize their employees to utilize the technology that’s at their fingertips today? Well, it turns out, you can’t expect all of them to embrace it the same way or at the same speed. Many sales associates wear multiple hats, but that doesn’t mean they want to, or even should. And the last thing you want is an employee begrudgingly doing something they’re not all that comfortable with, and without any enthusiasm. Instead of having all of your employees do “all of the things,” focus on what the core competencies of each employee are, and play to their individual strengths. For example, you may have an employee you thought would be a good salesperson. She’s really reliable, works hard, and is very methodical. However, a year into the job, you notice she struggles to connect with customers and she’s not as extroverted as you thought. Her super organizational skills would be a better asset when it comes to cleaning up your database before a big mailing and handling inventory. And instead of assigning Clientbook follow-ups to all of your staff, including the person who still likes everything on paper, it would be better to ask a smartphone whiz to head up this effort. Likewise for the IG aficionado who loves to style jewelry and can take great photos to feature on your website. So the next time you’re ready to add to your staff, take some time to think through the traits and capabilities you’re looking for beyond a good salesperson. Get your staff energized to work on tasks that they personally enjoy instead of approaching them with a one size fits all approach. You’ll be glad you did! How are you onboarding new tech with your staff? Let us know at suits@fruchtman.com