Online Articles

Margin Makeover To maximize margins, focus on products with higher markups By Andrea Hill (Originally Published May 2024) Show me a business owner who is laying it all on the line—putting in the hours, the creativity, and the discipline—and still struggling, and much of the time, margin erosion is to blame. Usually, the erosion is […]

Margin Mastery Improve your margins by adopting a modern ERP system By Andrea Hill (Originally Published March 2024) If you’ve watched the British miniseries “Mr. Bates vs The Post Office” or followed the UK post office scandal in the news, you’re aware that poorly implemented business software isn’t just a headache. In extreme cases, it […]

Zooming Forward To market and sell to Generation Z, you first must understand what motivates them By Sharon Elaine Thompson (Originally Published April 2024) It’s inevitable that jewelry consumers get younger. Most designers, manufacturers, and retailers are accustomed to that. But Generation Z—the 69.6 million consumers born between 1996 and 2012 who are also known […]

Navigating Inflation Set the right prices to maximize your revenue and profit potential By Andrea Hill (Originally Published April 2024) When history remembers 2022-2023, the word “inflation” will likely be at the top of every list. As costs for raw materials, labor, and logistics increased, so did the price tags for most consumer goods. While […]

Shine Online Making the most of your digital marketing efforts in 2024 By Sharon Elaine Thompson Whether we like it or rail against it, life is lived online these days. It’s the first place that customers turn to when they start to shop for a product, whether it’s a retail customer searching for someone to […]

Like Moths to a Flame Approach content development strategically, and your websitewill begin to deliver the quality of leads that evolve into loyal customers. By Andrea Hill Pursuing high-quality leads can boost your margins in the near term and strengthen customer loyalty and brand value for the long-term. So, what can you do to win […]

Industry Snapshot: September 2023 This year’s peak season will likely bring numerous challenges to the industry By Harold Dupuy, FGA, Stuller Inc. (Originally Published September 2023) Quick Links: Retail Market Sales • Jewelry Industry Overview • The Diamond Dilemma • Bridal • The Economy • In Closing Retail Market Sales After a 34-month streak of […]

Sales Automation How to be as efficient and effective with your selling to boost revenue and margins By Andrea Hill (Originally Published October 2023) B2B selling has changed. It’s tempting to look at the pandemic and its trade disruptions and think, “the pandemic changed everything,” but B2B selling was changing long before we retreated to […]

Shining Bright Jewelry retailers share their ideas for improving customer engagement By Sharon Elaine Thompson (Originally Published August 2023) If you’ve run a retail business for any length of time—and certainly if you made it through the worst of the pandemic shutdowns—you know how to keep your customers happy and give them what they want. […]

The Process:Profit Paradigm Process control systems are critical for optimizing profits By Andrea Hill (Originally Published August 2023) I became a process geek out of necessity. I started my career and parenthood at the same time. My most precious commodity was time, and I couldn’t figure out how to juggle a baby, full-time job, preparing […]

Size Up the Competition Stop competing on price and start emphasizing attributes that matter to different types of customers By Andrea Hill (Originally Published July 2023) The term Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is not new, but it’s certainly appearing more frequently in B2B sales and marketing discussions. This is good, because understanding your ICP is […]

It’s Not Always About the Money To keep your staff, offer a future and up your management game By Sharon Elaine Thompson (Originally Published June 2023) Hiring good staff is a challenge. You spend time and money advertising, interviewing, and training people. It’s frustrating when those people turn around and leave, whether it’s after months […]

Smarter Selling Innovate your sales method to increase profit margins By Andrea Hill (Originally Published June 2023) No matter what happens with a recession in 2023—shallow or deep, long or short—one thing is likely to be true: We must begin to sell smarter and harder. Most B2B sales organizations tend to focus on selling new […]

The Bootstrapping Conundrum Why being too risk-averse can actively interfere with making good investment decisions By Andrea Hill In technical terms, bootstrapping means building a business from scratch using one’s own money and reinvesting organic cash flow to grow instead of seeking outside capital. In practical terms, bootstrapping has come to mean using an incredibly […]

Slimming Down How to identify and overcome production inefficiencies By Sharon Elaine Thompson The phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is as common in business as it is in other aspects of our lives. If something is working—whether it’s a routine or a manufacturing process—it’s easier to continue doing it than trying to […]

From Jewels to Tools A look at the journeys of three jewelry artists-turned-toolmakers By Sharon Elaine Thompson If you’re like most jewelers, you probably spend a lot of time altering and creating tools. Maybe it’s because you need a tool that better fits your hand or to make it do something it was never designed […]

Great Expectations How to create work environments that engage and motivate employees By Andrea Hill If you’re like most people, you’re feeling trepidation as we head into this new year. Will it be a fourth year of challenging-to-deal-with changes, or will we experience a bit of deserved calm after the storm? Prognostication is risky work, […]

Less Is More Why shaking the multitasking habit can leave you happier and more productive By Andrea Hill (Originally published October 2022) I used to be the queen of multitasking. I thought I didn’t have a choice—raising children while running a business doesn’t lend itself to focusing on one thing at a time. Unfortunately, I […]

Disrupting Ourselves Make disruption analysis a critical part of your planning strategy By Andrea Hill When you hear the term business disruption, do you smile or do you cringe? Do those words stimulate your imagination or cause you to assume a defensive posture? Even among people who aren’t really clear on what the theory of […]

Doing Good Is Good Business The path toward a socially responsibly business By Andrea Hill Most of us agree that being a responsible parent or adult is important, and, if asked, I imagine that every person reading this could articulate the elements of responsibility: Telling the truth, demonstrating good character, modeling good behavior and values, […]

Making a Difference Adopting standards are a business necessity, not an option By Andrea Hill The world woke up on February 24 to the news that Russia had begun a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During the week that followed, as extraordinary international sanctions were implemented and the UN Security Council and General Assembly censured Russia, […]

Replaceable You Why process management is key to ensuring your business’s health By Andrea Hill At least once each week I receive a message from a business owner ready to throw in the towel. Their desperation is rarely due to lack of sales or business failure. They just can’t keep up. What started out as […]

Another Tool in the Sales Chest How to take advantage of the lateset social commerce tools By Andrea Hill Until 20 years ago, small to medium-sized businesses chose one distribution channel, and that was enough. Adding additional channels represented significant risks related to marketing and sales investment as well as related logistics and operations challenges—risks […]

Having the right mindset is critical for surviving times of duress By Andrea Hill Increasingly, economists are using the word “depression” to describe the international economy, and there is a growing consensus that it will take five years to return to the economic performance we enjoyed at the beginning of 2020. Stop for a moment […]

From bridal to men’s jewelry, pearls are having a moment. Sponsored by: By Deborah A. Yonick The buzz over pearls has been growing to new heights, as it seems pearls are everywhere and on everyone these days. New York Fashion Week for spring boldly delivered the message that pearls would be the biggest jewelry trend […]

The digital path to modern jewelry purchases By Deborah A. Yonick Now that everyone’s lives are shifting online due to COVID-19 restrictions that have more people working remotely and stuck at home for long periods of time, consumers are shopping differently and using digital technology in new ways.  This means that how a brand used […]

Send the Right Message Marketing in the information age is complex, rewarding, and targeted By Terri Wallo Strauss When it comes to marketing in this new digital age, one can’t help but think of the opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst […]

Summer Sales By Shawna Kulpa For some folks, summertime means lazy days at the beach. For many studio jewelers, however, it means long, hot weekends spent manning booths and selling their goods at summer art fairs. Show veterans recently shared advice on the Orchid forum (ganoksin.com/orchid) to help those new to the show circuit better […]

Festive Ways to Say Thanks By Tina Wojtkielo Snyder With the holiday season behind us and a whole year to plan for the next Christmas rush, take a moment how to consider how to best thank your many customers, friends, and mentors in the trade this year. Two examples of clever and impactful holiday gifts […]

Who Are You? Defining your key customers By Andrea Hill I have been on only one blind date in my life, but it was memorable. I’m still not sure the friends who set us up meant well. They said they did, but I am skeptical. My date was told that I was at the top […]

What Is Marketing?         Outlining the four phases By Andrea Hill I learned a poignant lesson about marketing nearly a decade ago. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of one of my children. We lived in a place where public education was frightful and the availability of effective private schooling was shamefully slim. So my son—at […]

Watch and Learn Interpreting the customer experience By Andrea Hill When I met Lenny Bloom, he was a 70ish independent sales rep and I was a 22-year-old buyer for a chain of video stores. He was a warm and thoughtful man, but I admit that, at first, I thought he might be getting a little […]

Targeted Thinking You don’t need a crystal ball to be a better marketer By Andrea Hill  We humans are rather predictable when it comes to what we do with enthusiasm versus what we tend to avoid. For instance, we jump right into the things we understand and know how to accomplish, but tend to procrastinate […]

Super Sellers Look outside the industry for marketing inspiration By Andrea Hill If you want to wrap your mind around successful marketing to today’s consumers, stop looking at Amazon and start looking at food trucks, Pulse, and “Dancing with the Stars.” Of course, Amazon is very successful. But most companies can’t spare a decade and […]

Another Good Idea: The Stunner How to impress a prospective retail customer… By Tina Wojtkielo Snyder If you are a designer or jewelry maker who is selling your wares solo, it can be hard to break the ice with potential retailers. Richard Kasdin, a jewelry sales professional with more than 25 years of experience in […]

Another Good Idea: Special Delivery A pizza box can do so much more… By Shawna Kulpa You did it. You started your own company, created a great new product, marketed it to your target customers, and now the orders are flowing in. You ship off the orders—but beyond making sure everything is packed so it […]

Shoestring Storytelling Designers share tips for ways to tell your story that won’t break the bank. By Terri Wallo Strauss Becca Aronson—or “Bex,” as she is known—is putting the finishing touches on her latest Facebook post. The jewelry designer and cofounder of New York City–based Adornia, along with her partner, Moran Amir (“Mo”), knows how […]

Rings by George Sawyer Selling Stories Brilliant branding and sales strategies for designers By John Shanahan and Tina Wojtielo Snyder What’s your story? If this question—when asked in the context of your jewelry—is a difficult one to answer, you may want to consider a new career. “Having a clear, concise message that captures the story […]

Selling Is a Service Give customers what they need By Andrea Hill Quite a few years ago I worked in an office with one of the best salespeople I know. His name is Joe and he considered himself an expert on the casting process, not on selling. But he had taken a job in a […]

Sales Training Five steps toward fueling motivation By Andrea Hill My granddaughter, Aubrey, is being homeschooled…at my house. Each morning her mom drops her off before she goes to work, and Aubrey and I head to our shared office. Most days she jumps on her computer, logs into her curriculum (she is enrolled in an […]

Communicating benefits, not features By Andrea Hill When I walked past an Estée Lauder counter recently, the woman working behind it queried, “Excuse me, ma’am, would you like a free makeover today? I have some terrific products that can really highlight the glow of that suntan you’re sporting.” What a great line! Of course I […]

Thinking about advertising pays big dividends By Andrea Hill One of the consequences of living in a fiercely fast-paced world is the limited amount of time we have to think about, well, anything. Most of us go through entire days of doing without ever pausing to reflect on the purpose we are serving or how […]

Even small businesses need cybersecurity By Andrea Hill Jewelry business owners and employees understand the importance of physical security. But I’m starting to think that we don’t always understand the need for cybersecurity. It’s not uncommon for business owners to say to me, “Why would someone cyberattack my business? It’s not like I’m storing thousands […]

Using a promotional calendar By Andrea Hill I was initially unimpressed with my first boss. He was bland as clear broth, spoke few words, and rarely changed his expression. But soon I realized that he was teaching me more than some of my fine university professors. From him I learned that communication could take many […]

Spending marketing dollars wisely By Andrea Hill It’s a simple rule of business: If you want to grow, you must invest in advertising. But too many companies in the jewelry industry take for granted the fact that even the most differentiated, well-crafted jewelry designs that wow every person who owns them won’t make headway in […]

The Next Generation Tips to get ready to sell to Generation Z By Terri Wallo-Strauss My 16-year-old daughter is sitting on her bed, laptop on her lap, phone in her hand. She moves seamlessly to and from each device—watching Netflix, texting, checking Snapchat and Instagram, and shopping online. This is a typical evening in my […]

Telling the tale of your jewelry through packaging and display By Rebecca Oster Bach Like most jewelry designers, Maeve Gillies of New York City–based MaeVona has a story to tell through her jewelry. It’s a story that encapsulates Scotland’s history and mythology, its lochs and wildflowers, its towns and castles. And like most jewelers, Gillies […]

‘Round and ‘Round Communication keeps the wheel of sales turning  By Andrea Hill It’s rather uncommon to see very large families today, but when I was growing up it was not unusual to know families with 12 or 13 children. I grew up with the children of two of these families, and I was always […]

Structure can improve sales results By Andrea Hill Last week I was negotiated out of nearly $1,800…by an eight-year-old. Here’s how it worked: 8-year-old daughter (salesperson): “Do you ever miss our old house? I do.” (Immediate emotional engagement) Mom (buyer): “Oh, I guess I miss it sometimes honey. Why do you miss it?” (Horse led […]

Understanding the customer experience By Andrea Hill I’m giving myself a JAVA Bootcamp experience for my birthday this year. No, I’m not learning how to be a barista; I’m learning to program in the JAVA code language. Of course, I employ two excellent JAVA programmers, and I don’t need to personally perform any JAVA coding […]

Adopting the customer’s point of view By Andrea Hill The famous Woody Allen quote, “Eighty percent of success is just showing up,” always bothered me. It seems so unimaginative, so ultimately pessimistic. I’d like to think that 80 percent of success stems from creativity, passion, and curiosity, not merely being there. But what if Allen […]

Jumpstart continuous improvement in sales By Andrea Hill I would like to propose an industry-wide change. It is a change that could be implemented for less than $250 in most companies (the cost of a new batch of business cards), could be fully in place in less than a week, would be unlikely to meet […]

Improving sales prospecting By Andrea Hill Chances are, unless you’re trying to do business in a different solar system, all the information you need to be successful is readily available. The problem with much of that information is that it is too obvious, and therefore difficult to distinguish from the old wives’ tales. When is […]

Salespeople as storytellers By Andrea Hill Think for a moment about the best storyteller you know. He (or she) has mastered the art of telling not too much detail and not too little. The only elements offered are those relevant to the story, meant to give context now or lay groundwork for later. The best […]

Gussy up your sales strategy By Andrea Hill My friends Angie and Drake seem like newlyweds after nearly 40 years of marriage—so much so that people frequently ask them what their secret is for such a long and happy marriage. Of course there are many reasons, but the short answer, as told by Drake, is […]