Article from In Design Magazine about creating a heart and soul for your retail business.

1. if i owned
a jewelry
store ...
BY MICHAEL LEE STALLARD
Productivity expert and author of Fired Up or Burned Out: How to
Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity or Productivity
I WOULD DISTINGUISH MY STORE from competitors by
developing its heart and soul. Stores that have heart and soul
enrich their owners, customers and communities in both eco-
nomic and non-economic ways.
What do I mean by heart and soul? Let me explain.
While out running errands one day when we were relatively
new to town, my wife stopped in at one of several jewelry stores
on the main shopping street. The cases were filled with beauti-
ful pieces, new and heirloom. The salespeople, however, were
more than aloof. They ignored her. No eye contact. No smile.
No “Hello, my name is X, may I help you?” This lack of connec-
tion made her feel as if they thought she was unworthy of their
attention. Not surprisingly, she has never gone back. These
salespeople lacked the qualities I describe as heart and soul.
The absence of heart and soul in the workplace is not unusual.
This is the age of mind and strength. So often we focus on the
tasks of our work and neglect the relational aspects. As human
beings, we have emotions, hopes and dreams, a con-
science, and deeply felt human needs. Research
has shown that when we recognize these
realities and treat others in ways consis-
tent with them, we thrive. When we
don’t, it is damaging to our mental
and physical health and to the
health of those around us.
If I owned a jewelry store,
I would encourage everyone
on the sta to be intentional
about developing heart, soul,
GOOD TO GREAT
FOR THE JEWELER WHO ALWAYS MANAGES TO REACH THE TOP
42 JULY / AUGUST

2. RETAIL / GOOD TO GREAT
“When relationships are not
concept store
nurtured, an opportunity
to develop loyalty is missed.”
— MICHAEL LEE STALLARD baubles
mind and strength. Mind and strength are important because
we compete based on the excellence of our work. Heart and
soul are important because developing relationship excellence
is necessary to sustain task excellence.
When relationships fail among colleagues, communication
breaks down and rivalries develop that reduce cooperation and
team spirit. Many customers can sense this. When relation-
ships with customers are not established or nurtured, such as
in my wife’s case, an opportunity to develop customer loyalty
is missed.
In my store, I would encourage colleagues to take the time to
treat everyone as human beings. This applies to those we work
with, suppliers and customers. Start by getting to know the first
and last names, stories and interests of these people, and to find
something you have in common with everyone you meet.
I would hire employees like my teenage daughter Elizabeth,
an aspiring actress who works part-time at a clothing boutique
in our town. Just the other day while driving by her store, I spot-
ted Elizabeth standing outside smiling, greeting passersby and
handing out flyers about the sale going on inside. People smiled
back at her. Her enthusiasm is contagious (an e ect sociologists
call “emotional contagion”).
Human nature is such that there will always be people who slogan: “Fun, flirty and fashionable — at a price you can a ord.”
purchase jewelry as a badge of success. More and more today,
however, people are defining success in non-material ways. store environment: Following the wildly popular concept of People
Many are seeking significance by deepening their relationships StyleWatch magazine, this store is always at the forefront of a ordable
with family and friends. To promote these connections, I would fashion jewelry. Life-size images of celebs on the streets wearing
help customers commemorate significant events or people in jewelry adorn the store walls, and similar images are updated each
their lives with the purchase of jewelry that has a personalized week for display on large TV screens. Lighting and colors are cheerful,
symbol or message. Furthermore, should they desire it, I would open and inviting; shoppers can try on jewelry themselves without help
o er the service of a writer to help them compose a special note from sales associates, and receive complete fashion advice from style
to go along with the gift of jewelry for that important event. counselors on sta . Think casual cocktail party, 365 days a year.
To nurture the courage to connect is to nurture a big heart
and a beautiful soul. You will see that connection enriches the marketing plan: Encourages customers to wear the same jewelry
lives of your sta , your customers and the people in your com- that their favorite actors and actresses are wearing, at a price they
munity, creating not only economic wealth, but a wealth of even can a ord to pay. All marketing e orts tie the latest a ordable jewelry
greater value. fashions together with the celebrities who are wearing them, and
emphasize that shoppers will always find THE very latest styles here.
inventory: Designs made popular by celebrities for daily wear. Unique
“designer” looks, but all for under $2,000, and
MICHAEL LEE STALLARD helps leaders at organizations such as General Electric, most under $1,000. Store would need strong
Google, Johnson & Johnson, NASA and Yale-New Haven Hospital boost productivity, “Concept
innovation and overall performance. He is the primary author of the book Fired Up or
relationships with designers for stock balancing Stores” ideas
Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity or Productivity. in exchange for consistent sales and incredible are designed to be
promotion. STORY BY TRACE SHELTON stolen. Like this
idea? Take it and
run with
DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN CONCEPT STORE?
it!
SEND IT TO US: trace@instoremag.com
JULY / AUGUST 43