Month: April 2020

I’ve been writing to you a lot, trying to share creative and encouraging messages that resonate with the times we’ve all endured. But now that the tide is starting to turn and it’s time to start reopening our businesses, it’s vital that you get back on track quickly. 

Bluntly stated, you need a jump start. The public has been cooped up for long enough, but many people will still be wary of getting out. Business will come back, but it will be slow and cautious. That being said, when you are able to reopen your business, you must personally determine how to give it a necessary jump start in the reopening process.

I don’t think there’s a better way to show your appreciation to loyal customers and your community at large than to offer them some special savings. After all, they’ve gotten used to bargain rates from the airlines and restaurants. Most other businesses, like hotels and specialty shops, are going to roll the red carpet out for their clients. Why not you?

You’ve generated very little income, if any, over the past many weeks or months. It’s time to clear out aged and unwanted merchandise and raise some much-needed cash. You also need to generate foot traffic and entice your customers to spend. A well-orchestrated sale event – with a sense of urgency and opportunity – is a great way to do it.

2020 is a catastrophic year in our history, medically and economically. Unique times call for unique actions. Let us help you re-invigorate your business, get it up and running quickly, and benefit from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. 

Bottom line, you’ve been on life support long enough. Your prescription for getting well and jump-starting your comeback is a major sale event. 

Contact us so we can help. 

Sincerely,

Jeff Gordon, CEO

We are all continuing to suffer from the Coronavirus shut-down, but we see signs of flattening the curve and a time very soon when we can get back to business. This also means eventual recovery and a resumption of growth in our businesses. 

Your number one task right now is to plan a detailed outline of exactly what you need to do when your store opens up. Pick a date that is most realistic and work backwards planning your strategy. Consider every aspect of your business: employees, marketing, community relations, merchandise needs, and customer outreach, to name several.

Ask yourself a most important question. How can I build my business back up quickly and efficiently? 

It is not our style at The Gordon Company to place pressure on clients or prospective clients, but I feel compelled to alert you to something that concerns me this year. We are getting a lot of calls from fine jewelers needing to rebound from the Coronavirus crisis and we are already booking major sale events for the Summer, Fall and Christmas seasons. I mention this because if you are considering using our expertise as we emerge from this current challenge, we need to know about it as soon as possible.

We are securing more resources to handle the demand, but please alert us to your level of interest now. We appreciate your understanding and your rapid response to help secure your year, and your future. 

Sincerely,

Jeff Gordon, CEO

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The global pandemic has ushered in considerable concern and uncertainty to the marketplace and to each of us personally. That’s one reason why we want to stay connected with you and to communicate on a regular basis. While we remain at a distance from you and your stores, we want to stay close because we want to help you get through these difficult times. 

In our view, there is nothing you should do at this moment but to protect the lives of your staff and yourself from the onslaught of the Coronavirus. But we have every confidence that this, too, shall pass in time, which leaves you with the heavy burden of what to do next with your store, your staff, your customers, and your future.

As you know, we are intimately involved in handling precious assets and disposing of product on a regular basis. Our ear is low to the ground and our real-time experience can assist jewelry retailers now, as never before. We want to help you navigate the choppy waters ahead. 

Now is the time to be strategizing on next steps in this process so you can be prepared to emerge from this scourge in a healthy, proactive manner. Begin to think out-of-the-box on what the landscape will soon look like. Consider how the way you do business, account for your overhead, market your store, respond to your customers, and position yourself in the community may differ from what it was before the pandemic. How will you cope? What needs to change? Who can best help you? When do you begin? How long will the economy be affected for the purchasing of discretionary items such as jewelry?

At The Gordon Company, we have experienced many market disruptions in the past and know how to handle them. As a key partner to upscale jewelers, we want to help you navigate the bumps in the road. Our business continuity plan has allowed us to adapt to your current and future needs and provide help as we emerge from all this for decades. And rest assured, we will! 

Give us a call so we can assist with a no obligation consultation to help you come out of this stronger. As always, we stand ready to help you.

Sincerely,

Jeff Gordon, CEO

Car dealers are offering months of no payments and free delivery of new and even pre-owned vehicles. Airlines are slashing prices on flights with the cleanest seats and main cabins we’ve seen. Restaurants are making deals on take-out and delivery to stay in business and retain their employees.

What will fine jewelers do to be as creative and to rejuvenate business quickly from government-mandated closures?

It’s time to innovate as never before. Connect with your staff and encourage clever ideas. Leverage your social media in every possible form. Use your point of sale system to remind customers of birthdays and anniversaries. Make phone calls to your best clients to let them know you care. This isn’t a time to be timid. Build a smarter staff by taking advantage of webinars and online classes being offered by consultants and trainers. And be a good neighbor, not just a good jeweler, by assisting anyone who can’t get out to shop for food or medicine.

It’s the business that reaches out first and best that will benefit the most.

Consumers have been cooped up far too long. People are going to want to get out, and when they do, you need to be ready for them. So get creative. Light a fire from within, and get your staff out of a funk and into the right mood. Use them to help, but lead them like an owner should. You need to grease the wheels to get customers back into your store. Devise your plans now!

The jewelry industry isn’t going away. Engagements will rise in the aftermath of the recent scourge. People want and need your products and your support.

Sincerely,

Jeff Gordon, CEO