Suzanne DeVries (suzanne@diamondstaffing.com) is president and founder of Diamond Staffing Solutions, one of the jewelry industry's leading placement firms and an official American Gem Society sustaining member.
By Suzanne DeVries
Jan 27, 2011
This is part two of a two-part series about teamwork in jewelry stores. Part one discussed the roles and responsibilities of principles, owners and managers.
Keeping your team functioning at its peak is one of the most pressing issues facing jewelry stores and other retail businesses today. In my last column, I examined this issue by discussing how important it is for jewelry store owners, principles and managers to promote teamwork in their stores, the role they should play in the "team," and what they can do to ensure that their staffs function like a well-oiled machine.
However, there is another side to this equation that I will examine in this column. While it is certainly true that ownership and management play a major role in how well a team performs as a unit, there also are a number of things that individual staff members can do to maximize the cohesiveness and productivity of their team, six of which I have listed below:
Understand your role and responsibilities as well as the roles and responsibilities of your co-workers.
This is a must for any team to function at peak performance. When you know what you are supposed to be doing, as well as what everyone else around you should be doing, you can focus on your own tasks and goals without distraction, and you can feel confident that every aspect of the store is being covered. One of the hallmarks of great teamwork is that when everyone on staff understands everyone else's roles and knows they can trust in one another's ability to perform their respective tasks at a high level, team members can actually anticipate the thoughts and actions of their co-workers and react accordingly.
Know your merchandise.
This may seem a given. However, you would be surprised how often we visit stores and find salespeople who are woefully short on product knowledge, and even give clients the wrong product information. There is nothing more irritating and frustrating for a client than being served by a salesperson who lacks the product knowledge needed for the client to make an informed buying decision. You can bet that nine times out of 10 that client will end up going elsewhere to buy their jewelry. Everyone who works behind the sales counter selling merchandise to clients should understand the basics such as the 4 C's, the difference between natural and synthetic stones, how to work a multi-movement watch, which gemstone is the birthstone of the month, etc. They also should have sufficient training to feel confident about selling anything in the store. In cases where a team member may not have all the answers for a client, they should not hesitate to seek out the owner, manager or a more experienced staffer for the information they need, and should be willing to quickly turn over that client to someone else if necessary.
Know your store's services and policies.
This goes hand-in-hand with knowing your merchandise. Everyone behind the counter should know how to take in an expensive watch for repair, how to handle a return, exchange or refund, how to test a diamond, how to take in gold, how to write up a proper repair slip, etc. When you understand your store's policies and procedures on these and other common issues that can come up with clients, everyone on the team can focus on the business of selling.
Take advantage of cross training.
For a team to function at full capacity, members need to go beyond simply knowing each other's roles and responsibilities. They also need to be cross-trained in every function of the store. Of course, when things are at their busiest, like during the holiday season, you want the people who are best at a given task to be performing that task for maximum speed, efficiency and productivity. However, cross training allows people to step up and fill in on a particular chore when the person designated for that role is out, busy or otherwise unavailable. Cross training ensures that there is constant support and backup for every function in the store and that business always flows smoothly without interruption. It also fosters a feeling of respect between team members for one another's responsibilities.
Be a coach/mentor.
Nothing fosters teamwork quite like having older/more experienced team members or those with specialized knowledge sharing what they know with the rest of the team. While the owner or manager typically takes on this role, experienced team members can do a lot to help their less experienced co-workers improve their selling skills and product knowledge on a daily basis.
Keep the lines of communication open.
When it comes to teamwork, sharing information is the key to success. This means communicating with your team members and management on a regular basis about anything important that has come to your attention regarding certain clients, products or services, store policies, etc., that can impact the store, business or staff.
In closing, ensuring your staff is properly trained and has the tools, direction and motivation necessary to function well as a team is one of the most important responsibilities facing owners, managers and principles. Staff members need to do their part as well to ensure the success of the team. Obviously, developing a program and culture that fosters, encourages and rewards teamwork takes a lot of time, effort and resources on both sides; however, in the long run, it is well worth the investment. Although the economy thankfully is improving, clients still have a choice of where they want to buy their jewelry—and whether those clients want a large diamond or a watch battery, all of your associates should be able to work together to take care of your most precious commodity.
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