The New York State Jewelers Association (NYSJA) is hosting its second educational event this year on May 23. Jim Ackerman, president of Ascend Marketing, will present: "How to Get More Customers Who Will Pay You More Money, More Often." The event will start at 6:30 p.m. with a light dinner and "meet and greet," and Ackerman's presentation is at 7:15 p.m. The location is at Sam's of Gedney Way in White Plains, NY.
"Jim has helped hundreds of jewelers all over the country, in markets large and small, to attract more customers, earn a higher average ticket, and come in more frequently," says NYSJA president Mike Wilson of Wilson and Son Jewelers in Scarsdale and Mt. Kisco, NY. "That's what all of our members are looking for and we're delighted that he will be teaching us his proven techniques."
In a video invitation that Ackerman sent to NYSJA members, he said "I'll be presenting cash generating principles, strategy, and tactics that can put your business back to the place you want it: Where sales soar and profits come pouring in."
Ackerman presented video clips of jewelers from all over the country, attesting to the power of his principles. "Jim asked me what it would take to get to a million-dollar-a-year store," said Bill Warren of Gold Mine Fine Jewelry & Gifts in Hudson, NC. At the time, Warren had a half-million-dollar-a-year business in a town with only 4,000 people. "It scared me to death--but we did it in two years."
"We've been growing every year (using Ackerman's techniques). We never even saw a blip in our business with the downturn in the economy in 2008. We continued to grow at a rate of 22 percent a year," said Mark Helgerman of Trinity Jewelers in Harrisburg, PA.
"We had the best Christmas we ever had--we were up almost 60 percent, and kept a gross profit margin of between 53 and 55 percent," said Ashley Miller, a fifth generation jeweler at Green's Jewelers in Roxboro, NC. "It's very exciting, and it brought life back into my store, and to me and my employees." Miller's store has enjoyed double-digit increases in sales for 18 consecutive months since then.
"When I heard it was a marketing guy coming to 'teach' us a thing or two about marketing, I must confess, I expected to be able to catch a little nap here and there. Honestly, I don't think I even blinked during Jim's entire presentation. I could tell right away this was definitely something I needed to stay awake for. The way he explained everything put it in such a way that I actually felt a little embarrassed that I hadn't been doing some of the things he mentioned all along," said Miller.
