This is a little out there but points to where the future of crime might be headed: Be suspicious of browsers with an extra prosthetic finger. According to a post on X (Twitter), it may be a shoplifter looking to mess with videotape evidence, as an image showing six fingers could be claimed to have been digitally enhanced and would therefore be inadmissible in court.

MARKETINGBusinessperson Bump

Don’t underestimate the post-December selling season, notes Robert Borneman, owner of Diamond Jewelers in Centereach, NY. “There are lots of opportunities for people who shop this time of year. Many businesspeople drop big bucks after their busy season when they finally have time to shop.” Get on the phone!

STRATEGYBrainstorm Naturally

It’s a new year, time to come up with some big ideas. The key is not to force yourself, says OpenAI boss Sam Altman in his playbook for founders. Instead, he recommends getting into the habit of noticing problems (faced by your customers) and following what interests you. “At some point, ideas will naturally emerge,” he says, adding that you should be aim for simplicity in your ventures. “Complex ideas are almost always a sign of a made-up problem.”

TIME MANAGEMENTDon’t Say “Yes” Quickly

Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, has a rule where he never says yes to anything immediately. According to the Brain Food Newsletter, people-pleasing had him making too many commitments, so now he says something to the effect of: “Thanks for the invite. I don’t say yes to anything on the spot, but I’ll let you know if I’m interested.” Turning the choice into a rule lowers the pain of rejection for others and makes the decision easy for you as well.

HEALTHGo Out in the Cold

To be sure, there’s nothing quite as nice as that first spring morning to inspire you to get and enjoy the glory of the outdoors — or even just a walk around the block. But, according to recent studies, there are benefits to be had from heading outdoors even when it’s not so balmy. A brisk walk in the cold, it turns out, is akin to taking a bracing cold shower that raises alertness and stimulates thinking, according to INC magazine.

PLANNINGPay Now, Enjoy Later

To get the most out of yourself in 2024, you need breaks. And to get the most out of your breaks, book them way in advance, like right now! You’ll enjoy it more because of the distance between the pain of paying and the actual experience of the holiday, and you won’t spend all your time thinking, “Am I getting my money’s worth?” Make it all-inclusive, and it will just be a great, relaxing break, says behavioral economist Dan Ariely in his latest book, DOLLARS AND SENSE.

INVENTORYParty Like It’s 2024

“Physical inventory” and “party” are two words that don’t always go together. But they do at Purrrfect Bark, a pet shop in Columbus, NC. Owner Laura Backus told our sister magazine PETS+: “We do physical inventory on January 1st with lots of food and drinks, music and laughs. Everyone participates, and we get it knocked out in a day.”

OPERATIONSRun Better Meetings

One of the best ways to improve meetings is to get everyone on the same page, literally. Before your scheduled get-together, write up a Google Doc (or even an email will do) for participants to read. According to syndicated columnist Marcel Schwantes, this sets the agenda, gets brains thinking about what is to be discussed and “creates a sort of ‘team’ feeling among co-workers that allows you to get to critical thinking faster.“

The post Why You Shouldn’t Say ‘Yes’ Too Quickly, and Other Tips for the New Year appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

If you’re prone to overthinking spending decisions, apply this rule of thumb: The only three digits of your net worth that matter are the left three, so if you have $3,649,855, the $9,855 doesn’t move the needle. Which means you can spend anything to the right (i.e., up to $9,999) without thinking too much. Of course, this is a general conceptual rule — spend $10K on dinner every night for a few months, and soon those three digits to the left will be two. The bigger point, says Khe Hy, a former Wall Street banker who now runs a productivity startup, is that where your attention goes, your energy goes. It helps to be aware when you’re sweating the small stuff.

FINANCESSpread Those Profit Dollars

Selling the store features in most jewelers’ retirement plans, but you might be wise to have a Plan B, says Dick Abbott, founder of the popular The Edge for Jewelers software, noting that “jewelry stores are a tough sell today.” Abbott recommends jewelers take some of their profit dollars and put it in the stock market or real estate, starting with their own building. “At the end of their career, a jeweler could have accumulated a fair amount of wealth outside the store, have a GOB sale and be done with it,” he says. “A buyer likely does not want to pay dollar for dollar on old stock, and my experience tells me 60 percent of the average store’s stock is no longer relevant. The buying public is more likely to buy the stuff at a steep discount that leaves the jeweler better off.”

CLIENTELLINGReach Out to Your Top Customers

Make an extra effort this year to connect personally with your top customers before Dec. 15, says jewelry business consultant Megan Crabtree. This can be achieved by creating custom Christmas or Hanukkah ornaments with their family names or simply sending out handwritten cards, she says. “The goal is to show appreciation and maintain strong relationships with your most loyal customers” at this crucial time of year.

STRATEGYDon’t Cut Muscle

Unless the current economic slowdown threatens your company’s existence, do not cut back on strategic initiatives, write Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in the HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW. These initiatives will give you the competitive advantage for the long haul, and you might try creating a new accounting category specifically for long-term strategic plans. “Attempts to cut fat and waste often slice into newly growing muscle, bone and tendon,” the authors warn.

PRODUCTIVITYSpeed Read

Consume content at 1.5 times speed. “Studies show that retention rate doesn’t start to drop until around 2X speed,” says productivity blogger Colby Kultgen. “It takes about five minutes to get used to, and then you’ll never want to go back,” This doesn’t apply just to reading. In fact, it’s probably best for listening to podcasts and audiobooks — you’ll get through a lot more useful, inspiring or just fun material.

COMMUNICATIONSRotate Facebook Duty

Social media at Midwest Jewelers and Estate Buyers in Zionsville, IN, is a team project, with every staff member allocated a day of the week they are responsible for Facebook. “This keeps the postings fresh, as everyone has a different point of view,” says owner Brian McCall. “Videos are encouraged, as we have great feedback from our customers. When you go to the local Lowe’s and a staff member says, ‘You’re that lady in the video!’ you know you are doing something right.”

The post A Plan B for Your Finances and More Tips for the Month of December appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

It’s hard to overestimate the impact of email, but much of its power goes underutilized, because, simply put, no one tells us! Here’s one for Gmail you should know: Confidential Mode for sensitive emails. It allows you to set a message expiration date, revoke message access at any time and require a verification code (sent by text) to open a message. Simply locate the “padlock” icon at the bottom of your message (usually it’s near the blue “Send” button), choose your options, and you’re set to go.

MANAGEMENTNo Regrets

How to reframe a bad decision? You were given incomplete information. The future was unknowable. What is there to regret? And if you can view such “mistakes” as chances to learn and grow you’ll be even better off, says Dan Pink in his latest book, The Power Of Regret.

MANAGEMENTRead the Classics

Look for books that have stayed relevant for 30-plus years. “They have stood the test of time for a reason,” says business author and venture capitalist Naval Ravikant.

PRODUCTIVITYPrep an Easy Work File

As busy as most business owners are, there are also frequent periods of forced downtime, as you wait for someone to get back to you with a quote, for the lunchtime rush of customers, for a seasonal project to be implemented. For such times, Greg Rudolph, founder and CEO of Board Blazers, recommends keeping an “easy work” file on your desktop. “This includes simple tasks that might require lots of time but can be easily interrupted, such as data entry, reading, or small unfinished items from the day before. That way, you have a simple task ready to go whenever you find yourself with a few free minutes in your day,” he tells Inc.

CUSTOMER SERVICEMan the Phones

Once your store gets big enough, you hire someone to answer the phones. That’s great for efficiency but it also adds a layer between you and your customers. And it’s not just you — it’s everyone who no longer answers phones, from your manager to your bench jewelers. But there’s real benefit in maintaining that contact, says marketer and business author Seth Godin, arguing that everyone on your team should spend time every month working the customer service line and answering a few questions. On top of learning about what people are searching for or unhappy about, you establish a small human connection.

SELF-IMPROVEMENTStory-worthy moments

Each day, write down the most “story-worthy” thing that happened. It improves your memory, makes you more grateful and gives you more stories to tell, says productivity blogger Colby Kultgen.

SECURITYBeware imposters

Beware! That relative, employee or even loyal customer on the end of the line asking for some sort of financial help may not be who you think they are. According to a story in the Washington Post, technology is making it easier and cheaper for bad actors to convincingly mimic voices. In 2022, impostor scams were the second-most popular racket in America, with over 36,000 reports of people being swindled by those pretending to be friends and family, according to data from the FTC. If you receive such a call requesting money, even if the voice is uncannily like someone you know, insist on switching to video or put the person on hold and try to dial them yourself. In 2023, you need a solid verification protocol with friends/family to defend against scammers.

The post Get Everyone Answering the Phone, Secure Your Email and More Tips for October appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

When asked, “How much?”, the first digit of a number should always be the first sound out of your mouth. That’s the advice of sales pro Gene Chamberlain. If you start with a sales line like, “Sir, you have excellent taste in diamonds,” followed by a list of the features, then the person stops listening. Start with the price, followed — without pause — by the features, and all those things you list make the price seem cheaper and cheaper.

MARKETINGMark the Milestones

For the last few years, the “Wizard of Ads” Roy H. Williams has been urging jewelers to invest more time, effort and marketing dollars in “anniversary diamonds.” The logic is compelling: There are only slightly more than 2 million weddings in the U.S. each year versus 62 million married couples who will celebrate some sort of anniversary. Couples are usually in a better financial position to mark such milestones as they grow older, and so it’s a chance for the ring-buying partner to say “I love you” twice, three times, six times as much as when they were married with a diamond six times as large, says Williams, who has even thrown in a radio segment that jewelers can use for free. It can be found here: mondaymorningmemo.com/newsletters/a-note-to-jewelers-worldwide.

salesTime to Tune In

Talk less, listen more. We know you’ve heard it before. But professionals who are smart and know what they are talking about are often the worst listeners — even those who write about communication for a living! Best-selling business author Tom Peters, for example, calls listening “the bedrock of leadership excellence,” but at the same time admits he’s a terrible listener and “a serial interrupter.” So, to help him stay focused on the other person, he writes the word “listen” on the palm of his hand before walking into meetings. “The focus must be on what the other person is saying, not on formulating your response. That kind of listening shows respect for the other person, and they notice it,” he says. Keep it in mind — or on your palm — the next time a young couple is trying to tell you what sort of ring they want.

STORE DESIGNBrighten Up Your Office Space

Beige and gray are great colors to allow diamonds to shine, but they don’t make for the most invigorating mental environment for a meeting room, employee back room or your office. As John Brandon explains in INC, colors can affect how you feel and think. Blue stimulates your brain, yellow your emotions, red your body, and green your balance. “Ditch the gray. Add a poster or a splash of paint to brighten up the space and your ideas,” he says.

MARKETINGPerception Trumps Reality

Who should be paid more? A jeweler who takes 10 minutes to fix a bent prong, or one who takes two hours? Clearly, one is experienced and the other is not particularly skillful. But in such situations, consumers show over and over again that when it comes to paying for services, they tie value to effort. Capitalize by providing regular updates on the effort a job is requiring and using language that implies effort in the creation and sourcing of the jewelry. It’s why words like “artisanal,” “handcrafted” and “fair trade organic” resonate with customers.

HIRINGAsk What They Admire

In the sci-fi novel Engines of God, the codebreaker Maggie Tufu says, “Tell me what a person admires, and I’ll tell you everything about them that matters.” It’s profound and true, and a great interview question the next time you’re hiring.

The post The Compelling Logic of Anniversary Diamonds, the True Value of Effort and More Tips appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Need social media models? Look no further than your customers. It’s worked wonders for Bullock’s Jewelry in Roswell, NM. “We get a big response from the ads because the model looks familiar to our customers and, as a bonus, we find out what the customers really like in our showcase because they pick out what to model,’” says owner Kyle Bullock. In exchange for use of their image, the models get pampering treatment in the store, their own glamour shots and local renown. “It’s been the best social campaign we’ve done and has helped humanize our brand as a store,” says Bullock.

OPERATIONSMeetings on Hold

Feeling like your meetings just aren’t that productive? Hold a moratorium for a week or month or however long and look for alternative ways to disseminate the information. Make a note for when things aren’t being communicated well and then reintroduce meetings for those instances.

MARKETINGCoast to Success

Cross marketing doesn’t have to be huge. Exclusively Diamonds in Mankato, MN, has found outsized success by placing ring-sizer coasters at a small chain of local restaurants. “The coasters really drive our bridal sales by making it easy for the customer to start the conversation about what his or her finger size may be,” says co-owner Maria Brown. (It helps that the restaurants are owned by the husband of Exclusively’s other owner, Sarah Person, but it’s a neat idea regardless!)

CUSTOMER RELATIONSUp Your Engagement

With the economy cooling, you should be looking to increase your online engagement with current customers, recommends Erich Jacobs, president of the Jewelers Board of Trade, explaining that it “becomes a cushion against a downturn because when pocketbooks tighten, they have an incentive to search for more affordable options if you’re not engaging with them.”

MARKETINGHire a TikTok Intern

Marketers have long turned to young people to help them navigate new social platforms. TikTok is no different. But according to a story in the New York Times, it helps to cut them a lot of creative slack, and even allow these youngsters to become the face of your brand, given the direct nature of the channel, let alone its often confusing mix of voice snippets, song clips, and unique vernacular. “The best way to do it is just to hire college interns,” the report quotes one small business owner as saying. One such intern created a video for Claire’s that generated 1.5 million views and 20,000 new followers for the company’s TikTok account.

HIRINGExperience Doesn’t Equal Performance

When hiring, don’t mistake experience for past performance. Setting requirements like “three to five years of experience in a retail setting” is no guarantee of landing yourself a solid hire. The data is clear, says behavorial psychologist Adam Grant: “Past experience rarely predicts future performance. What matters is past performance — and current motivation and ability. It’s how well people can learn to do a job, not how long they’ve already
done it.”

PRODUCTIVITYThe Rule of Three

Want to improve the productivity of email and avoid flame wars? Use the “Rule of Three,” writes Jim Schleckser in INC: If you can’t resolve something in three emails or less, it’s time to pick up the phone. “It’s been my experience that this results in a 100 percent success rate in resolving the issue, usually within minutes of getting on the phone, while limiting unnecessary email,” he says.

The post Make Your Customers Social Media Stars, Douse Flame Wars With the Rule of Three, and More Tips for July appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

If you’re procrastinating, it’s often because you don’t know the next appropriate action. It can help to ask yourself what it is that you need to find out, decide or do. “Usually the roadblock is one of those three things,” productivity coach Liz Sumner told INC. “What information do you need to locate? What decision is up in the air and what are the choices? What needs to be done so that the rest of the pieces fall into place? These questions will get you moving again.”

PRODUCTIVITYHighlight Outsourcing Opportunities

If you suspect you’re not focusing enough on important tasks, Lauren Edvalson, CEO of Edvalson Marketing, suggests logging your productivity every day for a week. At the end of the period, take a highlighter and mark anything you can delegate for say $50 per hour or less via apps such as elancer and Upwork, she tells INC. “I like to do this exercise quarterly so that I can measure my progress and also have some accountability for letting go of time-sucking tasks that don’t serve my business goals.”

MARKETINGPound the Pavement

Summer means different things to different people. At Midwest Jewelers and Estate Buyers in Zionsville, IN, it means it’s time to pound the pavement. The store prints up marketing materials focusing on its estate buying services and then two staff members head out, targeting businesses that might be interested. “They called on local banks, insurance agents, nursing homes. When they walked in you could just see the employees thinking, ‘Oh no, not more solicitors,’” recalls owner Brian McCall. “But after the initial introduction, they were excited to find a business where they could send their clients. We saw a large uptick on the buying side of the business. When the sun starts shining, we will be back at it!”

MANAGEMENTBuild a Better Comment Box

Lots of businesses have an idea or comment box. That’s great, but innovation consultant Bryan Mattimore, author of 21 Days To A Big Idea, suggests you take it to the next level by adding some structure. At his company, the Growth Engine, managers post an organizational challenge on a whiteboard and invite their co-workers to submit suggestions. “After a week’s time, the manager records (and then pursues) the best ideas/suggestions on the whiteboard. He or she then posts a new weekly challenge. It’s easy to do, doesn’t really cost anything, and it has created some huge productivity improvements/wins for our clients,” says Mattimore.

MARKETINGSought-after Invitations

Cooper & Binkley Jewelers’ annual trunk shows are keenly awaited events for its regular customers — although probably not as much as the actual invitations. Each year, the staff at the Brighton, MI, store try to top themselves with “invitations that are more unique, creative and surprising than the previous year,” says co-owner Barb Binkley. Examples include a three-part invitation that built anticipation over three weeks, a message in a glass bottle, a chocolate candy bar with the message on the wrapper, a jigsaw puzzle that had to be assembled and a cookie with the designer logo.

CUSTOMER APPRECIATIONBest Seat in the House

Do you live in a city that has a restaurant where it’s almost impossible to get a reservation? Impress your customers by booking a table (better yet, a prime table at the prime time of the night). You can do it far in advance. You can do it every week. Then give the reservations to a customer who purchases a big piece from you.

The post Pounding the Pavement, Building a Better Comment Box, and More Tips for June appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Upcoming moving season in May is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to potential new customers. Burkes Fine Jewelers in Kilmarnock, VA, has it down with their welcome. “We acquired the county new tenant list, and each month, we send a personalized ‘Welcome to the River’ package to every new Northern Neck resident,” explains Sydney Moss. The box includes a welcome letter hand-signed by each staff member, as well as Burkes Jewelers branded koozies, jewelry cleaner, pens and stationery.

BUYINGPrioritize Relations with Suppliers

With the economy outlook so uncertain, this is not the time to “tick off vendors,” notes Erich Jacobs, president of the Jewelers Board of Trade, because when “things start to go south, suppliers will help their better customers by making inventory available or providing better terms.” It’s something that is baked into the training at Thollot Diamonds & Fine Jewelry in Thornton, CO, which includes how to work with suppliers and ensure their requests are handled promptly and invoices are paid on time or even early. “Everyone talks about customer service and taking care of staff,” says co-owner Troy Thollot. “We have discovered it is equally important to take care of our vendors.”

MERCHANDISINGReflect the Change of Season

As summer approaches, the world takes on a lighter, warmer air. Your merchandise should too, says Krystal Shiklanian of Radiant Fine Jewelry in Plymouth, MI. “If I have a large collection of a certain brand, I’ll switch out the heavier, darker stone pieces and display light and airy pieces for a spring/summer look.”

INTERIOR DESIGNThe Kids Are Alright

Young kids can be a sales-killer in a jewelry store. Or, if you find a way to keep them engaged in your kids room, they can be something that draws people to your store. Carter’s Jewel Chest in Mountain Home, AR, has installed a baby monitor strategically close to their diamond island to allow parents to keep one eye on their kids and one on the fine jewelry in front of them.

PRODUCTIVITYBeans Mean Work

Want to know what white noise sounds like in 2023? Download Coffitivity, an app that creates the hum of a coffee shop to play as background music. (Choices include Morning Murmur, University Undertones and Brazil Bistro.) According to the makers, “Coffitivity recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better,” adding that the benefits are “proven and peer reviewed.”

COMMUNICATIONSPhone Form

When you meet with someone in person, make a point of shutting your phone completely off, says Chris Bailey, author of Hyper Focus. “(It) shows them they’re important to you, and that you’re ready to give them 100 percent of your attention,” he says.

COMMUNICATIONSShorten Your Emails

Email is great, but it often takes too long to respond to, resulting in continuous inbox overflow. The solution? Treat all email responses like tweets, but with a set limit of five sentences, web designer Mike Davidson told ENTREPRENEUR Magazine. Add the rationale in your signature — that your policy is designed to save everyone time — and you may find everyone in your email circle getting to the point faster.

The post Tips for June Include Adding Vendor Management to Your Training and A Baby Monitor to Your Diamond Area appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Dan Reitman of Dan’s Pet Care in New York views his staff as family, but also as potential mobile billboards. He offers his pet sitters and dog walkers the option to wrap their personal cars in his company’s logo, at his expense, and receive $200 a month in exchange. Ten employees have currently taken him up on the offer. Reitman told INSTORE’s sister publication PETS+: “We get so much business from it, and it adds to the perceived legitimacy of your business in the eyes of the consumer when they see you everywhere.”

MARKETINGGet Carded

Join the sales team at J. David Jewelry in Broken Arrow, OK, and you get a good job, training … and a company credit card. “Just another way we can empower them to serve our guests well by buying gifts, dinner, or just a little something special,” says owner Joel Wiland.

OPERATIONSClear to Neutral

When you enter a kitchen and find the sink piled high with dishes, you’re less likely to want to dive into cooking the day’s meal. The same applies to the workshop when tools and findings are scattered around, or even your office when you have to clear a pile of stuff off your desk to start working. Enter the idea of “clearing to neutral” — a ritual where “whenever you finish an activity, you [move] everything so [it] is in neutral position.” According to Thanh Pham, at the blog Asian Efficiency, when you return to such an environment, it eliminates all of the friction — both physical and mental — and you can quickly get started with what you need to accomplish.

MARKETINGPlaying the Long Game

Get ’em while they’re young. Barnes Jewelry in Amarillo, TX, gives a special bracelet to every girl who comes in the store, and in doing so turns them into “a Barnes girl.” As owner Vess Barnes notes, “Barnes girls become Barnes brides.”

MANAGEMENTDeclare an Email Holiday

Need to hunker down to work on an important project? Set up an auto-responder saying you’ll be away for a couple of days, and then tackle whatever you need to get done, writes Chris Bailey in Hyper Focus. (Leave an alternate email address or even phone number for “genuine” emergencies.)

MANAGEMENTBetter Brainstorm

If you want to foster ideas from your staff, don’t tell them to “be creative.” They’re likely to freeze up. A better approach, according to a recent Businessweek article, is to say: “Do something only you would come up with — that none of your colleagues, friends or family would think of.” This has been shown to yield twice as many creative responses.

PRODUCTIVITYUse Your Boss Voice

Andy Frisella, the social media entrepreneur behind the “75 Hard” self-improvement challenge, recommends labeling negative inner monologues as your “bitch voice” and then replace it with your “boss voice” to take control. Here, “bitch voice” is the label for the voice that’s saying things like: “Not now,” “maybe tomorrow,” or “I’m not in the right mood.” Having a label like “bitch voice” makes it easier to recognize these thought patterns and turn them into more productive ones, says Frisella. “It allows me to greet them like an old friend (‘Oh hey, bitch voice’), smile, and do the exact opposite of what it’s telling me to do,” he says.

The post Staff Cars as Billboards, Free Bracelets for Kids, and More Business Tips appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

How to stay upbeat in tumultuous times? Nate Zinsser, director of the performance psychology program at West Point, told Bloomberg one of his favorite strategies is to “Flash a Stop Sign.” “When your mind throws you fear or doubt or worry, visualize an actual stop sign. You want to deliberately cease those thoughts and replace them with optimistic thoughts. Talk back to the negativity the same way you would talk back to your obnoxious brother when he’s talking garbage,” Zinsser says.

SALES FLOORIt’s Play Time!

Given the importance of the symbolism and the money involved, it can, at times, be easy to forget that the experience of buying jewelry should be enjoyable. That’s hard to do at Midwest Jewelers and Estate Buyers in Zionsville, IN. “We are fun! As a store we are very low pressure. One of our favorite phrases is ‘Let’s play!’ We encourage everyone who walks in the door to try on the $225,000 diamond ring. Hey, you never know, right? We are you!” says owner Brian McCall.

PRODUCTIVITYThe 2 Percent

Can you achieve 2 percent of your goals for the year in the next week? Yes, it doesn’t seem much time, but that’s how the math breaks down. It’s too often fairly easy to punt a week — but when you think of it as 2 percent of a year — it changes the calculus a bit.

PRODUCTIVITYLeverage the Dread

One of the ironies of procrastination is that it often stems from the mildly discomforting things in life, such as doing taxes. In contrast, you don’t indefinitely put off a root canal. You want to get it over with. According to a trio of new studies out of the University of British Columbia, you can use this psychological quirk to your advantage when you find yourself avoiding a task: Tell yourself that it will be horrible, the absolute worst. “The key to getting tasks off your to-do list is to harness the psychological discomfort of dread, which is negative and unpleasant — and therefore a feeling that most people seek to relieve,” noted an article about the finding in Fast Company.

STYLINGBuild a Capsule Wardrobe

Does choosing an outfit for work take an inordinate amount of time every morning? Try a capsule wardrobe: a collection of a limited number of clothing items that complement each other and can be mixed and matched effortlessly. The benefits, according to sustainably-chic.com, are less decision fatigue and stress in the morning, while you also save money and lead a more environmentally friendly life.

MARKETINGA Welcome to Remember

Quite a few jewelers give new customers a tour of their store. Perry’s Diamonds & Estate Jewelry in Charlotte, NC, takes it up one level by giving them a welcome bag as well. The staff is trained to ask everyone coming through the door if this is their first visit. If yes, the customer gets a brief tour of the store and a little bag of swag containing various Perry’s branded items such as lip gloss, nail clippers and hand-sanitizer or a $5 Starbucks gift card simply for checking out the showroom. “Potential clients love this small gesture, and it helps break down some of the defensive barriers that potential new customers sometimes come in with,” says owner Ernest Perry.

SELF-AWARENESSBetter Than Perfect

Perfection isn’t just impossible, it’s counterproductive, notes Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and author of the bestseller Think Again. “Perfectionists are more likely to burn out and less likely to embrace new challenges. Success depends on high standards, not being flawless. The target is not perfection — it’s excellence.”

The post Talk Back to Negativity, Overcome Procrastination, and More Tips From March appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

TRAININGIntroduce “Desirable Difficulties”

The training paradox: Being challenged results in faster learning, but it also shows us how little we know, which makes us feel ignorant. A recent study of a Harvard humanities class found introducing such challenges upped test scores by 33 percent, but the students involved thought they were learning more from non-active lectures. The lesson: Introduce “desirable difficulties” into your training, despite the pushback you’ll likely encounter.

PSYCHOLOGYShare the Self-Love

It’s the month of Valentine’s Day, the perfect time for a reminder on the importance of sharing the love – with yourself. “The biggest life hack is to become your own best friend. Everything is easier when you do,” says mindfulness teacher Cory Mascara.

MANAGEMENTInstitute a Progress Ritual

One of the biggest problems with being the boss is that few people will give you direct feedback on your performance or offer kind words to inspire you when things get difficult. And yet studies show that the single biggest motivator of performance is the feeling of making progress in a meaningful task. But if your underlings aren’t likely to do that, you have to go out and find the feedback yourself. And the best way to do that, says business author Dan Pink, is to establish a progress ritual. “At the end of every day, take just 60 seconds to record and memorialize what progress you made that day.” You may well be pleasantly surprised by just how much you get done.

OPERATIONSLog and Laugh

The healthiest work environment is one where people take their jobs seriously but can also laugh about and learn from the ups and downs of retail life. To support this, keep a “Daily Disappointments” booklet of funny things that happen throughout the year. As one of our Brain Squad members told us: “We go out as a team twice a year for a nice dinner. We review the booklet together over drinks and get some good belly laughs in!”

MANAGEMENTAim High, Settle for Less

If the “Door-in-the-Face” technique is in your bag of management tricks, feel confident in bringing it out — a group of psychologists from the University of Cologne has proven it works. According to the study, if you were to make a big request of staff (“Please work the next three weekends without a day off”) that is rejected, but then follow up with a request for a smaller favor (“How about this Saturday?”), you are 40 percent more likely to have the second request granted than if you hadn’t primed your employee. Devious? Perhaps. Luxury goods retailers do it all the time, positioning a very expensive item near the front of the store to make everything else look downright reasonable.

MANAGEMENTReward Small Victories

On the way to a grand goal, celebrate the smallest victories as if each one was the final goal, writes WIRED co-founder Kevin Kelly on his blog: “No matter where it ends, you are victorious.”

The post Life Hacks, Sales Hacks, and More Tips for March appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.