ColumnistsApr 05, 2022
The Smart Lab: How To Take Advantage of ‘Google My Business’ ColumnistsApr 13, 2022
Squirrel Spotting: Johnny Cash Was a Salesman
Peter Smith charts the singer’s unlikely path to sales excellence as a reminder of what jewelers need to look for when hiring salespeople.
Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer, and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
In a 1997 interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air,” Johnny Cash talked to host Terry Gross about trying to sell home appliances at a store called Home Equipment Company in Memphis, Tennessee.
“I couldn’t sell anything and didn’t really want to,” he said.
Later in the same interview, Cash recounted how he had virtually stalked Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, to give him a listen.
“I was fully confident,” Cash said, “I was going to see Sam Phillips and record for him.”
Cash called Phillips on the phone again and again but was turned down with each call. However, rather than allowing himself to be dissuaded from his dream, he took things to the next stage.
“One day, I just decided that I’m ready to go. I went down [to Sun Records] with my guitar and sat on the front steps of his recording studio and met him (Phillips) when he came in. I said, ‘I’m Johnny Cash. I’m the one that’s been calling and if you’d listen to me, I believe you’ll be glad you did.’”
Great singers—particularly those who are also songwriters—are storytellers. Their ability to communicate emotion to complete strangers in three or four minutes is central to their believability, their authenticity.
When Johnny Cash cited his inability to sell home appliances as evidence of his lack of sales acumen, he wasn’t totally right.
He might not have been able to sell home appliances, but when it came to selling himself and his music, he was a master.
Cash’s efforts to ensure he got an audition at Sun Records was a master class in sales. A micro one, for sure, but a case study no less.
His ability thereafter to sell his songs, his stories, is one for the history books. He could sell; he just didn’t want to sell home appliances.
I don’t know if Julie Panko can sing a lick, or if she’d ever want to sell appliances, but I do know that she is an accomplished sales professional for Mountz Jewelers in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Julie didn’t have a jewelry background when she applied at Mountz. In fact, she didn’t have any kind of sales background at all.
Julie, you see, drove a school bus for 15 years in south central Pennsylvania. She did so because it afforded her the opportunity to take her 2-year-old daughter, Alayna, on the bus with her.
Six years later, she was able to do the same thing for her son, Jake, when he was 2 years old.
At the time Julie heard Mountz was hiring, her wardrobe, consisting almost entirely of sweats, T-shirts, and sneakers, was not her friend. A typical morning saw her quickly put her hair into a bun, sans makeup, and head off to inspect the bus and plot her route for the day.
She said she probably had one business button-down and a skirt in those days. Julie’s life was far removed from the world of luxury, of jewelry, of Rolex, and yet she eventually became a top sales professional for Mountz Jewelers.
“I couldn’t sell anything and didn’t really want to,” he said.
Later in the same interview, Cash recounted how he had virtually stalked Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, to give him a listen.
“I was fully confident,” Cash said, “I was going to see Sam Phillips and record for him.”
Cash called Phillips on the phone again and again but was turned down with each call. However, rather than allowing himself to be dissuaded from his dream, he took things to the next stage.
“One day, I just decided that I’m ready to go. I went down [to Sun Records] with my guitar and sat on the front steps of his recording studio and met him (Phillips) when he came in. I said, ‘I’m Johnny Cash. I’m the one that’s been calling and if you’d listen to me, I believe you’ll be glad you did.’”
Great singers—particularly those who are also songwriters—are storytellers. Their ability to communicate emotion to complete strangers in three or four minutes is central to their believability, their authenticity.
When Johnny Cash cited his inability to sell home appliances as evidence of his lack of sales acumen, he wasn’t totally right.
He might not have been able to sell home appliances, but when it came to selling himself and his music, he was a master.
Cash’s efforts to ensure he got an audition at Sun Records was a master class in sales. A micro one, for sure, but a case study no less.
His ability thereafter to sell his songs, his stories, is one for the history books. He could sell; he just didn’t want to sell home appliances.
I don’t know if Julie Panko can sing a lick, or if she’d ever want to sell appliances, but I do know that she is an accomplished sales professional for Mountz Jewelers in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Julie didn’t have a jewelry background when she applied at Mountz. In fact, she didn’t have any kind of sales background at all.
Julie, you see, drove a school bus for 15 years in south central Pennsylvania. She did so because it afforded her the opportunity to take her 2-year-old daughter, Alayna, on the bus with her.
Six years later, she was able to do the same thing for her son, Jake, when he was 2 years old.
At the time Julie heard Mountz was hiring, her wardrobe, consisting almost entirely of sweats, T-shirts, and sneakers, was not her friend. A typical morning saw her quickly put her hair into a bun, sans makeup, and head off to inspect the bus and plot her route for the day.
She said she probably had one business button-down and a skirt in those days. Julie’s life was far removed from the world of luxury, of jewelry, of Rolex, and yet she eventually became a top sales professional for Mountz Jewelers.
“Saying that you are open to hiring people without sales experience is of little consequence if you don’t structure your recruitment efforts accordingly.”— Peter Smith
Koser Jewelers’ Ryan Torrenti graduated from Lancaster Bible College with a bachelor’s degree in student ministries. Needing to pay his bills, he took the only job he could find at the time—a warehouse worker for Best Buy.
Ryan shared that he needed two references just to get an interview for the warehouse job, almost laughable by today’s standards.
Despite overwhelming evidence showing that top salespeople come from all walks of life, companies continue to advertise for people with experience in sales and then bemoan the poor quality of candidates they do somehow manage to unearth.
With that mindset, you don’t find people like Julie Panko or Ryan Torrenti—stars in their respective stores.
They would never have gotten the chance to become outstanding salespeople because they drove school buses and stocked shelves.
Saying that you are open to hiring people without sales experience is of little consequence if you don’t structure your recruitment efforts accordingly.
If you want to tap into a broader base of potential candidates—and note that conservative estimates indicate 25 percent of all people have sales wiring—then scream it from the rafters in your messaging.
Let people know that your very best people drove school buses, stocked shelves, tended bar, were schoolteachers, etc., and that you are looking for people with the ambition to be great.
People who love people. People who are self-motivated. People who want to listen. People who want to make a career in sales.
In advertising for experienced salespeople or, worse still, experienced jewelry salespeople, we are in effect conceding that we are unwilling to train the very things that can be trained (product, process) while ignoring the things that cannot be trained (motivation, empathy, resilience, work ethic).
When Julie first became a sales professional, she knew nothing whatsoever about selling luxury products; Mountz had to teach her the ropes.
But they didn’t have to worry about her wiring, her personality, her inherent decency, her drive. She brought that with her, along with a sincere passion for people and a desire to help them.
It wasn’t an easy adjustment. In fact, she told me how very challenging it was at first trying to understand and sell expensive jewelry.
“My mom lives a couple of doors down from me and I shared my early frustrations with her, telling her that I was going to give this three weeks only.”
Not surprisingly, Julie’s mom and sister encouraged her to stay the course, reminding her that she was destined for great things.
Koser Jewelers in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania did not have to teach Ryan to care about people or to want to make a difference in their lives.
Like Julie, he too brought a genuine love of people, a desire to help them, and a determination to be a success into his role.
“My father was in sales, and I knew how cutthroat the business could be. I knew how important it was to make the numbers, but I didn’t want to lose my identity in pursuit of sales success,” he said.
“It was my passion for people that made me realize that sales would be a great outlet for me. Working in a big-box store allowed me to be an anthropologist of sorts because I was meeting customers from all
different walks of life.”
In “The Empathy Effect,” Dr. Helen Riess wrote, “In human interactions, empathy is one of the most powerful forces we have for connecting with and helping others. And like any skill, it can be molded, fine-tuned, enhanced, and managed.”
Not surprisingly, neither Ryan nor Julie indicated their persuasive prowess in describing their own success; rather, it was their desire to understand what was most important to their customers.
As Ryan said, “Each person I interact with is of infinite worth and value, regardless of their needs. I am genuinely an advocate for my customers, and everything I do is a result of that core belief.”
Both Julie and Ryan described empathy as their strongest suit, and Julie talked about building trust and listening to every customer, no matter how small their needs might be.
Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin.
In his groundbreaking book, “Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shape Who We Are,” he wrote: “There is little evidence to support the idea that we can really change our personality traits, that we could, for example, learn to be biologically less neurotic or more conscientious.
“You may be able to learn behavioral strategies that allow you to adapt better to the demands of your life, but these are unlikely to change the predispositions themselves.”
We are surrounded by people with sales wiring, and yet many of them are not working in a sales capacity.
They’re waiting tables, tending bar, teaching, and working in doctor’s offices. Some of them even drive school buses and stock shelves.
As for the guitar players and songwriters, they may have a different path for now.
More on Columnists
The Latest
CrimeDec 24, 2025
LA Jewelry District Couple Pleads Guilty to Hiding Millions from IRSThe couple pleaded guilty to concealing at least $127 million in cash transactions at its precious metals businesses.
SurveysDec 24, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls Again in DecemberConsumers shared concerns about prices, inflation, tariffs, trade, and politics in the survey’s write-in response section.
AuctionsDec 24, 2025
Bonhams to Open New U.S. Flagship in NYCIn February 2026, the auction house will move its headquarters to the former Steinway Hall, a neoclassical landmark on Billionaires’ Row.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
Events & AwardsDec 24, 2025
NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Announces Winter EventThe new show will take place Jan. 23-25, 2026.
Weekly QuizDec 23, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingDec 23, 2025
Mining Titan Brian Gilbertson Dies at 82The former BHP Billiton leader and Gemfields chairman is remembered for his influential leadership throughout his 50-year mining career.
Events & AwardsDec 23, 2025
Bulgari Reimagines Costume Designers Guild AwardThe LVMH-owned brand has partnered with the costume design union to revamp its award for 2026.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
Kering to Acquire Stake in Raselli Franco GroupThe luxury titan inked a deal to acquire an initial minority stake in the jewelry manufacturer with a pathway to full ownership by 2032.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
For Future Reference Vintage Enters Bloomingdale’sThe company’s curation of unsigned vintage and estate jewelry debuted at the Bloomingdale’s in Costa Mesa, California.
CrimeDec 22, 2025
Customs Seizes Hundreds of Fake Rolex, Cartier WatchesIn the recent multi-shipment seizure, CBP also found counterfeit Audemars Piguet, Moncler, and Chrome Hearts items.
EditorsDec 22, 2025
How Helzberg Is Reimagining Its StoresHelzberg’s Chief Retail Officer Mitch Maggart shared details about its tests of a new store concept rooted in an elevated luxury experience.
Recorded WebinarsDec 22, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: Looking Back on an Eventful Year Jewelers of America execs and National Jeweler editors discuss tariffs, the sky-high gold price, and the engagement that broke the internet.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
MadaLuxe Group Acquires Ippolita The luxury goods company said founder Ippolita Rostagno will remain at the brand’s helm.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
LVMH Names New Bulgari CEOLaura Burdese, who joined the Italian luxury brand in 2022, will take on the role in July.
EditorsDec 19, 2025
2025 Jewelry Superlatives: A Yearbook-Style Year in Review The National Jeweler editors revisit the most noteworthy industry happenings and design trends from 2025.
AuctionsDec 19, 2025
Jean Schlumberger’s ‘African Cat’ Is Purr-Fection Need a gift for the cat lover who has everything? Look no further than our latest Piece of the Week.
AuctionsDec 18, 2025
Audemars Piguet Reclaims Historic Pocket Watch at AuctionIt purchased the “Grosse Pièce,” an ultra-complicated Audemars Piguet pocket watch from the ‘20s, for a record-breaking price at Sotheby’s.
Lab-GrownDec 18, 2025
Kira Jewels Debuts Custom Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry ServiceThe lab-grown diamond grower now offers custom engagement and fashion jewelry through its Kira Custom Lab Jewelry service.
EditorsDec 18, 2025
Terry Chandler Looks Back on 40 Years of Opportunity, Change, and FriendsChandler got his start at Michelson Jewelers and has served as DCA president and CEO since 2001. He will retire at the end of the month.
WatchesDec 18, 2025
Bob’s Watches to Open Store in New York’s JFK AirportThe boutique is slated to open this week inside Terminal 8, offering pre-owned Rolex watches and more to international travelers.
Supplier BulletinDec 18, 2025
Cell Jammers Are Targeting Your Business. Here's How to Beat ThemSponsored by Digital Monitoring Products
CrimeDec 17, 2025
Man Pleads Not Guilty to Swallowing Fabergé PendantThe special-edition egg pendant ingested in a New Zealand jewelry store was recovered after a six-day wait.
EditorsDec 17, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: The Best Piece of the Week PicksAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco plays favorites with Piece of the Week, selecting a standout piece of jewelry from each month of 2025.
CollectionsDec 17, 2025
Lucy Hale Stars in Jacquie Aiche’s Holiday CampaignThe “Love and Desire” campaign is inspired by the magic that follows when one’s heart leads the way, said the brand.
GradingDec 17, 2025
SSEF Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersTwo awardees will receive free tuition for an educational course at the Swiss lab, with flights and lodging included.
MajorsDec 16, 2025
Pandora’s New CEO Will Step Up EarlyBerta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.
