MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
IndependentsJul 25, 2017
Squirrel Spotting: So, Foot Traffic is Down in Your Store …
Proactively driving more people through the doors is essential to improving conversion rates, Peter Smith says. Here’s how to do it.
Peter Smith has more than 30 years of experience building wholesale and retail sales teams. He currently is president of Vibhor Gems.
If you are a retailer who uses a door counter, you have likely witnessed a decline in foot traffic in recent months and years. If you do not have a door counter (please get one), you likely have sensed (never as good as actual data) that your traffic count has been in decline for some time.
I have long argued that the easiest way to grow your business is to convert more traffic into sales. If you currently convert one in three, you are walking seven of 10 people. Shifting just one of those seven into the sales column is a 33 percent increase in business.
If you have a two of 10 conversion rate at present and you shift one into the sale column, you will have grown your business by 50 percent.
While there are many factors involved in improving conversion rates--better hiring practices, more effective training, better measurement of current and developing metrics (there’s that door counter again), and clearer communication regarding expectations and progress--the following points address the need to cultivate a culture of proactively driving more people into your stores as an essential strategic initiative.
I will add as a proviso that if you are running a bad marketing program, spending more money on it will not give it the clarity or resonance that it might be lacking. Likewise, if you are not doing an effective job converting the traffic you do have, you are probably going to continue to struggle to convert even if you are successful in creating more foot traffic.
Structured outreach could well be a game-changer in your business. It is borderline criminal to have engaged in relationships with customers over the years only to let those customers stagnate. 
Note that there is no magic number for what constitutes an active customer list. Some might suggest that two to three years is the extent to how far they might go back. My own view on that is that there ought to be
different levels: perhaps zero to six months, six to 12 months, one to two years and a two-plus-year list.
Having multiple lists (and I’m not sure why you would not do so) requires an active management, as the goalposts continually move and as customers respond, positively, negatively or not at all.
Here are my thoughts on some of the questions you may want to discuss with your team if you don’t already have an active and well-managed customer outreach program.
1. Are you strategically working your customer list?
a. How old is the list?
b. At what purchase level are you engaging your past customers?
c. How is the list apportioned across the sales team?
--Do salespeople handle their own customers?
--Where do unassigned customers go?
2. Who manages/updates the customer lists?
a. Someone must own the job of cleaning the list. How often will they do this?
b. Are there different lists, such as current customers (last 12 months), mid-level (12 to 24 months), and older (24 months and above)?
3. Does your team have a daily goal of outgoing calls and/or emails?
a. How do you ensure the calls/emails are happening?
4. Is there a schedule to prepare for the week’s calls and to review results?
a. Is the manager sitting with the employees and discussing the plan?
b. Why are certain customers being targeted that week (special occasions)?
c. Are team members accountable for results?
5. What resources are made available to the salespeople to coach the calls/emails?
a. Is the manager providing good counsel and examples/role play?
b. Are you providing the time and space to get it done in an organized way?
6. What are the consequences for a salesperson who is non-responsive?
a. Is this a requirement of the job or not?
b. What happens to salespeople who don’t take it seriously?
7. Is that outreach interesting enough to entice a customer to visit?
a. Following up on a repair job
b. A reminder about getting prongs checked/cleaning
c. A reminder of an important occasion
d. An introduction to a special event
e. An introduction to a special sale
f. An introduction to a new brand or product launch
g. An invitation to a non-selling event in store (music, book signing, etc.)
8. What is the plan when a customer is non-responsive?
a. Do they get put on a different schedule? Mailings only? Removed?
9. Are successes shared with the team?
a. Success breeds success and it ought to be celebrated.
It is possible that the declining traffic in stores will reverse itself, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Strategically working your lists will improve your foot traffic, deliver a prequalified customer and improve sales conversion. It will also let your customers know that you value their past business and wish to continue to serve them ongoing.
The old adage that we don’t get to complain about our elected officials if we didn’t bother to vote works for customer outreach too. You can’t complain about declining traffic if you are passively waiting for people to walk through your door.
Peter Smith is president of Vibhor, a public speaker and author of “Sell Something” and “Hiring Squirrels.” He spent 30 years building sales teams in retail and wholesale and he can be contacted at dublinsmith@yahoo.com, peter@vibhorgems.com, or on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
Having multiple lists (and I’m not sure why you would not do so) requires an active management, as the goalposts continually move and as customers respond, positively, negatively or not at all.
Here are my thoughts on some of the questions you may want to discuss with your team if you don’t already have an active and well-managed customer outreach program.
1. Are you strategically working your customer list?
a. How old is the list?
b. At what purchase level are you engaging your past customers?
c. How is the list apportioned across the sales team?
--Do salespeople handle their own customers?
--Where do unassigned customers go?
2. Who manages/updates the customer lists?
a. Someone must own the job of cleaning the list. How often will they do this?
b. Are there different lists, such as current customers (last 12 months), mid-level (12 to 24 months), and older (24 months and above)?
3. Does your team have a daily goal of outgoing calls and/or emails?
a. How do you ensure the calls/emails are happening?
4. Is there a schedule to prepare for the week’s calls and to review results?
a. Is the manager sitting with the employees and discussing the plan?
b. Why are certain customers being targeted that week (special occasions)?
c. Are team members accountable for results?
5. What resources are made available to the salespeople to coach the calls/emails?
a. Is the manager providing good counsel and examples/role play?
b. Are you providing the time and space to get it done in an organized way?
6. What are the consequences for a salesperson who is non-responsive?
a. Is this a requirement of the job or not?
b. What happens to salespeople who don’t take it seriously?
7. Is that outreach interesting enough to entice a customer to visit?
a. Following up on a repair job
b. A reminder about getting prongs checked/cleaning
c. A reminder of an important occasion
d. An introduction to a special event
e. An introduction to a special sale
f. An introduction to a new brand or product launch
g. An invitation to a non-selling event in store (music, book signing, etc.)
8. What is the plan when a customer is non-responsive?
a. Do they get put on a different schedule? Mailings only? Removed?
9. Are successes shared with the team?
a. Success breeds success and it ought to be celebrated.
It is possible that the declining traffic in stores will reverse itself, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Strategically working your lists will improve your foot traffic, deliver a prequalified customer and improve sales conversion. It will also let your customers know that you value their past business and wish to continue to serve them ongoing.
The old adage that we don’t get to complain about our elected officials if we didn’t bother to vote works for customer outreach too. You can’t complain about declining traffic if you are passively waiting for people to walk through your door.
Peter Smith is president of Vibhor, a public speaker and author of “Sell Something” and “Hiring Squirrels.” He spent 30 years building sales teams in retail and wholesale and he can be contacted at dublinsmith@yahoo.com, peter@vibhorgems.com, or on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
More on Independents
The Latest
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
