MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
OtherSep 23, 2014
How to identify people ‘wired’ for sales
In a new book Leo Schachter executive Peter Smith provides retailers with a road map on hiring people who possess the three characteristics essential to be an effective salesperson.
Peter Smith’s “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” is available on Amazon.
New York--According to Peter Smith, retailers’ approach to identifying sales talent frequently is misguided before the interview candidate even comes through the door.
Smith says instead of focusing on whether or not they’ll get along with a candidate, which is what so many hiring managers do, they instead need to focus on that person’s “wiring,” meaning if they possess certain characteristics that’ll allow them to excel as a salesperson.
He explains the details of this wiring, and the essential traits of great salespeople, in a new book.
“My aim in writing this book was to … provide a better road map to help retailers identify and hire great sales talent,” Smith tells National Jeweler. “I wrote the book that I always wanted to read on this topic … I tell stories from my career in retail and on the wholesale side working with hundreds of retailers, and I tell stories of my own experiences as a consumer.”
Smith’s Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent is available on Amazon. Here, Smith, executive vice president of brand development at Leo Schachter & Co., shares some details of the 200-page book with National Jeweler.
National Jeweler: What was your inspiration for writing this book?
Peter Smith: I started writing the book, quite frankly, because I became a tad jaded having the same conversation with retailers over and over again about the importance of getting the personnel side of things right.
While retailers seemed to understand how salespeople can make or break a business, few managers felt confident in their ability to shape a great sales team. They routinely lamented the lack of sales talent with statements such as “You just don’t know my market,” or “Talented people just don’t want to work in retail sales.”
The reality is that they too often look for the wrong stuff in the wrong places, and that cycle of dependence on a time-worn system of hiring for experience, and from your competitors, does nothing more than perpetuate the sales dysfunction and under-performance.
The approach to identifying sales talent is frequently misguided before the candidate ever comes through the door for an interview, and the interview process itself often serves as a form of professional dating game, with more emphasis being placed on looks and amiability--“Do I like how he/she looks and will I get along with him/her?”--than on inherent wiring.
NJ:
What qualities should managers look for when it comes to hiring good salespeople?
PS: While reasonable people can debate the qualities we would like in salespeople, there can be little argument that the very best salespeople possess three absolutely essential characteristics: drive, empathy and resilience.
PS: While reasonable people can debate the qualities we would like in salespeople, there can be little argument that the very best salespeople possess three absolutely essential characteristics: drive, empathy and resilience.
People with the wiring to be great salespeople are competitive by nature. They are driven to succeed and they usually have a track record--professionally, academically and personally--that demonstrates that drive, even in cases where they have no previous sales experience.
The second essential characteristic is empathy. The ability to listen to what the customer is saying, to listen to what they might not be saying but are implying with their tone and demeanor, and being able to listen to what their body language is communicating, is vital in a sales role. Again, like drive, empathy cannot be trained. The candidate is either a good listener or she is not.
The third major characteristic of great sales wiring is resilience. Even the very best salespeople have to contend with a great deal of rejection on an ongoing basis. If they do not have strong resilience, the easiest way for them to avoid hearing the customer say “no” is to not ask for the sale.
The retail jewelry world is filled with great people who know their product and who are friendly and approachable--great qualities--but who are deathly afraid of asking for the sale.
NJ: How long did it take to write Hiring Squirrels?
PS: I am a binge writer, so I had periods where I could go weeks without writing and then I could write for 10 hours at a time. I had one period of 14 straight hours on a flight to Australia where I wrote the entire time. The whole process from start to finish was about three years.
NJ: Can you share a tip or two from the book with us?
PS: The book is built around specific questions designed to uncover essential traits. To that extent, I’m not sure one would read it to find a tip or two.
What I will suggest, however, is that less emphasis should be placed on experience and more emphasis should be placed on wiring. The last point I will make is that great sales producers typically come with some baggage; don’t let that scare you away.
More on Other
The Latest
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe Waldorf Astoria New York’s grand reopening this past summer means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event.
Weekly QuizSep 04, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingSep 09, 2025
Anglo American to Merge With Canadian Copper Miner Anglo plans to merge with Teck Resources Ltd. to form Anglo Teck. The deal changes nothing about its plans to offload De Beers.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
‘The Mellon Blue’ to Return to Auction, This Time at Christie’s The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which set two world auction records at Sotheby’s in 2014, is estimated to fetch up to $30 million.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
Phillips Names Dianne Batista Head of Jewels, New YorkThe industry veteran joins the auction house as it looks to solidify its footprint in the jewelry market.
MajorsSep 09, 2025
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersThe nonprofit awarded four students pursuing a professional career in jewelry making and design with $2,250 each.
IndependentsSep 08, 2025
Take a Look Inside the New Korman Store in AustinThe Texas-based jeweler has also undergone a brand refresh, debuting a new website and logo.
MajorsSep 08, 2025
MJSA Is Officially Now Under JA’s UmbrellaThe two organizations have finalized and signed the affiliation agreement announced in May.
AuctionsSep 08, 2025
Sotheby’s To Auction ‘Exceptional’ Collection of JAR, Suzanne Belperron JewelsThe single-owner sale will headline Sotheby's inaugural jewelry auction at the Breuer building, its new global headquarters, this December.
Events & AwardsSep 08, 2025
27 Can’t-Miss Converge Sessions, Events From sunrise yoga to tariffs talks, these are some events to check out at the upcoming inaugural event.
ColumnistsSep 05, 2025
Peter Smith: A Lasting Lesson From Maurice Tempelsman Smith recalls a bit of wisdom the industry leader, who died last week, shared at a diamond conference years ago.
CollectionsSep 05, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jamie Turner’s ‘Victoria’ Necklace The “Victoria” necklace features a labradorite hugged by diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold.
Policies & IssuesSep 05, 2025
Trump Takes Tariffs Case to the Supreme Court Two lower courts have moved to block the import taxes, which will remain in place as the legal battle continues.
WatchesSep 05, 2025
Patrick Mahomes Is the New Hublot Brand AmbassadorThe Kansas City Chiefs quarterback shares Hublot’s dedication to pursuing greatness, the Swiss watchmaker said.
SourcingSep 04, 2025
Lucara Unveils Unusual 37-Carat Pink DiamondThe Type IIa stone, recovered from Botswana’s Karowe diamond mine last month, features unique coloration.
WatchesSep 04, 2025
Breitling Takes Its NFL Game to the Next Level Breitling is now the NFL’s official timepiece partner, a move that puts the brand in front of the millions of Americans who watch football.
Events & AwardsSep 04, 2025
The NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Returns in NovemberNYCJAOS is set for Nov. 21-23 in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.
SourcingSep 03, 2025
Gemfields Confirms Completion of Fabergé SaleU.S.-based investment company SMG Capital LLC is the new owner of the luxury brand.
MajorsSep 03, 2025
These Are the Nearly 300 Claire’s Stores Set to CloseA new court filing details the locations of the stores that will close, as well as the 830 that will remain open.
MajorsSep 03, 2025
Stuller Releases 2 New Catalogs The new catalogs are “Tools, Equipment, & Metals” and “Findings & Metals.”
TrendsSep 03, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: A Perfect BirthstoneSapphire’s variety of colors make it the perfect birthstone for September.
FinancialsSep 02, 2025
Lab-Grown Diamonds, Lower-Priced Fashion Jewelry Drive Signet Jewelers’ Q2 SalesThe retailer has raised its guidance after seeing total sales increase 3 percent in the second quarter, beating expectations.
