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Coach’s Corner: The luck of the Irish
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, Pat Henneberry shares four tips on how jewelers can create their own good luck on the sales floor.
Pat Henneberry is vice president of global learning and development at Hearts On Fire. She also is founder of The Jewelry Coach, a sales training community for jewelers. Reach her at pat@thejewelrycoach.com.
St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and, as I sit in my new office in Boston at Hearts On Fire, I can’t help but think about this holiday, perhaps because I just walked by three Irish pubs on my way to the office. It’s also important at this time for full disclosure: I am a proud Irish lass.
Have you ever heard the phrase “luck of the Irish?” It’s an ironic phrase. The Irish have been, and are, a spectacularly unlucky race.
You might not realize it but the “luck of the Irish” is bad luck, as any reading of Irish history will document. When I did some research on Irish references, I found the original and proper use of this irony goes clear back to the old country and migrated to America early on. Nowadays, many of us (including me) misuse the phrase to imply good luck. That being said, I still like to say “luck of the Irish” and mean it in a good way.
So in honor of my fest day here are some “lucky” sales tips. The word luck (noun) is a force that makes things happen. If you want more luck you need to be the force that makes things happen.
1. Practice. At Hearts On Fire Glenn Rothman says, “Do it 150 times if you really want to learn it.” My dad used to say, “Pat, practice makes perfect, only if you practice perfect.” Work hard to be ready for the opportunities that are important to you. Practice 150 times perfect.
2. Be awake. Pay attention to your customers, focus on your customers and things around you. Evaluate logically and trust your gut instinct. Your customers will notice.
3. Take action. Put yourself out there. Explore. Be vulnerable with your customers. Make contact with people; let them know who you are and what you do. Take risks.
4. Expect positive results. Optimism improves your chances. If (when) you fail, embrace the lesson and continue on, smarter.
That’s it. May the luck of the Irish be with you (in a very good way) and help you sell something.
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