The SMART Jewelry Show

Not only do we have a winner for our "Share Spot" cruise drawing, but we also have a round-up of what jewelers were buzzing about at this year's show in Chicago. Hot tips like that make everyone a winner, right?

Via email and the Web, your videos can reach anywhere in the world for free. On Sunday, Jim Ackerman gave pointers on how you can make your own powerful video campaign using tools you likely already have.

Retailers on the floor of The SMART Show share their favorite vendors on camera.

Learn about the power of celebrity influence over consumer buying and how jewelry retailers can best leverage it from celebrity stylist and INDESIGN columnist Michael O’Connor.

Four Cool Store panelists share how they've used events to cultivate new customers, generate publicity for their stores and team up with other businesses or charities to broaden their influence.

You might think of it as junk mail, but direct mail is a powerful advertising tool that delivers real, measurable, cost-effective results, marketing expert and copywriter Jim Ackerman said Saturday evening at The SMART Show.

A keynote session with Monster of Sales Jeffrey Gitomer helped save 400-plus jewelers from falling into a rut at today’s SMART Show.

Research shows that 75 percent of people conduct research online when shopping for a luxury product. Therefore, it’s essential for every jewelry store to have a website that represents its brand. 

Adam Fried posed an insightful question to his independent jewelry store audience: “Do you think anyone walks out of Tiffany’s (after making a purchase) thinking they got a better deal?”

If you can tell your customers a story -- put a story in their head that they'll want to share with their friends -- they'll buy from you.

Janice Mack Talcott of the Edge Retail Academy stressed the importance of clienteling in Tip Sheet: Whip Your Inventory Into Shape.

Shane Decker, a featured "Monster of Sales" at The SMART Show in Chicago, says if you want to sell million dollar diamonds, you need a million dollar attitude -- not a poverty mentality.

Check out this video on the idea of "sharing" at The SMART Show. (By the way, one other easy way to share is by Twitter ... use the hashtags #smartshow #share.)

Secret tip to getting more out of The SMART Show: Download our smartphone app.

Navy Pier is a great place to do business. But it's also a great place to NOT do business. Here are a few ways to take a break from The SMART Show.

Welcome to the first (and probably last) installment of How Not to Sell 101.

We're expecting more than 50 of the country's most innovative jewelers coming to Chicago through our "America's Coolest Stores" VIP program.

Do you still think it's too early to register for The SMART Jewelry Show Chicago? Are you figuring that the show is a couple months away and you can sign up at any point -- even the last weekend -- to attend? Sure, that's one way to handle it. But it definitely isn't the best way.

Jeffrey Gitomer has never been known for fence-sitting ... on any subject. Here, he offers some clear-cut advice about building a successful business — in his own words. (First published in The SMART Show supplement that shipped with the January edition of INSTORE.)

I hear this all the time: “How hard is it to put on a show? I bet anybody can do it.”

And truthfully, it isn’t rocket science. With a slight learning curve and some emotional bumps and bruises, it isn’t that hard to put on just another show.

But The SMART Jewelry Show is not just another show. The hardest part of our show team’s job is to make each show different for you; to make the next show more valuable to you than last year’s show.

Marketing speaker, coach, author and copywriter Jim Ackerman give us a glimpse at some of the lessons that have shaped his business philosophy — in his own words. (First published in The SMART Show supplement that shipped with the January edition of INSTORE.)

Shane Decker shares what he's learned over a lifetime of sales experience — in his own words. (First published in The SMART Show supplement that shipped with the January edition of INSTORE.)

Considering the Smart Show? This website has a wealth of resources to help you make your decision.

Education at the SMART Show is not just about seminars. An equally important way we educate jewelers is with interactive, one-to-one learning out on the show floor. And the way we do it is with something we call SMART Stations.

Read more...

Since we launched The SMART Jewelry Show in Chicago in 2009, I haven't been able to help but noticing exactly how popular Chicago is as a setting for major Hollywood movies. Really, really popular.

Wow! I’ve got to tell you about one of the Monsters of Sales being featured at The SMART Show. There will be no lack of selling inspiration and techniques at this show.

The education program for next year's SMART Jewelry Show is rapidly taking shape. We don't want to boast, but we're pretty sure it's our smartest program yet.

The theme of this year's show is "Get Ready For Some Serious Selling!" And we intend to help retailers do that in two ways: