When I began my journey into the wholesale side of the jewellery industry, I found it utterly fascinating. I had the priviledge of witnessing some of the best and worst practices in retail jewellery, and I got to meet a variety of retailers and retail staff who would inspire my writing. Partly because I love to write, and partly because I wanted to fast-track relationship building with my new clientele, I began writing a series of editorials called "Road Reflections," and sent them out by fax to about 250 retailers in Western Canada.
I got a few complaints from people who didn't want my information or who begrudged the extra pennies it cost them per page, but mostly the feedback was positive. Once In Store Magazine came-out and Jewellery Business and Canadian Jeweller started stepping up their game, I felt I had little to offer. However, I'm back.
Why am I back? Two reasons. The first being the ease of contact using the blog format. If you've only discovered blogging through my efforts; it's nothing but my old Road Reflections faxes put into a web address. You can browse older articles, add your feedback and it won't cost you anything.
The second reason is that the major jewellery publications have all but given-up their letters to the editor. I've submitted several articles to magazines which were never published because they only solicit reader input for stories they've already written.
I hope you get something out of my ramblings. It is my pleasure to offer my insights to you for your critical analysis. Agree or disagree, just think about these issues and discuss them with your staff, customers and stakeholders.