The business environment is constantly evolving. In today’s business world, having specific essential skills can make a world of difference for your career and open you up to many global opportunities. The jewelry industry is a sector of rapid occupational growth. Knowing which skills are most in-demand can improve your chances of success as a jeweler. In this article, you’ll find a few vital skills.
Research Skills
Successful jewelers worldwide have an in-depth knowledge of gemology—the art of identifying gemstones by their unique characteristics and properties. Remember that some gemstones like rubies and garnet can only be distinguished by their physical properties and not by appearance.
Market research can help you stay ahead of changing diamond trends in the diamond industry. If you have a customer who wants to purchase a diamond engagement ring, you should provide valuable insights based on top engagement ring trends.
Additionally, you should advise your customers on the right diamond shape and quality that’s appropriate for their budget. If your customer has a tight budget, you might want to recommend antique diamonds since they are affordable and stylish. Remember, popular engagement ring trends evolve during an engagement season.
Before now, popular engagement ring style trends revolved around yellow gold, white gold, and emerald cut rings. Today, the halo setting has become more prevalent. Elaborate halos like platinum and blue sapphire ring styles are taking over the jewelry market. That said, you have to always be on the lookout for top trends in the gemstone market.
Negotiation Skills
While you don’t need a specific qualification to become a jeweler, you still require formal education to get started in the industry. Jewelers generally need at least a business degree to get a well-rounded knowledge of the business landscape. Moreover, having a bachelor’s degree in business management can give you a comparative advantage over other businesses.
Keep in mind that business degrees are highly sought after in high-demand fields such as technology, media, advertising, health care, and human resources. Best of all, the career opportunities that come with a business management or business administration degree are endless.
Online learning seems like your best bet if you don’t have the time to be physically present in a classroom. Find out if your preferred institution offers a Bachelor of Science in business degree program as an online business degree. Online learning gives you the flexibility to juggle studies, work, and other responsibilities. Plus, you get to improve your skills in managerial accounting and financial management.
A business degree program can also help you improve your negotiation skills. Negotiating deals is a critical aspect of running a jewelry business. The goal of negotiation is to ensure you get what you want. You might also want to acquire a master’s degree in international business, international finance, or international management if you want to scale your operations globally.
The key takeaway is that every jeweler must have excellent negotiation skills to be successful. An undergraduate degree or graduate degree in business can help you learn and master the skill. Besides, most business graduates are well-rounded in all areas of business.
Interpersonal Skills
A jewelry business owner can benefit a great deal from interpersonal skills. It can help them acquire and retain more customers. Remember, you need customers to record sales and grow your business. Sometimes, customers agree to buy jewelry when they are visibly impressed by the jeweler.
In business terms, interpersonal skills—otherwise known as soft skills—refer to a person’s strategies to boost customer interactions. The skill can be helpful in real-world situations when the stakes are high. While soft skills come naturally to a select few, many others have to work towards improving them. You can improve your soft skills with practice. An excellent place to start is to express appreciation whenever a customer buys a piece of jewelry from your store.