in the loupe - november 2013

DID YA KNOW?This month we look atRJO’S Southern SplendorBuying show this January inSavannah. RJO CEO MaryPeterson explains why thisshow wil be a must-attendfor all members ... MORE ON PAGE 2

BUYING SHOW

REGISTRATION

QUESTIONS?If you’re a jeweler member,call Kristi Nelson in the RJOoffice at 800-247-1774 or e-mail: [email protected] any questions. If you’rea vendor member, youshould contact Mary Hargerat 800-247-1774 or e-mail:[email protected] withany questions.

I N T H ELOUPE

November 2013 � Issue 52

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM,SOUTHERN CHARM THAT ISRJO RETURNS TO SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THIS JANUARY for SouthernSplendor—the RJO Spring Buying Show.

In addition to the great deals you’ll find on the Buying Show floor andterrific entertainment, RJO has set up myriad membership benefits aswell, including:- one $250 travel voucher for each qualifying store when you register

by December 27;- up to three consecutive nights’ stay at the host hotel, the Westin

Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa;- buying discounts, via RJO Purchase Vouchers, allowing you to save up

to an additional two percent on what you buy from vendors; and- one $10 lunch coupon (for concessions on the buying floor) for each

store, courtesy of your generous RJO vendors.

Online registration will open on November 11, and it is easy—just goto: www.rjomembers.com, log in, and go to the Buying Show section.You’ll be able to register online in a matter of minutes. You may alsocomplete the Registration Form that is located on the last page of yourRegistration Packet and mail or fax it to the RJO office: P.O. Box 1045, Newton, IA 50208. Fax: 641-792-9251.

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.


RJO Buying Shows:

Did ‘ya know?Online Registration will be availableNovember 11th. Be sure to check the RJOwebsite for more details on attending ourgreat show in Savannah, GA, from January25th - 27th, 2014.

Remember you receive a $250 travelvoucher, courtesy of your RJO vendors, tohelp with your Savannah travel costs if youregister by the December 27th deadline.

For the first time, RJO will have anevent management app for yourmobile devices, so you canaccess the schedule, floor mapand more! More information willbe coming soon.

We are really excited about addingthe “Idea Center” on the show

floor. It will provide attendees with a spaceto share ideas, talk toour seminar speakersand get individualattention on developingyour social media.

Resources:

Did ‘ya know?The best way to getadditional education and learn from yourfellow members and vendors is byattending the RJO shows.

Making the time to look at the major tradepublications can give you some majorinsight.

We think In The Loupe is a great publicationfor you to read, so I hope you are doingthat right now!

You can call the RJO office and ask for me,Mary Peterson, if you want to chat aboutideas or help with your business.

Opportunities:

Did ‘ya know?GET EXCITED!!! RJO will be launching “TheNext GenerationExperience -Creating UltimateJewelers of theFuture.” This eventwill be held inChicago, IL, onSaturday, May 17ththrough Monday, May 19th. Be on thelookout for more information for this greatopportunity geared specifically toward thenext generation of jewelers. Even better, allyou have to do is pay for your transportationto the event; everything else is on us!

Thanks to all the membersand vendors who took part inthe RJO buying trips inOctober. The trips toAntwerp, Idar-Oberstein andIsrael were very successfulfor both members andvendors, and all had a great time.

Plan early for our 2014Octobers trips. (You maywant to put aside some ofyour RJO PatronageDividend check to get youon your way!!)

Don’t forget that you can attend our tripreceptions at the 2014 Buying Shows to getmore information and learn from those thathave traveled with us.

In the Know with RJO by RJO CEO Mary Peterson


S E R V I C E S

Centralized Billing

Patronage Dividend

RJO Website (rjomembers.com)

Buying Shows (Fall/Spring)

RJO Chat Channel

In the Loupe – RJO’s newsletter

Free Print and Radio AdLibrary (on the RJO website)

Educational Seminars (at the Buying Shows)

Member-to-MemberIncentive Program(Recruitment Program)

Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and Idar-Oberstein, and Israel

RJO Directory

Travel Vouchers at Shows(offered at varying times)

Free Hotel Room Incentive

(at the Buying Shows)

RJO Informational E-mailBlasts

Purchase Vouchers(at the Buying Shows)

RJO Membership Certificate

Education on the GoPodcasts and Webinars

Private Label Credit CardService

JewelConnect

From the RJO Chat Channel

THE CHAT CHANNEL ON THE RJOWEBSITE (www.rjomembers.com) hosts avariety of interesting discussions eachmonth. Here’s an edited post—andresponses to it—that can be found inthe RJO Jeweler Business area, underthe heading “Buying Gold Changes”


BOARD TO MEET

IN NOVEMBERRJO's next Board ofDirectors Meeting will beheld Thursday, November7th in Iowa City, Iowa. Ifyou have any concerns,ideas or suggestions thatyou wish the board toaddress, please send themto: [email protected] to the meeting date.

AN UPDATE ON

ONLINE BILLINGRJO leadershipcommittees have beentesting the online billingfeature for the past fewmonths. Through thistesting process, somerecommended featureshave been added, and theprogrammers are workingon the final version. Finaltesting is currently beingdone in the RJO office. Thecurrent plan is that RJOmembers should be ableto pay their bill online bythe end of the year.

BRAD SIMON

WEBINAR SERIES

COMPLETEDAll of his webinarpresentations are nowavailable online atrjomembers.com.

JewelConnect hitting target ofone million pageviews per yearJEWELCONNECT.COM, THE RJO-EXCLUSIVE WEB-MARKETING SUITE,is on-track for one million pageviews per year, a goal they have beenpushing hard for since the release of the 2.0 design in February of this year.

“We have seen a substantial increase in the number of pages viewedon the JewelConnect.com system since the 2.0 redesign,” says AndyBoundy, lead developer of the system. “The new format not onlyadded modern design and functionality, but it also was designed to bebetter indexed on search engines. If the increases seen in the lastthree months continue at current rates—and we suspect they will—we’ll show more than one million pages a year and upwards of eightmillion product images.”

The system suite of tools now includes loose diamond integration, ablogging feature, social connectivity, website-building, mobilemarketing, virtual catalog creation, store-inventory addition withPayPal sales capability, and more.

“We’re really excited to present our seminar in Savannah in January,”says Thomas Roethling, JewelConnect’s data manager. “On top of allthe functions we have now, we’re adding a new one that addressesone of the most fundamental elements of stock efficiency in a reallysimple way.”

You can see JewelConnect.com online and find more than 600 RJOmembers who currently use the system.


Marketing Matters

May I ask a favor for you?THE HEADLINE IS NOT A TYPO. Notice that I asked fora favor for you, not from you. I would like to ask you todo a favor that will save you time, save you money,make your life easier and give your business a jolt thatwill cost you nothing.

Hard to say no to that isn’t it?Is the favor difficult? Time consuming? Tough tomanage?Nope. Nope. And … nope.

I would simply ask you to do a series of things that willtake your business to the next level and save youmoney on marketing.

I see major businesses every month that do not have arealistic idea of what they should be spending tomarket and advertise their business. A rule of thumb(which does vary by business category) is somewherebetween 3-8 percent of gross sales.

This is sometimes a staggering number for businessesnot accustomed to planning this way. Start small andwork your way up. Don’t spend yourself out ofbusiness trying to get to those levels if you aren’tprepared.

I can count on one hand the number of businessesthat I have talked to in 30 years who have a writtenmarketing plan. I’m not sure which is a bigger loss, theloss of money or the loss of opportunity.Let me share a few insider tips• Increase the frequency of ads in your “active weeks”

but decrease in other weeks.• Take a full 12-month budget, and spend it in 20-24

weeks. • Drop your two worst months and put those dollars

where they count. Find the two-four weeks around amajor holiday (Mother’s Day & Valentine’s Day) andhave a strong schedule.

• Christmas should get 40 percent or more of yourannual budget.

That seems like a pretty simple suggestion, but theamount of money spent with “friends in media” is

ridiculous. I don’t care how good of a friend they mightbe—their radio or TV stations, newspapers or direct-mail pieces need to drive customers to you. If theydon’t, quit spending money there. Most businesses canget by with two-to-three radio stations, and thesame is true with television.

Buy one commercial per hour on radio within amorning segment. Buy mornings (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.) toreach women effectively; that would be fourcommercials per day. Also buy as many days as youcan afford. If you can’t afford three or more, then don’twaste your money. Also, check out weekends, as theyare typically less expensive. Be bold: buy a bunch, andown a day, or more.

On TV, buy shows that you know will reach women.Morning news is good here too. Afternoon shows, likeEllen, Katie and Dr. Oz are strong, too. Evening news willeat a budget alive. Have a big wallet if you want to playhere. Morning news is not only less expensive; it ismuch less expensive.

Capture every single email you can between now andthe end of the year. That will be a great start on alow/no cost element to your marketing and advertisingplans for 2014. An effective (read: educational) emailevery 10-14 days will keep your top of mind awarenesshigh throughout the year. Start gathering thatinformation yesterday!

Have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward tocommunicating more with you in 2014.

Michael C. Woody is Presidentand Chief Idea Officer of CapitalIdeas. He has nearly 30 years of

experience in televisionadvertising and loyalty

marketing. Phone: 515-556-5373.

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ideas2burn.com


The best part of the trip was the people. Everyone was so gracious and welcoming. It was nice to bewith people who know what a refractive index is. It reminded me of how much I have forgotten, butalso how much I have retained. The trip was well-planned and executed. You could tell a lot of hardwork had gone into it.

Regina and Barton RobisonMurray-Mckenzie Jewelry

Paris, TN

It’s nearly impossible to name a favorite memory, as there are somany. From the closeness we felt with our fellow travelers and thehospitality of the great RJO sponsoring vendors, everything waswonderful. Being able to walk the land in which our Christianbeliefs are based was humbling.When visiting one of the offices (Fischer) and looking over aselection of carat diamonds, I was shown seven diamonds with a

value of $2M. Wow! The largest pair were 28 carat total weight. Madethose carat diamonds look like melee.This is an experience of a lifetime. Every RJO jeweler should take advantage of this opportunity. The buzzwithin my community—about traveling overseas to buy diamonds—has helped build my diamond business.

Albert and Mary YocomYocom JewelryMarceline, MO

Business-wise, it was amazing to see—and hold—the 25 carat diamondin the Rosy Blue office. For pleasure, we really enjoyed the sight-seeing in Brugge, Belgium. We also enjoyed our nights out with mostof the group at Marmite/Mistral. This trip was a great experience,and we would highly recommend it to other jewelers.

Brian and Lori Van Duyne (pictured)Fernbaugh’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry

Plymouth, IN

RJO-Sponsored Trips to Europe and Israel

Impressions from Antwerp, Idar-Oberstein and Israel

ANTWERP AND IDAR-OBERSTEIN


ISRAEL

FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.FAMILY. DIVIDEND. SUPPORT. BUYING POWER.

We tried to isolate afavorite memory,but we could not.The whole trip—orpackage so to

speak—was very special to us. To beallowed the privilege of entering the diamondexchanges made an impression on us. To betreated so kindly and special by all of the vendorsalso made an impression on us. The hosts—Schurhammer’s, Rosy Blue, and Interjewel—reallyput out the red carpet with their events in theevenings.

The hotel staff bent over backwards to please. Thedifferent cultures of Antwerp and Germany werea new experience for us. The sidewalk cafés inAntwerp, the German countryside, the foods anddrinks, the Octoberfest, the Hotel Sonnenoff andits staff … wow! The day trips that we took toCitadel Namur and Trier were very informativeand fun. We really enjoyed all of the historyinvolved in Europe.

And what can we say about the food: Belgianwaffles, Belgian chocolate, Belgian beer,German wines, German beer … we liked andexperienced all of these.

We did buy diamonds and felt like we got goodbuys. Luckily we had some pre-sold diamonds. We were examining the benefits because this wasa major thing for us to go to Antwerp and Idar-Oberstein, but we feel like it was a realopportunity. Your diamond purchases, if paid forbefore the end of the year, could really add toyour rebate. But also it will raise us to the nextlevel of buying, increasing our voucher percentagefor the next Buying Show.

We felt like we made some good contacts and metnew vendors, One thing I hadn’t anticipated washow close we would become with our fellowtravelers. I guess it makes sense though, since wewere together almost night and day for the ten-day trip. We know we will stay in touch with thejewelers and spouses that we met. And we lookforward to running into them at the next BuyingShow.

And finally, YES we would definitely go back.

Mike and Lisa PribylCahill-Pribyl Jewelry and Gifts

Keokuk, IA





RJO heads to Georgia in January, where the Spring Buying Show will be held the last week of that month.Referred to as the "Hostess City," Savannah is known for its southern charm and hospitality.

The setting for many books and movies, the city boasts a number of firsts, including being the first city in theUnited States that was planned on a system of city blocks. The first golf course in America was built in

Savannah, and the city is the birthplace of the Girls Scouts of America. Thanks to numerous visits by culinarycelebrities, Savannah also has a rich history of turning southern staples into southern cuisine. Savannah Red

Rice is just one of these native dishes.

To take advantage of it's "Southern Splendor" theme, the show's

Sunday Evening Galawill merge elements of high society southern living with the fun of down home southern cooking

and entertainment.

SAVANNAHHIGHLIGHTS ABOUT THE SPRING BUYING SHOW

AND THE CITY THAT’S HOSTING IT

GUESTS WILL BE IMMERSED in the elegant southernsplendor of Savannah. The entrance to the room is set to looklike a classic Savannah mansion; the walls are lit with gobosprojecting intricate arched windows and the classic drapingtrees of Savannah. Guest tables are a mix of rounds andsquares dressed in a gorgeous combination of moss green,eggplant, sapphire, and mango orange crushed cloths.

Each table is topped with an impressive arrangement ofantique blue hydrangeas, purple dendrobium orchids, cherrybrandy roses, green fugi mums, blue delphinium, andwhimsical bells of Ireland. Bands of shimmering colored wireswirl through the arrangement adding a splash ofplayfulness to the display.

Enjoy a cocktail and mingle at the lounge parlor. This loungeis filled with ornate Victorian furniture, rugs, and lamps.

This evening of elegance exudes the luxury of southernsplendor, but the party is all country! Step through theornate iron gates to the backyard garden party:

Out on the plantation lawn stands a delicious spread ofclassic southern dishes and a good old-fashioned boil. Whilethe menu is still being determined, you are likely to seemountains of bright red crawfish, steaming golden corn on

the cob, and fresh fruit to complete a festive buffet.

Guest tables for the backyard party are dressed in burlapcloths and topped with festive wildflower arrangements inMason jars.

Eat your fill,then getthe partystarted atthebackyarddanceparty!Dance the night away to the sounds of the south on a dancefloor surrounded in trees and sparkling ping-pong lightsstrung from above.

Additional entertainment for the night embodies the richhistory of the south. Fortune tellers, palm readers, and streetmagicians roam through the crowd performing tricks andtelling the future. And no outdoor party in the south iscomplete without a round of Cornhole, the traditionalbeanbag lawn game.

Finally, as guests always love the photo booth, this year weare putting a southern spin on the snapshots. Guest will beable to dress like southern belles, wild cowboys andcowgirls, outlaws, and gentlemen and pose on the bar of asouthern saloon in the Old Time Photo Booth.


Our Host Hotel: The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa

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Southern charm meets modern luxury at the newly-reimaginedWestin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, in the heart of thehistoric Savannah River District. Savannah's premier resort is theprime location; not far from fantastic shopping and nightlife, butremoved just enough for tranquility. Enjoy complimentary waterferry service to River Street.

The Westin features the Heavenly Spa by Westin, an 18-Hole PGAChampionship golf course, an outdoor riverside oasis, a gym andtennis courts.

RJO will pay up to three nights for all qualifying members.Jewelers must return their show registration form to RJO and callor go online to register for their hotel rooms.

The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa is located at One Resort Drive in Savannah.

New at this show, the RJO Idea Center is a place tohone skills and share ideas that increase sales,make you a better manager, and get you to think innew ways. The RJO Idea Center is located on thesales floor and is open during buying hours. Dropby any time to brainstorm, or attend the scheduledsessions on putting social media to work for yourstore. You’ll be able to learn from top industryprofessionals, as they’ll make themselves availablefor one-on-one training and individual discussions.The Center will be buzzing from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. onSaturday, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday, andfrom 9:30 a.m. until noon on Monday. You’ll find anhourly schedule of offerings for the Center in yourRegistration Packet.

Here are some highlights of what will be happeningin the Idea Center:

RJO OPEN ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AND IDEA SHARINGTake a break from the buying room buzz and kickback at the RJO Idea Center. It’s intended to be aninformal area where jewelers can spend a littlesharing ideas on the biz, brainstorming or simplyrelaxing. Come and go as you please. We’ll havesome topics of conversation ready to spark someconversation. Open throughout sales floor hours.

ONE-ON-ONE SOCIALMEDIA TRAINING SESSIONSBeginners Social Media Users 1:1(Petey Peterson)For jewelers who still aren’t sure what a Tweet is. Also forthose who have a Twitter and Facebook account andknow the basics, but who would like some more tips andskills on using these social media tools more effectivelyfor their business.

Intermediate Social Media Users 1:1(Kaylee Jaske)For jewelers who are comfortable with social media tools,yet want to learn more effective ways to use social mediato increase interest in their business and entice youngercustomers.

Advanced Social Media Users 1:1(Samantha Peterson)For jewelers who want to take their business social mediaoutlets to the next level, sit down with Samantha andlearn ways to use social media that will help increase salesand reach customers they’ve never had before.

CHAT WITH THE CEORJO’s Chief Executive Officer, Mary Peterson, will beavailable at the RJO Idea Center (located on thebuying floor) to take your questions andsuggestions. Bring your questions, ideas and/orconcerns to Mary for discussion.


NEWMEMBERSBauble Patch JewelersRichard Kerkau, KimberlyKerkau, Trina Berkompas-ElveyComstock Park, MI

Danz JewelersDan IngrumLodi, CA

referred by: KevinSchimke, Kevin SchimkeJewelers, Stockton, CA

Fire and Ice JewelryFrank NederostekMarion, NC

referred by: Alan Sutton,Alan Sutton Jewelry,Goldsboro, NC

J.C. Grant CompanyJohn Grant, Jr., Jean Graham,Justin JonesMilledgeville, GA

referred by: Sunny Aiya,Lustour, Johns Creek, GA

Master JewelersOlive Branch, MS

referred by: AllenStricklin, Jewelex, NewYork, NY

Quinn’s Fine Jewelery, Inc.Denise, Brian & Corey QuinnWilbrahm, MA

Studio 2015 JewelryThomas Dougherty & BretDoughertyWoodstock, IL

referred by: Aubre Ford,RDI Diamonds, Inc.,Rochester, NY

DECEMBER

All payments must be received inRJO office

All invoices due in RJO office Toqualify for 2013 PatronageDividend

RJO office closed: Christmas Eveand Christmas Day

Retail Member Show Registrationdeadline

NOVEMBER

Daylight Savings Time ends

- All payments must be received inRJO office

- No mail delivery: Veterans Day

- Retail members show packetsscheduled to be mailed

- Online registration opens

- All invoices due in RJO office- Vendor Show Registration deadline

Hanukkah begins at sundown

RJO office closed: Thanksgiving

Meet the RJO Staff: RJO ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT KRISTI NELSON is a familiar face to thoseattending RJO Buying Shows. Nelson is closely involved with show registrationfor the retail members, and she also travels to the shows. When she’s not atshows, she transcribes minutes from the RJO board meetings, helps calculatevendor payments, processes some of the electronic invoicing files that arereceived, and she serves as the back-up for accounts receivable.

Like many of her office mates, Nelson was born in Iowa; she grew up inNewton and lives there today. “I married my high school sweetheart,” saysNelson. “We have been married for 28 years, and we have two sons, twograndchildren and another one due towards the end of November. Oh, and Ican’t forget our dog Leonard; he rules the house. We also have one granddog.We enjoy having the kids over for Sunday brunch; it’s fun when the family canbe together.” When she’s not in the office, Nelson can be found camping, dirttrack racing, watching football, going for car rides or watching movies.

While Nelson has been working for RJO for more than a dozen years, she stillremembers her first buying show trip.

“I would have to say going to my first show (before Istarted working with registration and going to theshows on a regular basis), is one of my favoritememories,” she says. “Being in the office, you knowthere is a lot of planning that goes into the shows, butto actually see it the first time was something. I’m luckyto work with some great people, and we have mademany memories over the years.”

in the loupe - november 2013

Documents

rjo oce

buying oor

generous rjo vendors

rjo ceo marypeterson

rjo purchase vouchers

online registration

southern charm

savannah travel costs