How to Cope With - and Communicate - Change in Your Jewelry Business

Laryssa Wirstiuk 0:00
Ready to break free from algorithms, vanity PR, and money-sucking ads? My name’s Laryssa Wirstiuk, and I’ve learned in 8 years of jewelry marketing that content is the crown jewel. My agency Joy Joya takes a holistic approach, leading with laser-focused storytelling, impactful content creation, and strategic content distribution. This method has worked for the solopreneur as well as the multi-million-dollar company, and now I’m sharing these systems and tactics with you. Here’s to standing out in the Sea of Sparkle.

Welcome to Episode #299. In today’s episode, I want to discuss a challenging topic: change. If you’ve been in business long enough, you’ll inevitably face change. It’s crucial to manage it not only for yourself but also to effectively communicate it to your customers. I found an interesting statistic about change from the “Change Perception Index”: 1 in 3 people would avoid change if they could. The reality is that people aren’t afraid of change itself but rather the emotions that come with it. Feelings of losing control, having to learn something new, or feeling unsettled are common. One of my favorite quotes about resistance to change is from Harvard Business Review: “Change is resisted when it makes people feel stupid.” It’s a powerful reminder of why change can be so challenging. So, how do you navigate change as a business owner and communicate it to your audience and customers? This episode is all about embracing change gracefully and guiding your customers through a smooth transition, so they don’t feel lost. Change is uncomfortable, but we’re going to tackle it head-on. In the GOLD MINE segment, I’ll share my personal experiences with change in my business. I have a persistent fear of making someone angry, even unintentionally (a topic for a therapy session!), but change often brings uncertainty, and it’s inevitable that something might go wrong, upsetting someone along the way. I’ll share my strategies for coping with this fear and managing change effectively. And just to keep you in the loop, I’ll be announcing the grant winner and the runners-up on next week’s episode! I can’t wait to share the results of the summer marketing grant. As I mentioned, we had a record number of applications, so it’s been such a tough challenge going through all of them!

But before we get to the solid gold, I’d like to take a moment to remind you that this podcast has both audio and video – so you can either listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube by searching “Joy Joya”. You can support the podcast for free by taking the time not only to subscribe but also to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Also, if you didn’t know, I co-host another podcast called “Success With Jewelry” with my friend Liz Kantner, who’s also a jewelry marketer and the founder of the Stay Gold Collective. We have a free version of the podcast, available everywhere you listen to podcasts and on YouTube as well as a membership community with extended episodes and additional resources. I invite you to check it out if you’re hungry for more content! If you’re going to be in New York City for the August trade shows, I want to invite you to a fun meetup and networking opportunity! Liz Kantner and Robin Kramer are hosting a free event on Sunday, August 4th from 6:30-8pm at HOWN Cocina & Cocktails, and I’ll also be attending as a special guest! I’d love to meet you if you’re in town. I’ll put the details in the show note as well.

Before I jump into the main content of this episode, I want to tell you about our FREE masterclass available only for a limited time. This masterclass will give you valuable insights into our: Flow: Master the rhythm of creating compelling content. Process: Understand the creative strategies used by the Joy Joya team. Speed: Accelerate your content creation process. By the end of the masterclass, you’ll have: A Simple Content Plan: For an entire month. One Full-Length Blog Post: Optimized for SEO. Four Email Campaigns: Inspired by the blog post. Twelve Social Media Posts: Repurposed from the blog post and emails. We actually got feedback from Joy Joya fan Laura about the masterclass, and she said, “I just finished watching the masterclass! SOOO good!! I can’t wait to brainstorm blog topics and start to implement the strategies you showed for repurposing a single blog post into multiple pieces of content. I’ve heard of this before – many times in fact — but with your examples, I feel it finally clicked with me.” Feeling overwhelmed with content creation for your jewelry brand? Want to know how to save time and work smarter, not longer? Learn how to repurpose content efficiently and confidently using my proven methods. Don’t miss out! Visit myjoydeck.com/masterclass to access the masterclass now. The link will also be in the show notes. Get ready to transform your content creation game! But again, this is only available for a limited time.

Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! As I mentioned, this one’s all about change, and we’re gonna tackle it in a two-pronged way: how do you manage change for yourself in your business – and then how do you communicate it to your customers in a way that retains them rather than alienates them. It’s a delicate topic. But again, as I said, it’s inevitable if you’ve been in business long enough! So here are some examples of change that I’ve been hearing lately ou there in the jewelry world: Gold prices are going up, so you have to change your prices. And if you want some good tips about this, Tracy Matthews just did an episode about it on her podcast “Thrive By Design”! You’re choosing to pivot from demi-fine to fine, or you’re going the other way around Feeling like you have to adopt new technologies to connect better with your customers, manage your inventory, improve the shopping experience, etc. Updating marketing tactics to align with current platforms and techniques Shifting business models, such as moving from brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce or vice versa, adding wholesale to the mix or moving away from wholesale Rebranding or evolving the brand’s image to stay relevant in the market, which might include updating logos, packaging, or overall brand messaging. Managing changes in staff, including hiring new employees, providing ongoing training for current staff Enhancing customer service approaches to include virtual consultations, improved return policies, or loyalty programs. Introducing new product lines or discontinuing less popular ones to better meet market demand and business goals. … and those are just a few examples. Change can happen in so many ways and at so many levels. So what are some ways you can manage change as a business owner? First, change your mindset around change. I think many people get faced with change and immediately freeze up and get stressed. That’s a natural response, change can be tough! But I think it’s important to step back and consciously talk yourself through it: change is good because growth can only happen with change. So if growing your business is a goal, change is a sign that it’s happening, even in a small way? Five years from now, you won’t remember all the changes, but you will remember all the ways you leveled-up on the other side of change. So again, it can be tough while you’re in it, but try to reframe it in a positive way. If it’s a change that you’re initiating, that can be much easier. If it’s change that’s kind of being thrown upon you, that can be tough, but remember that you’re always in the driver seat, and you can listen to my episode #297 “How to Take Back Control of Your Marketing” for tips about how to stay grounded and in control even if everything around you feels like it’s changing.

Create a change management plan. That sounds very fancy and corporate, but it can mean whatever you want it to mean. For me, if we’re going through change, it really helps me outline all the steps that need to be taken in order to go through the full change, but really not to worry about anything I can’t tackle in the present moment. So I have a long-term to-do list as well as a short-term to-do list. And I keep the short-term to-do list on my desk at all times. Maybe that would feel overwhelming for you, but I know that sometimes when I’m distracted throughout the day it’s easy for me to forget small actionable things that I could be knocking out. So having the short-term to-do list reminds me there are things I could be crossing off and getting out of the way. If you don’t have this plan organized then yes, it’s constantly going to feel like an overwhelming, insurmountable thing. Within that plan, you should also have a high-level goal you’re trying to get through on the other side. So for example, if you know you need to raise your prices because gold prices are changing, then your high-level goal is successfully raising your prices. Work backward from there and think about the steps that need to be taken and how long that process should take, even while giving yourself some cushion time in case things get sidetracked along the way. Also within the plan, you should keep customer experience in mind always. Even if the change isn’t directly related to customer experience, how might it inadvertently impact customer experience? At the end of the day, your customers are your top priority, so anticipate any way they may be affected. As you move toward your goal, be flexible and adaptable: Stay open to new ideas and be willing to pivot when necessary. Flexibility allows you to adapt to unforeseen challenges and seize new opportunities that arise during the change process. Sometimes, it’s really hard to navigate change by yourself. Don’t try to be the hero. Invest in a business coach, a marketing expert, a therapist, a mentor, an employee, whatever you need to get through the change. If you already have a ton on your plate, it’s unrealistic to expect you’ll be able to navigate the change alone and be okay. How can you seamlessly communicate change to your customers? Most changes in your business will somehow impact your customers in one way or another, even indirectly, so how do you keep your customers in the loop? Customers today are very savvy, and they’ll pick up on something different even if you don’t tell them. First, give them a heads up, especially if you know about the change in advance. You don’t want to spring something on your customers last minute, especially if it affects their experience. That’s why planning is so important when it comes to change. Of course, some change gets sprung on you, but even in that case you want to jump into planning mode right away and act quickly.

Always communicate the benefits to them, rather than focus on you and what you’re going through with the change. Hopefully the change does benefit them in some way; if it doesn’t, find a way to make it positive. Use your email campaigns to provide updates on changes. If there is only a certain segment of customers that it will impact, tailor the message based on their interests and purchase history to make it relevant. Let’s say you just redid your website, and you want customers to know about the new features, which might be exciting to you (but will confuse customers if they’re used to shopping a certain way). Include screenshots of some of your favorite features, and maybe even a tutorial for how they can find highlights, like best-sellers, what’s new, etc. Social Media Posts: You can safely assume, especially with Instagram posts and Reels, that your followers may not see it until a few days after you post it, so be sure to take that into consideration, and use Instagram Stories for changes that are more time-sensitive or that can be explained over a series of Story slides. Get more personal on social media, don’t be afraid to get on camera to show authenticity and transparency regarding any change you’re making. Blog Posts: Write one or more blog posts explaining the changes and their benefits. Share the reasoning behind the change to build trust and understanding. Share the blog post in an email campaign and/or social media post. You can also include video in your blog posts for a more personal touch. FAQs and Help Center: Update your FAQs and help center with information about the changes. This provides a quick reference for customers seeking answers. It may also be time to revisit your customer service documentation and website resources in general. Personalized Messages: For loyal customers, consider sending personalized messages or handwritten notes explaining the changes. This adds a personal touch and shows you value their relationship. What do you think? Do you think you could be managing change more effectively in your business? Let me know in a comment on YouTube or DM me on Instagram if this resonates with you.

Okay, let’s get into the GOLD MINE. Welcome to another edition of THE GOLD MINE – a segment where I get personal and share insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, success, growth, and all things business. THE GOLD MINE allows me to share topics and insights close to my heart. In this week’s GOLD MINE, I want to share how I manage change in my own business, and I hope you can relate! Change can be tough for me, not because I’m afraid of it, but because I worry about how it will affect others. I’m always looking for ways to shake things up and try new things, but I fear how those changes might impact people’s happiness. While I’m not necessarily a people pleaser, I do try to avoid conflict as much as possible, which is challenging when making changes. One crucial lesson I’ve learned is the importance of transparency. Keeping everyone in the loop and giving them a heads-up about upcoming changes is essential. Sometimes, I even over-communicate to ensure no one misses a notice or announcement. If I find out that a change isn’t well-received (because you can’t please everyone), I strive to be honest, authentic, and direct. It’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time, but treating people with respect and being upfront goes a long way. Planning ahead is another key strategy for me. When I know a change is coming, I work backward to determine how much time people might need to process the information. This can be tough when juggling a million things, but it’s crucial for maintaining a consistent and positive customer experience.

As I mentioned earlier, we always focus on communicating the benefits of any change. Even if a change is necessary for business or operational reasons, we always find ways to highlight how it benefits our customers before moving forward. I also struggle with perfectionist tendencies, which can be challenging during times of change. With so many moving parts, something is bound to go off-plan. I have to remind myself to be flexible and treat every hiccup as a lesson for the future. Maintaining a sense of humor helps, even when things go wrong. Remember, the more you navigate change, the better you’ll get at it. So how do you feel about change? What are some ways that you’ve managed change lately? Drop your thoughts in a YouTube comment or DM me on Instagram. I’d love to hear your take!

Did you have any questions about today’s episode? Don’t forget to check out our new FREE Content Repurposing Masterclass, which you can access by visiting myjoydeck.com/masterclass. It’s only available for a limited time, and by the end of the masterclass, you’ll have: A Simple Content Plan: For an entire month. One Full-Length Blog Post: Optimized for SEO. Four Email Campaigns: Inspired by the blog post. Twelve Social Media Posts: Repurposed from the blog post and emails. If you want to reach out, you can always email me Laryssa at laryssa@joyjoya.com. And if you loved this podcast, please share it with a friend who’d appreciate it. Don’t forget to subscribe as well as leave a review on Apple Podcasts. If you’re completely new to digital marketing, then you’ll want to purchase and read a copy of my book JEWELRY MARKETING JOY. Visit joyjoya.com/book for more information.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai