(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – Punchmark recently hosted its inaugural Client Workshop, a two-day educational boot camp in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over thirty jewelry retailers flew in from around the country to learn e-commerce strategy, digital marketing and content techniques from Punchmark’s team and select partners. Each Punchmark retailer received one free admission to the educational summit.
Day one of the Workshop saw presentations about business strategy, digital marketing, and e-commerce flow from Punchmark’s directors and executives, as well as live demonstrations of new features by Picup Media, and high level strategy discussions about omni-channel solutions by Dick Abbott, founder of The EDGE software for jewelers.
The theme of the first day was “Your website is never finished,” with a focus on ways retailers can continue to push their websites forward and improve the user experience of their product catalog, contributing to the recipe that generates more online and in-store sales. The first day wrapped up with a cocktail hour at Fahrenheit rooftop bar overlooking the beautiful Charlotte skyline.
The second day of the Workshop was a little more casual with presentations on e-commerce strategy, point of sale integration and copy writing. This was followed by an open Q&A session with the Punchmark C-suite, where attendees were encouraged to ask questions about the platform direction and the future of online shopping. The workshop culminated with a comprehensive presentation on the future of men’s jewelry by INOX.
“Punchmark’s goal as a company is to help our clients grow their business, and to be their partner in doing so,” says Jason Adams, Director of Education at Punchmark. “It is our job to not only provide the knowledge and tools to help them do just that, but to educate them on how to use the tools we have built for them, and also pass along all of the knowledge that Punchmark and our partners have learned in our collective years in the jewelry industry. I am very happy with the way the first workshop turned out, and I can’t wait to do it even better next year.”
In a post-event survey, one client noted: “I really enjoyed meeting new people and getting to know everyone from Punchmark. I made a ton of connections and it was great to pick the brains of several different CEO’s in the jewelry industry. I’m currently building a plan with all of the knowledge I gained from the workshop, and then implementing it into the website.”
Education as a whole has been a major focus for Punchmark. In March of 2020, Punchmark started the Jeweler’s Survival Kit, an educational podcast that offered information on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the jewelry industry and how jewelers could keep their businesses afloat during a stressful time.
The Jeweler’s Survival Kit has morphed into the In the Loupe podcast, which seeks to educate and advocate for digital marketing tools and techniques, and share the unique stories of the jewelry industry’s members, from vendors to jewelry organizations to retail store owners and everything in between. You can listen to In the Loupe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ross Cockerham, CEO of Punchmark, understands that the online landscape is shifting, and in his 14 years of leading Punchmark, he says the changes are just beginning.
“We are only successful if our clients are successful,” says Cockerham, “and these are only just words until you actually put your time and money behind it. That’s why we chose to reinvest back into our clients, because it’s the best thing we can do to improve the businesses of the jewelers that have been supporting us all these years. Plus it’s so great to be able to spend time with our clients face to face, and to hear about what’s most important to them.”
Punchmark is committed to continue pushing the envelope with educational opportunities, and is already planning the next client workshop for 2023.
Learn more about Punchmark at punchmark.com.
