5 Questions With Jewelry Sales Academy’s William Jones IV

Jewelry Sales Academy (JSA) is on a mission to “offer the best retail experience in the world” through its training system, designed to help retailers grow their businesses. Started by William Jones IV to meet the needs of retailer Sissy’s Log Cabin, the program has expanded to offerings across the country, with a team of industry professionals on board to share their expertise.

Below, JCK talks with Williams Jones IV about how Jewelry Sales Academy grew to its current size and scope, what sets it apart, and the company’s plans to officially launch at JCK in Las Vegas.

1) Give us the quick story of how Jewelry Sales Academy came to be.

Training in our six retail locations at Sissy’s Log Cabin was always a huge focus. With six locations and a staff of over 100, it was almost impossible to stay consistent on the experience we offered as well as onboarding new staff. We started using the JSA system around three years ago and refined it to what it is today. Our software company came up with a solution to take this to the industry. We partnered and are now offering it across the country. 

2) How has Jewelry Sales Academy streamlined training for retail jewelers? What makes it stand out from other offerings in the industry?

Jewelry is simple. It’s a customer and salesperson. The hard part is the consistency, and that’s where you are seeing many companies come in with software to report outputs. We are the only ones offering the ability to manage and refine those outputs in a way that works with sales professionals, making it easier to advance their careers and grow in the business. The Jewelry Sales Academy was built by retail operators for retail operators. It is a complete system to grow, train, and manage the most important thing in jewelry—your customer’s experience.

3) What are your current customers saying about their experience?

It’s a dream come true. You get your own University (even branded) for onboarding and year-round training. Managers/operators get every tool possible to grow their staff and make it consistent. It’s measurable, with endless reports and new content constantly coming out. You can upload your own courses, content, and get the tools of the biggest [experts] in the industry for a very low monthly cost and no contract. You get your own sales trainer and operational team for a tenth of the cost [of competitors’ products].

4) How do you plan to demonstrate your offerings at the JCK Show in Las Vegas?

We will be offering live demos, onboarding specials, and links to content throughout the show. We will be in the Innovation Hub, Booth IH4. Retailers are welcome to come visit, experience the software, talk with users, and meet the team. The great thing about us is that with our content and software you can get your fully customized training platform designed in a way to benefit your team, your store, your inventory, and your areas.

5) What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?

Of course getting to officially launch our product, but more importantly meeting our existing customers. We have signed up a lot of locations already, and it will be our first chance to meet them in person. The jewelry industry is built on relationships. That is still true in B2B relationships. Our first wave of partners have had direct input into content and design, and I’m happy to show what they helped build. We are excited for feedback and finally getting to reveal what we believe will be the future of the industry.