A pawn shop can be a satisfying and profitable business. However, no matter what kind of business you plan on opening, you need a plan. Having a business plan is paramount to a successful beginning. You’ll need one to get investors, loans, or even business partners for your pawn shop.
Hiring new staff members for your store can be challenging; believe me, I know. But there's more to just bringing the right candidates into your shop, you need to know how to retain them while helping them to gain confidence in our fast-paced (and at times stressful) work environment.
Steven Sinatra is a second-generation pawnbroker who, along with his father, runs World Pawn Exchange in North Bend, Oregon, where he is GIA jewelry professional and managing partner. As someone who grew up during the technology boom of the mid-90s, Steven has a unique understanding of how to best reach his customers through the platforms that they use every day. He approached PawnMaster to write a guest blog on the topic, and we were happy to take him up on his offer.
Text messaging – We all do it, multiple times a day, every day. There’s a reason text messaging is the number one form of mobile communication in the world. It’s fast, it’s easy, everyone does it. In fact, over 26 billion texts are sent each day in America alone. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Here's something I learned early on in my sales career—first impressions matter! If there's one thing to always be mindful of, it’s to pay attention on how you're coming across to the people that you're communicating with. It's even more important when you're communicating with them for the first time!
When it comes to running a successful pawn business, one of the most important skills for a broker to have is the ability to qualify their customers. Qualifying your customers is like vetting a new hire; you need to see if it's going to be a good fit.
I've been in the pawn business for over 20 years and you better believe that I've seen my fair share of unhappy clients. The first time you're faced with an upset customer, it's a lot to take in. Even the most experienced brokers will have their hands full when it comes to a really disgruntled customer who thinks they're in the right. Throughout my history in this business, I've learned a few ways to diffuse a situation and help both the customer and shop owner come out feeling satisfied, reassured, and respected.
