Protect your neighbor with your integrity

January 20^th, 2012, I wrote this reply to a JCK article on jewellers grading their own diamonds.

I know that this is a huge issue.  I've written thousands of words on this topic, BUT... I've also written on the need to sell jewellery properly to avoid the issue altogether.  When a client trusts you implicitly and you give them fair value;  IN THOSE INSTANCES the cert doesn't matter.  How many of you have sold a nice diamond without ever telling the customer about the color and clarity?  I have many times.  Sometimes it's asked as an afterthought, "oh, by the way, what's the quality of that diamond(s)?..."

As much as we want consumers to look for retailers (like us) they can trust and designs they love, we need to spend more time focusing on earning trust and selling design and the sentiment of jewellery.

So, this brings-up a good point.  Can unscrupulous jewellers gain the trust of your next-door neighbor and sell them a diamond that is graded without integrity?  Of course they can.  So here’s the challenge.  Assert your integrity.  Prove it over and over again.  Invite it to be put to the test.  Commit your life and your marketing efforts to gaining trust.  Become an evangelist for your honest business.

But if you pursue this course, beware.  As in the recent movie “Courageous”, you also become doubly accountable.  Evangelists who have a lapse of integrity, end up humiliated in a big and public way, causing significant damage to the faith of their followers.

This is a timeless battle between good and evil.  I hope you’ve already made the big conclusion, but if not, here it is: If you as an honest business person fail to gain the trust of your next-door neighbor, they could be won by an enemy who will cheat them and rob them blind!

So, just remember that by asserting your integrity and getting your clients to put faith in you, you’re doing them an important favor.