Heirlooms or Rat's Nests?

As I continue to do “restyle and design shows” I have come to realize that there are clear differences in what people bring-in.  Some bring-in heirlooms and others bring-in a rat’s nest of assorted jewellery time has quickly rendered unusable.  When a customer comes into your store, they are often happy to find jewellery that costs less than they expected to pay.  If you could show them a snapshot of themselves in the future visiting a restyle show with either a bag of cheaper jewellery which was repaired a few times and then abandoned; with a zillion tiny diamonds that will never create a beautiful new design, maybe they would think twice about their choices. 

You could also paint a picture of a future where they have acquired some classic pieces in a long-term jewellery wardrobe.  Maybe a few of the more trendy pieces that gave them great joy might need restyling; but because they featured better quality gemstones, they’re easily reusable in new designs.

Hey, I get it.  I’ve been on the sales floor.  I know what it’s like to want to sell them something.  If clients consider you a “trusted advisor,” then you’ve got to consider their future-good.  Consider whether you should encourage a client to purchase fewer better quality pieces of jewellery.  Can you successfully sell a better more durable piece on a layaway, as opposed to instant gratification? 

Is your store better-off 5 years from now if clients are conditioned to look for quality?  If you sell better jewellery than department stores and chain stores, I sure hope so.

You've Gotta ASK!

This is one high pressure world we live in.  In order for something to burst to the forefront, you’ve gotta ask for it.

If you want to make a sale, you can’t just show something and wait for the client to tell you they want it.  You’ve gotta ask for the sale.

If you want survey results, you can’t just send a survey form and expect everyone to fill it out.  You’ve gotta ask for your results.

If you want testimonials for your website, you might have some letters and emails set aside, but if you’ve never made a point of collecting them, you’ve gotta get on the phone and ask for those kind words.

If you want a video to go viral (like my recent NHL Lockout Rant) you’ve gotta ask.

Don’t ask, don’t get.

So, I’m asking… If you haven’t seen the video, or haven’t help spread the word, watch it right now and if you agree; repost, retweet or email it to every hockey fan you know.  If not, you can just ask me to shut-up.  And I will.

Debates

Okay, I’m a little interested in the US presidential debates.  Over the past years I’ve likely watched more of them than our own Canadian debates.  The thing that strikes me is that very little of their comments are “off the cuff.”  Obama was just waiting to use the “horses and bayonets” comment.  It was evocative, and well-written.  Some Whitehouse staffer spent much time crafting the phraseology that Obama would use when the opportunity presented itself.  Yet the president skillfully and thoughtfully delivered the line as if it were spontaneous.

That’s how we need to sell.  We need to have those finely crafted scripts in our minds, just awaiting the right moment to be revealed.  The diamond becomes “a mystical rainbow factory” or “the most enduring symbol of love you’ll ever give her.”  Rhodium plating is clearly and quickly explained.  Answers to why a Rolex is so much more expensive than a Bulova and how it can be that your $2,000 sapphire ring is so much more valuable than the “free sapphire” they got for visiting a jewellery store in St. Maartens and answers to why the guy down the street can beat your diamond price by $2,000.

There are two ways to develop your well-crafted answers.  Do this business for 25 years or more and eventually discover through trial and error what works and what doesn’t.  Or, you can spend some time each week working on your own (or even better as a team) developing the best responses to “FAQs”.  The internet has mastered this technique.  Good e-tailers have spent much time developing their answers to consumer’s common questions and put them in print.  Their answer is the same perfected answer every time.

Hockey Lock-out Blues Video Blog

No, I’m not singing again.  I’m doing two things:  I’m encouraging hockey fans to redirect their portion of formerly NHL revenue to more worthy recipients (including jewellers,) and I’m presenting an opportunity to support my trip to Haiti with Foursquare Relief and Compassion.  I’ll soon be submitting a snappy counter card, video and instructions for you to collect scrap gold to support my “Haitian Heroes.”  100% of the proceeds will go to Haitian orphanages and volunteer run schools.

All I ask regarding this video is that you share, post, email and promote it so that it reaches as many people as possible.  I need a little bit of a viral kick in order to get this viewed by as many NHL season ticket holders as possible.  The best way to help this video reach a wide audience is to first view it on YouTube, and then use YouTube’s “Share” function to spread it via email, Facebook or Twitter.  That way, this portion of my message will not be included.

Thanks for your support!

New Product Announcement

A new product on the market promises to help improve the quality of smart-phone photographs.  A small light-box that you can put on top of your showcase allows an adjustable “vise” for assorted sizes of smart-phones, a 3-D adjustable clamp for various types of jewellery, a neutral background and jewellery-balanced diffused LED lighting.  This way your customers can take sharp photos of a piece of jewellery they’re considering!

Am I kidding?  Abso-stinkin-lutely!  Nowadays, instead of saying “can you write the details down on a card for me…” consumers are saying, “can I take a picture of it so that I can think about it?”  It’s the new way of avoiding decision-making and potentially shopping your merchandise to your competitor.  My personal conclusion is that unless you’ve actually asked for the sale and done everything in your professional sales repertoire to close the sale, you should discourage photos.  If it’s a case of sharing the information with others who are paying for or “chipping-in” on a purchase, of course an Instagram or photo-message can help expedite the sale.

C2A – next staff meeting, discuss the following. 

·      Under what circumstances would you allow someone to bring-out their camera-phone?

·      How do you politely prohibit a photograph without offending a client. 

·      Who might be insulted by a sign at the entrance that discourages unauthorized photography?

·      Are you okay with telling a client to take a photo of a competitor’s design and bring it to you?

Perfectly prepared people will perpetuate pleasant perceptions.