10 Action Items to Sell More Diamond Engagement Rings to Millennials

WHILE GEN Z IS hot on their heels, millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are still the largest age group right now getting engaged. In fact, they are responsible for over 70% of all engagement ring sales. Millennials are the fastest growing group of millionaires in the U.S., and they comprise the most educated group of shoppers our industry has ever seen. Here are some action items you need to take when selling to these young clients.

1. After you smile and greet the client, always introduce yourself. They like to know who they’re talking to, and if there are a lot of 5-star reviews about one salesperson on Google, that’s who they hope greeted them.
2. Ask relationship questions. Make the presentation all about them. Some examples are, “Where did you meet? Have you told anyone you’re getting engaged?” Don’t talk about yourself unless they ask.
3. Always get them to sit down. They’ll stay focused longer. If you leave them standing, he may choose to walk around in the store while you’re showing her diamonds. He’s left out, and that’s a big sale killer.
4. Never talk about the mounting first. Why? Once you find the perfect diamond, then you can find the right mounting for the diamond. If you start with the mounting first and then find out she wants a 2-carat pear-shape and it won’t fit the mounting, you’ve got a big problem.
5. Make the presentation about them both. When asking selling-specific questions, start with her first. She buys style, fashion and sentiment; he buys peace of mind and freedom from risk. She buys color of the metal, maybe custom, maybe a brand. He buys GIA lab reports, guarantees, the shop and services, and trading a diamond for a bigger one later. She buys the relationship; he buys the strength of the store and integrity. Sell her, then him, back and forth until you close.
6. Ask your clients if they’d like something to drink. Research shows millennials often like wine to celebrate special events in their lives, and this is a special event.
7. Ask if you can take pictures of them and the ring on her hand to put on the store’s social media. They love to show that to their friends, and then their friends will want to come in and have the same experience.
8. Always start by showing mined diamonds. Lab-grown diamond demand is dropping fast, and mined is going back up. Millennials don’t want to give their daughter something worthless in 30 to 40 years. The average engagement diamond is worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 40 years before it is passed down to the next family member. Always sell rarity, there’s nothing older that’s sold. The newest mined diamonds are still 1 billion years old, and they formed under perfect conditions.
9. When you place a diamond ring on her left hand, you don’t have to say a word; it will do the talking for you.
10. After the engagement sale, sell the staples: diamond studs, in-line diamond bracelet, diamond pendant and right-hand ring. Do this via professional selling and follow-up on important dates in their lives.