The art of sales is about showing things in their best light. That goes for price too.
This article originally appeared in the July 2015 edition of INSTORE.
Price can be a sales-killer, and not just because it might put a piece of jewelry or a service beyond a customer’s financial means, but in the way it is presented, voiced, heard and even placed in a sentence. Here are four ideas to help ease that moment when the sale turns real.
1. Frame it
If you can offer the customer in a repair or a custom job three choices of price and quality two-thirds of them will choose the middle-priced item. So if you want to sell something, make it the middle-priced one.
To give you an example, when we’d design a ring and the customer was buying a nice sapphire we ordered three different priced ones in on memo: low, medium, high. Inevitably, they would buy the middle-priced sapphire.
2. Keep it simple
Whether it’s pricing repairs, custom design or showing something from the case it’s important to know how to express yourself when the customer asks the price or you volunteer it. Just like the picture example, if you tell someone a price you want to de-emphasize the sound of the price.
A ring priced at $1,199.00 can be heard as: “One thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine dollars.”
Which invariably provokes the response: “Man. that’s a lot of money.”
Learn to leave out the large words and only say the numbers.
“Eleven ninety-nine.”
Sounds better and less expensive, right?
3. Just point
Shop sales have an edge over sales from the showcase believe it or not. Merchandise has a tag and most associates never stick the tag in the customer’s face to read instead they verbally say the price as I did just above.
But when we priced a repair or custom design it was almost always done on paper. Write down what you’re going to do and the price next to it and add it up. The total is written on the paper. (Leave off the pennies: 1,199. No dollar sign, either.)
As another jeweler shared with me, just point to the price and say, “And that’s all it’ll be.”
Everyone can read, and no numbers or prices are mentioned.
4. Lost in the crowd
Another tip when it comes to verbally (or visually pointing) handling prices is to never have price be the last part of your sentence.
It’s a no-no.
“Anne, to fix your ring like new will only be one hundred and fifty-two.”
Instead, have price in the middle of the sentence, sandwiched so to speak:
“Anne, we are going to replace the head in your ring and reset your beautiful diamond. It’s only this much (pointing) and we’ll have it for you a week from Friday. May I get your complete address and phone for your receipt please?”
By sandwiching the price between what we’re doing and when it will be ready and asking her to fill out an envelope you almost make price disappear.
David Geller is a consultant to jewelers on store management. Email him at dgellerbellsouth.net.