THREE OF A WOMAN’S favorite memories are getting engaged, getting married, and having their first baby. We in the jewelry industry have the opportunity to be part of all three, but it all starts with the engagement. Here are some things to remember when selling engagement rings.
1. Young people do a ton of research before they buy. A lot of millennials know more about the diamond and the brand than the salesperson selling the product. Everyone on the sales floor needs to be well-trained on product knowledge.
2. Those of you who have been selling a while get desensitized to diamonds. For you, it’s an everyday occurrence to hold a diamond over a carat. And yet, 90 percent of people who walk into jewelry stores have never done so.
When a client comes in to look at diamonds, it’s a big deal. Maybe it’s something they’ve saved for. I hope you make their experience so awesome that they never forget the moment. You have to be passionate about their relationship as well as the diamond. The memory you are creating isn’t just something you want them to remember the rest of their lives — you want them to become a salesperson of you and your product. Their friends will ask, “Where did you get it?” Remember: referrals have an 80-90 percent closing ratio.
3. Millennials have changed the size of the starter set. They often want a-carat-and-a-half or even a 2-carat. When you start low, they feel you are pre-judging their buying ability, especially if they’re young. And never ask, “How much do you want to spend?” Instead, ask enough questions so that you can start close to where they want to be. Ask about the size, shape, color and clarity they want. That will get you close.
4. That said, always ask the most questions about the customers themselves. The more they talk about how they met and what their plans are, the higher the closing ratio. Always start with relationship questions first, then get into product-specific questions. When you read reviews, it’s always about the salesperson, the service, how much fun they had, and then it’s about what they bought.
5. Be sure to keep diamonds in stock. People buy the day they shop. I often hear jewelers say, “I don’t sell big diamonds.” That’s because they don’t stock them. They’re letting those sales go to their competitors, and once they buy there, they always will. Don’t let COVID-19 keep you from keeping diamonds.
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6. When selling bridal, get your clients to sit down, have champagne or wine (let them see you take the cellophane off the glasses, so they know it’s safe). Don’t get up and go look for catalogs or tweezers; have someone to do all your running so you don’t have to leave the client. Stay with them until you’re done and always walk them to the door. Make it one of their most memorable purchases.
