Customers are unable to touch 90 percent of anything for sale in a U.S. jewelry store without permission from an associate holding a key. Meanwhile, in just about any other type of store, they are used to touching items until they find what they want.
Ever shop for some really nice shoes or an expensive bag? In the mall, could you touch the shoe, pick it up, flip it over to look at the price? Yep. Bag? Yep. Put it over your shoulder – fits fine.
How about a car? Able to sit in it and feel the wheel, smell the new leather? You betcha, but not jewelry. Locked under glass.
How does this affect jewelry sales?
“May I show you that ring you’re looking at in the case?” Seven out of 10 respond with: “No thanks, I’m just looking.”
That’s why jewelry stores only sell three people out of every 10 who walk through our doors. But there is a way to change this.
Don’t wait to be asked for permission! Pull that ring out of the case, ask the customer to hold out her hand and place it on her finger, now!
Don’t ask – show. You can see her eyeing the ring; just open the case and say, “Here, put this on and tell me what you think!”
Another way is to wear your favorite piece of jewelry so it doesn’t have to be removed from your locked “anti-customer touching system”. Then just casually ask every customer who wanders into your store, “Want to see my favorite piece of jewelry?” Take it off of you and place it onto her.
What customer would say “no” and be impolite? Virtually no one.
Practice and reward these strategies. One store I know had someone watching the floor, and every time a sales associate just placed a piece of jewelry on a customer, they were given a dollar at the end of their shift! “Let’s see what the matching earrings look like alongside this bracelet on your wrist.” Another dollar! Handed out singles every night after closing for a month. They didn’t have to sell the items, just get them out of the case and onto the customer’s body.
Sales went up 30 percent for the month.