Jewelers Make Their Pitch, in the Time It Takes to Hit the “Open Door” Button

THE MARKETER SETH Godin says the purpose of an elevator pitch “is to describe a situation or solution so compelling that the person you’re with wants to hear more even after the elevator ride is over.” Following are some jewelers we’d like to hear more from, thanks to their contributions to the recent INSTORE Big Survey. Here they make their best case for their jewelry stores, before the Open Doors button is pushed.

• “No one knows where we are until you need us, but once you need us, no one else will do!”
• “I noticed you pushed 7th floor, but the most amazing jewelry store is on the 5th floor.”
• “We are still real jewelers. Most jewelers today are just merchants. They could be selling belts, shoes, or handbags. We design, create and fabricate most of what we have for sale, right here. Come take a tour of our shop and see for yourself.”
• “We do business like jewelry stores did 40 years ago. We take care of whatever needs our customers have.”
• “We will do whatever it takes to satisfy our customers. We want to serve your children and grandchildren.”
• “Antique and estate jewelry is the best sustainable choice when buying jewelry–no mountaintops were removed, indigenous peoples displaced, habitat destroyed, or waterways made unusable when you buy previously owned jewelry. You can feel good when purchasing jewelry from our company that you are contributing to a more sustainable world.”
• “We’ve only been doing this for over 152 years! We must be doing something right!”
• “I’m a bench jeweler with 25-years’ experience. One day I hope to be as good a businessman as I am a jeweler. Until then I can make you a family heirloom way under what I should be charging.“
• “We are the preeminent supplier of two-carat diamonds in Vancouver.”
• “I have more positive Google reviews than any other independent jeweler in the state!”
• “When you walk in you get me and only me.”
• “We are wholesale jewelers and like to help our friends.”
• “I have always been a hands-on, quick learner — tearing apart toys and putting them back together. At age 11 I realized I could do the same with jewelry. That was the last summer vacation I’ve had. That formed me to be the jeweler I am today. I know my strengths and weaknesses and can complete 98% of repairs in the store.”
• “Whatever you can dream up, we can create it for you and find a way to make it affordable.”
• “You want service and the straight scoop, then I am your guy. I want to help you find what makes YOUR heart go pitter-pat, not unload something I think you might like. I ask lots of questions and do my best to listen.”
• “Special moments deserve to be custom. We only carry one line of fine jewelry — our own!”
• “I make women happy and keep men out of the doghouse.”

The 2021 Big Survey was carried out between August and September, attracting almost 600 anonymous responses from owners of independent jewelry stores across the United States and Canada. The full results can be found online here.