MANAGEMENTAlways Be Cheering
Never take your foot off the motivational pedal. That’s according to a study by the University of Texas’s McCombs School of Business in Austin, which found the effort put in by salespeople quickly sagged once they stopped getting inspirational messages. “On average, a sales worker pulled 3.5 fewer potential new customer profiles from the company database and made 8.4 fewer phone calls per day,” said the report, which was based on an unnamed software retailer. Researchers also found that salespeople were motivated by success stories that focused on a person’s effort rather than their sales skills.
SALESMake It About Them
Always ask your customer what is important to them when they are looking for diamonds, says Adam Fried, the vice president of development at Chicago-based jewelry chain CD Peacock. “It makes the conversation all about them, which is what every client wants,” says Fried
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client serviceSmall Town, Big Show
At Meigs Jewelry in Tahlequah, OK, owner Todd Mutzig’s goal is to bring a metropolitan bridal experience to a small town. One key element of that is offering couples who buy their engagement ring at Meigs insured loaner jewelry for their wedding day, valued at up to $10,000. Many brides try on their wedding gowns in the store as they select their “something borrowed.” After the wedding, Mutzig suggests to the groom that the borrowed jewelry would make the perfect first anniversary gift and offers a payment plan to make that dream come true. The end result? Lots of raving fans and a huge increase in the value of each customer.
marketing4Cs? Fuggedaboutit!
Do not teach your customers the 4Cs, says Aleah Arundale of Olympian Diamonds. “They already learned them online. When you tell someone something they already know, they lose interest. If a movie, a magic trick, or a joke was predictable, would it be fun at all?” We need surprise to create interest, she says, citing ads that upend expectations and even stir controversy as among her favorites. “If people expect to see a beautiful woman wearing jewelry, put a necklace on a dorky guy, or better yet on a poodle,” she says.
SALESNegotiate Referrals
Never be scared to ask a customer for a referral and use this to your advantage in negotiations, says Megan Crabtree, president of Crabtree Consulting. Crabtree suggests phrasing the offer something like: If I can get you to the price you’re requesting on this ring, can you possibly send me a referral? “Eight times out of 10, the customer will say yes,” she says.
client SERVICEHelp Them Wardrobe
If a client pulls out a phone in Hannoush Jewelers in Rutland, VT, sales manager Mary Jo Chanski and her team will offer to take the photo for them and text it to them. “I have a $60 attachment to my iPhone that has a loupe and a light. It takes an amazing picture, and people love the extra service,” says Chanski.