Who loves Christmas time? If you said, “I do!” you’re not alone. Everyone is in a good mood during the holidays, and no one is “just looking.” Did you know that closing ratios in the jewelry industry rise anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent? Everyone is buying something. To make Christmas selling more profitable, fun and successful, here are a few tips:

Greet everyone, even if you are with someone and every sales associate is busy. Look away from your client if you’re close to the door and say, “Someone will be with you soon. It will be worth the wait! Thank you.” Never say, “I’ll be with you in a moment,” because that tells the client you’re currently with that you’re rushing them.

People are in a hurry (not all, but most), so professionally create some sense of urgency in your salesmanship while always telling the truth. Be a more direct closer during the holidays. Sell faster with professionalism and close more all the way through. Some examples of statements that can create urgency are:

• This is the only one we have.
• I can’t order another one of these … it’s too late in the year.
• These are hard to come by.
• This truly is a one-of-a-kind — it’s handmade.

The biggest missed sale during Christmas is the add-on. Try for one with every ticket you write up. The average Christmas shopper buys between 15 and 20 gifts, and the average jewelry salesperson sells him just one of those. If 50 percent of your tickets at Christmastime have an add-on, your sales volume will be about 20 percent higher than last year without any more clients coming in. So to do a better job adding on at Christmas, try saying some of these things:

• How many others are on your list?
• Do you have a son or a daughter?
• We have gifts for young people.
• Does your wife have the pearl studs that match the pearl strand you just purchased?
• Let’s use more beads to fill the empty spaces — she would love a full bracelet.

Wow everyone. Impulse buying at Christmas time more than doubles because people are in a spending mood. If they see it and they like it, they’ll buy it.

So even when you get tired, be world-class friendly, be the nicest person your client has met all day, and act like she’s the most important client that’s walked into your store. Clients get their self-confidence from your ability to reassure them that it’s OK to spend their money. And, clients feel successful when they leave with a bag in their hand. Merry Christmas, happy selling and have fun!

SHANE DECKER has provided sales training for more than 3,000 stores worldwide. Contact him at ( 719) 488-4077 or at ex-sell-ence.com.

This article was originally published in the November 2012 issue of INSTORE.