Sales advice for designer jewelry
[dropcap cap=T]he story, as well as the design, is what sells jewelry. [/dropcap]
Every designer needs to be presented and explained individually to the customer as each designer has a different story. Be able to answer all questions on the designer: Who is the designer? Where is the designer from? Where is it made? Who makes it? What is the inspiration for that collection? What is the name of the collection? What other pieces are available? What color gemstones?
For example, Antonini, from Milan, Italy, came out with its Anniversary collection to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the company. Italian craftsmanship for several generations, made in Italy — this makes a great story to tell the customer. Then the Milano collection was presented in Basel in 2010. With that collection, Antonini is paying a tribute to its home city.
Another example is Katey Brunini of K. Brunini Jewels. Spiritual and soulful, Katey’s creations pay homage to nature’s spontaneous wit and organic aesthetic.
The California-based designer is known for traveling the world to seek both artistic and ethereal inspiration when creating each of her collections. Each collection has a name that evokes the meaning behind the designs: Spirit Animals, DNA, Spider Web and Twig.
All the different stories can create excitement for the customer and create a bond with the designer. The more the customer feels that bond, the more the customer is likely to come back and purchase more pieces from other collections. Thus, loyalty to the designer and the store is created.
A great way to create the brand awareness and customer loyalty is to introduce the designer during a special event or trunk show. Create a buzz about the designer and invite customers who already own a piece or more. The more they own, the more special they feel. They are proud of wearing designer jewelry. And they want to meet the designer and show off and be acknowledged by the designer. Introduce each customer individually to the designer and tell which pieces the customer already owns. Then the designer can show additional pieces and have the customer add pieces to her collection.
THIS MONTH’S EXPERT: WOLFGANG MÖCKEL – President, KWM Exclusives Inc., Jewelry branding and marketing specialist
[span class=note]This story is from the March-April 2011 edition of INDESIGN[/span]