THIS MONTH, I’m going to explain a technique I’ve used to sell hundreds of diamonds to customers who didn’t come in looking for one. It’s called the Interruption Technique. Its goal is to raise your client’s curiosity, and it takes the right kind of enthusiasm, combined with awesome teamwork, to make it work.
Now, let me start by saying this: You never interrupt a salesperson in the middle of his presentation, or at the beginning, or at the end when he’s ready to close. In fact, you never interrupt him at all. “Then why in the world do you call it the ‘interruption’ technique?” I’m glad you asked!
Now, you’ve piqued the client’s curiosity. It works like this. When you and your client are finished, there is a time when you’re just having small talk — chatting about skiing, grandkids, vacation plans, whatever. Every presentation has that moment.
Right before the client is ready to leave, you have another sales associate (someone you work very well with) pull a loose diamond that’s more than a carat in size.
Your associate should put it into a four-prong, 2-inch, spring-loaded diamond holder. She then wraps the holder and the diamond in new diamond paper. Your teammate walks over to you with the wrapped diamond, and, speaking quietly to you, but loud enough for the client to hear, says: “I know he’d love to see what’s in here.” Then, she walks away.
Now, you’ve piqued the client’s curiosity. Your teammate handed you the diamond in the paper so you don’t have to walk away and find tweezers (every time you walk away, it’s a sales killer). The client is wondering, “What is in the paper?”
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He was getting ready to leave, but now he’s decided, “I’m not going anywhere.” Most people have never held a diamond over a carat. Sure, they may have held a diamond, but not a loose one over a carat.
As you are opening the diamond paper and handing him the diamond in the holder (which is far less intimidating than holding it in tweezers), turn the diamond ever so slowly so he can see the flash and fire coming out of it. Say something like:
- “This was cut by somebody with hands as skilled as a surgeon.”
- “Diamonds display nature’s love affair with light.”
- “Diamonds have been designed to inhale light and breathe fire.”
In other words, say something cool. Don’t say “It sparkles” or “This is a nice stone.” Your customer will grab it and say, “Wow.” He’ll pause, and you pause with him. Don’t say a word, just let him get caught up in the moment.
Maybe your customer came in for a repair, a battery, or something special, but now he’s having fun. You’ve just started a new presentation. Maybe your customer came in for a repair, a battery, or something special, but now he’s having fun. When people have fun, they buy.
You’ve just showed him something that’s normally locked up. Something you’re trusting him with, something extremely valuable. And, you gave him a silent compliment: You believed he could afford it.
He might buy it … you never know. Remember this: The person you don’t show is the one who might have bought it. And even if he doesn’t, you’ll get an incredible referral! is.
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This story is from the February 2010 edition of INSTORE.
