LET’S SAY YOU gave a stellar diamond presentation to a soon-to-be-engaged couple. You have the ring they want, the diamond they want, and the price is right, but they say they want to shop around for other diamonds. In other words, they’re getting ready to walk.
Tell them, “I want to give you a loupe to keep.” When they ask why, tell them that when they go to a store down the street and the diamond doesn’t come with a lab report, you want them to know what the diamond should look like.
When your client realizes that the jeweler is on the defensive, they’re going to buy from you. At this point, you have to show them how to use the loupe: how to hold the loupe between thumb and forefinger with the middle finger through the “hole” of the cover, how to place the loupe right under the eye, and how to bring the diamond up to the loupe with tweezers.
Show them your diamond (let’s say it’s an SI1 G) and what it should look like under 10-power magnification. They can rely on your integrity because your diamond comes with a lab report.
Tell your customers that when another jeweler shows them a diamond that he claims is an SI1 G, they should ask to borrow tweezers so they can see it under the loupe.
Here’s what’s going to happen. Your customers will look at that diamond and say, “This has a lot of junk in it; it doesn’t look as good as the one we just saw.” Your competitor will reply, “Yeah, but mine’s cheaper.” Then your customers will say, “Maybe, but we want the better-looking diamond.”
Your competitor is forced to go on the defensive. When your client realizes that the jeweler is on the defensive, they’re going to buy from you.
They love the fact that you gave them a loupe and you believed in your product. Giving your clients a loupe shows them you have a lot of confidence in the quality of your diamond. It could even close the sale right there; when you give them the loupe, they may say, “You know, let’s just buy this diamond.” Or, they may go look at the competition, come back to your store and say, “You know what, we saw what your competitor has to offer, and yours looks a lot better. We wasted a lot of time.” Their perception of your integrity and your willingness to go the extra mile for them just went up a hundredfold.
They love the fact that you gave them a loupe and you believed in your product. And, you’re giving them self-confidence in their own decision-making ability. That makes you a hero. Most of the time, it makes the sale as well.
This story is from the January 20010 edition of INSTORE.