IN YOUR STORE COLUMNS THUNDERSTRUCK That realization that transformed the way you do business DIAMOND DISTINCTION of the Gordon’s Jewelry/ Jaccard’s carriage trade and catalog sales and showroom chain told me in his office during my orientation in Houston, TX, that diamond jewelry is the only gift that has these three unique qualities: It conveys an emotion, you can wear it, and it has increasing value. I remembered that and always conveyed it through my half-century career. J. Dennis Petimezas, Watchmakers Diamonds & Jewelry, Johnstown, PA HARRY GORDON ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERMENT Help your sales team and your clients by following these tactics MEGAN CRABTREE ON MANAGEMENT A s a store manager, you know that creating a winning bridal jewelry team requires more than just sales skills. Here are key strate-gies to equip your team for success and turn your store into the go-to des-tination for “I do” brilliance. Streamline Operations 1. Ensure your team has central-ized access to all vendor pricing portals. Eliminate time-wasting scrambles during sales by creating a master sheet listing all vendor login credentials. Enhance the Customer Experience 1. Train your team to encourage couples to order wedding bands along with engagement rings. This ensures a flaw-less stylistic and diamond alignment for a complete set and ultimately a bet-ter customer experience. 2. Showcase wedding bands alongside engagement rings in your display cases. Seeing them together sparks interest and can lead to increased sales of both pieces. WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA What you’d have said to that rude or clueless customer ... if only you’d thought of it faster 2. Utilize your software system to its full potential. Run reports to identify customers who pur-chased engagement rings but haven’t returned for wedding bands. This creates a targeted list for your sales team to follow up on. MEGAN CRABTREE founded Crab-tree Consulting after a 20-year career in the jewelry retail and manufactur-ing sectors. The company empowers jew-elry companies with data-driven strategies for transofrmative growth. 3. Mystery shop local competitors. Evaluate their product offerings, pricing, and overall customer experience during the engage-ment ring buying journey. Identify their strengths and weaknesses to create an even more memorable experience in your store. 4. Analyze your engagement ring to wedding band sales ratio. This valuable data reveals a potential sales gap you can bridge through smart display techniques. Create curated collections that showcase different ring and band styles together. This visually demonstrates how each piece complements the other, inspiring customers to find their perfect set. 5. Consider a bridal package program partnering with local wedding vendors. Offer customers who purchase engage-ment rings discounts on bridal gowns, champagne toasts, or other wedding ser-vices. This fosters a sense of community, sets you apart from competitors, and enhances the bridal experience. mcrabtree@crabtreeadvisory.com 3 . Consider using alloy samples for wed-ding bands. This allows customers to visu-alize the final product without a massive inventory investment, as most bands are special-ordered anyway. HOW DO I KNOW YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SAY YOU HAD A 1-CARAT D VS1 DIAMOND WHEN YOU PICK IT UP?” ... TO THE CUSTOMER who says, “How do I know you’re not going to switch out my L-I3 0.25-carat for a CZ?” Seen on the Jewelers Helping Jewelers Facebook Group. Boost Sales & Average Ticket 1. Partner with the Platinum Guild to train your team on the benefits of plati-num. Educate them on pricing and incor-porate it into white gold tag displays for easy reference during sales conversations. 2. Use data to identify potential custom-ers who haven’t purchased engagement rings from your store. Leverage this data for personalized marketing campaigns offering incentives for purchases or upgrades on existing rings. 62 AUGUST 2024 instoremag.com
Instore Magazine August 2024: Page 62
