I frequently advise my consulting clients to think of their display showcases as the “desks” or “workbenches” of their sales team. Just as the jeweler in their stores shop (hopefully) has everything he needs to do his job (i.e tools, supplies, etc.) close at hand, the effective showcase should be arranged to provide everything the sales person needs at hand. Imagine, obviously, if the bench jeweller is constantly having to move all around the shop to find the items he needs, his productivity will suffer. Your sales team should remember that excessive moving around when making a sale will reduce your chances of a successful close.
Each showcase should contain the following items stored in a convenient space less than 2 steps away:
Counter pad- Always use a counterpad when you remove a piece from the case. The pads provide an opaque background for the piece and direct the customers attention directly on that piece.
Polishing cloth- You always polish the piece for about 10 seconds before you hand it to the customer. This allows your salesperson time to detail the story behind the piece and it builds anticipation.
Financing payment schedule- You want to be able to give the customer a close estimate of the monthly payments for the piece without having to go in the back of the store to retrieve the financing sheet. (Contact me if you’d like to see the signage we typically use for the in case payment info)
Kleenex pack- Very handy in dozens of events such as when the customer sneezes on the top of your showcase or puts her finger in her mouth to help her remove a ring.
Business cards, pen, scratch pad. – Pretty self explanatory.
Depending on the type of merchandise in the individual case, you’ll likely also need:
Loupe, ring sizer and hand magnifying glass (to show details of the quality of the workmanship of your pieces..
The actual final list of items you’ll actually need in your store depends on the content and strategy of the sales presentations your staff makes at each case.
If your team focuses on quality, then show the customer examples of the quality of a piece with a magnifying glass or your loupe. Maybe you should have a “poor quality” piece to show an example of the difference. Remember when you were in elementary school? Those times on Monday morning were called “Show and Tell” for a reason. (Remember, they were not just called “Tell.”) The more of the customers senses you involve in the sales presentation, the better your chances of success.
If your team focuses on affordability, offering “18 month free financing with a low monthly payment of only $x” gives the customer a specific example to chew on.
In the last few years, many independent retailers have seen distinct growth in public interest in “Custom design” jewellery. I have been involved in quite a few stores that are looking for a way to integrate an area in their store for sales of “Custom pieces.” I feel the practice of selling custom jobs when standing over a showcase full of pieces to be limiting. First of all, doing so is certainly not an “experience.” It is not comfortable just standing there and if you have a more comfortable discussion over your sit-down Bridal case, you run the risk of blocking that area on a busy Saturday morning when another couple might want to look in that case. In each store we have done, we have taken the strategy of “Show AND tell” to heart by moving the discussion to a specific area of the store for this purpose and including items in that area that support the custom jewellery sales presentation. We design the selling space to include the tablet, reference books, sketchpad or monitor where the design will be created to be inviting and easy for your staff to use. We often include props such as waxes, loose stones, antique jewellry making tools and images of finished jewellry pieces and they drawings that prompted them. Again, you are selling an experience. Treat it that way.
Running a retail jewellery store is a difficult job. There are hundreds of things to remember and consider. If you take a few minutes of your time and ask your sales team to help assemble all of the tools you need in the different areas of your store to make their job more effective, you might find along with increased sales, your workload might get a little easier.
Let me know if I can help.