Moving Forward

Advanced Jewelry Sales

Diamond Council of America © 2010
Moving
Forward
In This Lesson:
• The Best You Can Be
• How This Course Works
• Sales Basics Review
• Ideas and Info to Start Using

THE BEST YOU CAN BE

Welcome to the Diamond Council of America’s Advanced
Jewelry Sales course!
DCA developed this course to help you become the best you
can be at selling fine jewelry. That might sound like a lot to aim
for. After all, your store, market, customers, and merchandise add
up to a unique combination. You also have your own personal set
of strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and potentials. So, how can
any educational program account for all these variables and enable
you to put them together in the way that really is best? In fact, what
does “best” even mean?
To answer the last question first: Being the best you can be
means consistently surpassing the expectations customers and store
management have for you – and the goals you set for yourself too.
Of course, the expectations and goals have to be realistic to begin
with, but as long as that’s the case, the higher they are the better.
This course will help you achieve that kind of top-level star You can become a sales star by
performance by building on the knowledge and skills you already building on the knowledge and skills
you already have.
have. It will examine factors that affect the selling process, present
strategies for different kinds of fine jewelry merchandise, and give
you plenty of opportunities to practice what you learn and verify
your progress.

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Course Objective
When you have successfully completed this
course, you will be able to:
• Identify key factors in making more and bigger jewelry sales.
• Describe ways to create stronger relationships with customers.
• Discuss characteristics and behaviors of today’s fine jewelry consumers.
• Identify ways to create exceptional shopping and buying experiences for
customers.
• Explain how sales associates can help to build and communicate a store’s
brand.
• Identify and respond to changes that affect interactions with customers.
• Discuss ways to maximize performance in selling key jewelry categories.
• Describe how to keep moving ahead as a jewelry sales professional in the
future.

HOW THIS COURSE WORKS

DCA developed the Advanced Jewelry Sales course espe-
cially for fine jewelry sales professionals and those who
support them at a management level. The course is designed to
meet adult learning needs and suit adult learning styles. As a
result, the lessons and exercises combine reading and thinking,
listening and talking, observing and examining, acting and
doing.
Over the years, this approach has worked for more than
100,000 students who have taken DCA courses. It will
enable you to apply what you learn to the specifics of your
store’s operations, the merchandise you have to offer, and the
customers you serve.
This course was developed
At the same time, it’s important to recognize that this is an
specifically for experienced
jewelry sales professionals. advanced course, which builds on education and experience
you have previously acquired. To get the most out of Advanced
Jewelry Sales, you must have completed the DCA Diamond
and Colored Gemstone courses or similar training. You should
also have at least one year of experience in retail jewelry sales.

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Online Format
This course is currently available only in an online
format. To access it, you must go through DCA’s website at
[Link]. You’ll also need your username
and password. These were listed on the Course Instruction
Sheet that was emailed to you after you enrolled.
If you can’t find your username and password, contact
DCA. Email studenthelp@[Link] or phone
615-385-5301 / toll free 877-283-5669.

Course Sections and Topics

The course has 12 lessons divided into two main
sections. The first section includes Lessons 2 through 5.
It covers critical variables in the jewelry-selling equation
– customers, the buying experience, branding, and trends.
In Lesson 2, for example, you’ll take a detailed look at
the consumers who are buying jewelry today. You’ll examine
differences related to gender, age, and income. You’ll also
identify common priorities and concerns. Most importantly,
you’ll find out how to use what you know about people in
general to connect with customers individually.
The second section of the course includes Lessons 6
through 11. It focuses on specific product categories –
bridal, fashion, men’s designs, custom work, estate jewelry,
and fine watches. Some of these are important for every
jewelry retailer. Others represent possibilities for creating
specialized competitive niches. But even if your store In the first part of the course, you'll
look at critical variables in the
doesn’t carry the category that’s discussed in a particular jewelry-selling equation.
lesson, you’ll learn things you can use in selling other types
of merchandise.
At the very end of the course, Lesson 12 is a final
review. It will help you prepare for and pass the Final
Examination.

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Lesson Components
Most lessons have eight distinct compo-
nents that are designed to create a complete and
personalized learning experience.
• In This Lesson – A short bullet list that
provides an initial snapshot of what’s
in the lesson. This will give you a good
idea of the information that’s coming.
• Introduction – Sets the stage by
identifying the main lesson topic,
highlighting its importance, and
providing general context.
• Lesson Objectives – Lists the
knowledge and skills you’ll gain by
completing the lesson and follow-up
exercises.

Lesson components are designed for

complete and personalized learning.

• Main Text – Presents the lesson’s core content.

• Sidebars – Contain information that expands or
supports the lesson discussion.
• Recap of Key Points – Summarizes important
ideas and facts from the lesson.
• Follow-Up Checklist – Directs additional steps to
help you apply what you learn to your own real-life
work situation.
• Self-Test – Multiple-choice questions that allow you to
gauge your comprehension of the lesson material.

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Study Tips

H ere are some proven study tips that will help you
complete this course successfully:
• Set a schedule and stick to it. Designate at least a
couple of hours each week as your DCA Study Time.
Mark the dates and times on your calendar, and
be sure to keep these important appointments with
yourself.
• Arrange a comfortable, distraction-free place to do
your studying.
• Begin each lesson by scanning it. Be sure to look
at the Recap of Key Facts and the Lesson Follow-Up
Checklist. This will give you an idea of what you’re
expected to learn. Then read the lesson thoroughly,
from beginning to end.
• Whenever your attention starts to lag during a study session, take a short break.
• Apply what you learn as soon as possible. Each lesson contains a Follow-Up
Checklist with practice exercises for turning knowledge into skill. Be sure to complete
the checklists. They’re essential for a full learning experience.

For success with

your DCA studies,
set a schedule and stick to it.

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Progress Evaluations
This course includes four Progress Evaluations. The first
one comes after Lesson 2, and it’s intended to make sure you
get off to a good start. The others follow Lessons 5, 8, and 11.
The Progress Evaluations allow DCA to measure what you’ve
learned at logical points in your coursework. They also let you
offer input on the course and how it’s being administered.
Each Progress Evaluation has three parts – a Learning
Evaluation, a Training Evaluation, and a Satisfaction Evaluation:

• Learning Evaluation – This is the section test. It

has 20 to 30 multiple-choice questions covering all the
lessons in the section.
• Training Evaluation – This ensures that you can
apply new knowledge and skills. It contains items based
on the follow-up checklists in the section, and also some
short-answer questions.
• Satisfaction Evaluation – This gives you a chance
to rate and comment on the objectives, content,
presentation, and service for that section of the course.

Learning Evaluations must be taken online, but you can

complete Training and Satisfaction Evaluations online or by
mail. Detailed instructions for Learning Evaluations are in the
Testing Center section of the Student Learning Center on this
website. Instructions for Training and Satisfaction Evaluations
are in the Evaluations section.
Learning Evaluations and Training Evaluations are required
coursework. Satisfaction Evaluations are optional, but DCA
would like very much to know what you think and how you feel
about your education experience.

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Evaluation Servicing
DCA grades Learning Evaluations and provides appropriate DCA
feedback on them. With online testing, you also get your results
immediately. wants to
• Grading – Grades for Learning Evaluations are know what
percentages based on the number of correct answers
compared to the total number of questions. For example, if you think!
you correctly answer 20 out of 25 questions, your grade is
80%.
• Grade Target – The minimum grade target for Learning
Evaluations is 75%.

• Retakes – If your grade for a Learning Evaluation is less

than 75%, you must retake the test. You may retake a Learning
Evaluation as many times as you need to. When you score
75% or higher, that grade will be averaged with the other(s) to
determine an overall grade for the test.
• Feedback – On every Learning Evaluation you’ll receive
feedback. If you score less than 75%, the Learning Feedback will
list the questions you missed and give section references, helpful
hints, and additional explanations. If you score over 75%,
you’ll be notified of any questions you answered incorrectly.
The Learning Feedback will also list correct responses and page
references, and supply further information.

On every
Learning
Evaluation
you'll
receive
feedback.

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Completing the Course

When you’ve completed all four Progress Evaluations, you’ll be
eligible to take the Final Examination. You can find details about the
exam in Lesson 12 (Final Review) or in the FAQs section of DCA’s
online Student Learning Center.
There are two limits on course completion that you need to keep
in mind:
• Academic Limit – The minimum grade target for the
Final Examination is 75%. As with Learning Evaluations,
the grade is a percentage based on correct versus total
answers. But if your grade is less than 75% on the exam,
you may retake it only once. If you do not reach or exceed
the target on the second attempt, you must re-enroll in order
Be sure to plan your coursework to to complete the course.
meet the time limit for completion.
• Time Limit – All of the work for this course, including
Learning Evaluations and the Final Examination, must be
completed within 12 consecutive months from the date
of enrollment. If you do not meet the time limit, you must
reenroll in order to complete the course. Your Completion
Deadline is noted on the Course Instruction Sheet that was
emailed to you after you enrolled, and on the “Welcome”
page of the online Student Learning Center. You can also
obtain the date from DCA.
After you’ve successfully completed all course requirements –
the four Progress Evaluations and the Final Examination – you will
receive formal recognition from the Diamond Council of America,
marking your achievement.

After completing the course,

you’ll receive formal recognition
from DCA.

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Contacting DCA

I f you ever have questions or concerns about this course – its

objectives, design, content, presentation, administration, ser-
vice, or anything else – please contact the Diamond Council. You’ll
receive a prompt and full response. DCA is 100% committed to
your satisfaction and success!
Diamond Council of America
3212 West End Avenue, Suite 400
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-385-5301
Toll Free: 877-283-5669
Fax: 615-385-4955
Email: studenthelp@[Link]
Website: [Link]

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JA SALES PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

Jewelers of America (JA) is one of the foremost US jewelry trade organizations. With a mis-
sion to increase consumer confidence in the jewelry industry, JA advocates professionalism and
adherence to high ethical, social, and environmental standards. It works to enhance its mem-
bers’ profitability by offering education, certification, marketing, and cost-saving programs.

JA created the Sales Professional Certification (SPC) program to establish, maintain, and
recognize superior standards of knowledge and skill among jewelry sales professionals. For
more than a decade, JA's certification programs have validated the talent and proficiency of
jewelry industry professionals to national standards. JA certification can advance your career,
differentiate your store, and improve your reputation with fine jewelry customers.

The SPC program has two levels:

JA Certified Sales Professional (CSP) – This level reflects knowledge and skills generally
expected of trained entry-level jewelry sales personnel with about one year’s experience.

JA Certified Senior Sales Professional (CSSP) – This level reflects moderate to advanced
sales knowledge and skills, and includes some areas not tested at the first level.

To qualify for either designation you must be employed by a JA member store, have at least
one year of retail jewelry sales experience, and pass the SPC written exam(s). For complete
program information contact:

Jewelers of America, Inc.

Certification Manager
120 Broadway, Suite 2820
New York, NY 10271
Phone: 800-223-0673 / 646-658-0246
Email: info@[Link]
Website: [Link]

DCA and JA share the goal of increasing professionalism throughout the jewelry industry,
and both organizations believe education is essential. For these reasons, the DCA curriculum
is designed to educate students and offer support to individuals who elect to pursue the goal of
professional certification through Jewelers of America.

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SALES BASICS REVIEW

This course will concentrate on the process of selling fine jewelry at an
advanced level. So, it makes sense to start by reviewing what you’ve learned
about selling in other DCA courses. While you’re at it, think about the
knowledge, skills, and insights you’ve gained from your own experience.
(To review the selling process in detail, see Diamond Course Lesson 17
or Colored Gemstone Course Lesson 14.)

The Selling Process

Selling is a process of personal communication. As a jewelry sales
professional, your aim in that process is to establish a relationship
with your customer, identify his or her needs, show how the products
you offer can meet those needs, and then actively assist the customer
in making a satisfying purchase decision.
The selling process includes eight definable steps:
• Greeting
• Rapport Building
• Profiling
• Presenting Choices
• Overcoming Objections
• Closing the Sale
• Adding-On
• Following-Up
Let’s take a brief look at each of these steps in turn.

Greeting
Smiling is the best way to start
The first objective in the selling process is to initiate friendly
an encounter with a customer. interaction. This begins with a greeting that combines a genuine smile,
direct eye contact, positive body language, and an appropriate verbal
signal.
Greet customers as soon as they enter your store. Unless you’re
already working with another customer, drop whatever you’re
doing and give the new guest your undivided attention. Never make
customers feel as if they’re interruptions.

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Common opening lines like “May I help you?” invite polite

brush-offs. So, with the verbal part of your greeting, try to find
a way to set yourself apart while getting the customer’s attention
in a polite, upbeat, and sincere manner

Rapport Building
After greeting, the next priority is establishing person-to-
person comfort, trust, and “chemistry.” The goal in this step is to
assure customers that you’re truly interested in them.
To build rapport, engage in a friendly conversation that’s not
A handshake is a powerful tool for
about buying jewelry. Good topics include seasonal activities building trust and comfort.
and local events. Children are natural conversation starters as
well. Politics, religion, other potentially controversial subjects,
and “personal” matters are off limits.

At an appropriate point near the beginning of the

conversation, introduce yourself. When customers give
their names, look and listen for clues about how they may

To build
prefer to be treated. Use your handshake as means of
communication. A warm, confident handshake builds trust.

rapport, Help customers relax and reveal themselves by

engage in
wording questions in a way that invites open responses.
Try to avoid setting up Yes, No, or simple fact answers.

a friendly While building rapport – and throughout the selling

conversation.
process – stay positive and sincere. Demonstrate your
interest both verbally and through body language.
During this step, be alert for clues that the customer
is ready to move on. When you get the signal, direct the
conversation to business.

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Profiling
In profiling, your goal is to gather the information you need to make the right
merchandise suggestions and present them in a way that connects with the custom-
er’s reasons for making the purchase.
A logical place to begin is finding out whether the customer is buying a gift or
making a self-purchase. You also need to know if a special occasion is involved.
Then, as you continue to discover added details, keep the focus on the emotions that
are driving the purchase.
As in rapport building, word your questions to be open-ended. Listen actively
and stay alert for clues from vocal tone and body language. Employ simple remarks
like “Oh?” “How so?” and “Tell me more!” to keep the revelations coming. When
it’s your turn to speak, restate what the customer has said in your own words, and
empathize with feelings or concerns the customer has expressed.
Use the insights you gain to keep the process moving forward, and give the
customer plenty of opportunities to offer input and direction. During the interchange,
begin to formulate the list of items you’ll suggest, and the selling points to go with
them. But don’t try to take the next step until you’re sure you have all the informa-
tion you need.

Presenting Choices
To help the customer reach a decision, you need to establish
the value of items you suggest, and build the desire to own or
give them. This takes getting the customer physically, mentally,
and emotionally involved.
Even if you’re certain you know the perfect item for the
occasion, be prepared to offer alternate suggestions. Having
choices helps customers feel in control.
Don’t allow price to dictate your suggestions. Concentrate
on satisfying needs and desires.

Always be prepared to offer

alternate suggestions.

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To create physical involvement, encourage customers to

hold jewelry and try it on. If the item is for a self-purchase,
try placing it on the customer. If it’s for a gift, have someone
in the store model it. Also learn to use the professional tools
and presentation aids that are available to you, and integrate
them smoothly into your presentation.
A good way to create mental involvement is highlighting
features and benefits that relate to a customer’s reasons for
making the purchase.
To build emotional involvement, choose your words
to reflect the customer’s emotions. Also try to paint word
pictures of the customer owning or giving the piece. Show items that satisfy the need,
regardless of the price.
Photo courtesy DPS.

Overcoming Objections
Raising objections is a part of the decision-making
process for many customers. Objections are often buying
signals, and they can give direction to the selling process
by indicating unresolved issues that are important to the
customer.
Overcoming objections usually involves three steps:
1. Clarify the objection by asking questions and looking
for nonverbal clues. Try to determine whether the
Clarify objections by asking questions
customer truly doesn’t like the item, or just wants
and watching for nonverbal clues. additional information or validation.
2. Put the customer at ease by expressing
understanding and empathy. Never argue.
3. If the item is not being rejected, try to overcome the
objection by reviewing features and benefits that
have already been agreed on, and then adding one
or two more.

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Closing the Sale

Soon after you begin presenting suggestions, start
making periodic attempts to close the sale. Early attempts
– or trial closes – allow you to gauge the customer’s place Soon after
in the decision-making process. To formulate a trial close,
sum up your reply to an objection or your assessment of you begin
key points, and turn it into a question. No matter what the
response, you’ll be guided to your next step.
presenting,
Customers can make purchase decisions at almost start
any point. So, develop your ability to read buying signals.
These can be subtle or obvious, verbal or nonverbal.
trial closing.

When you believe you have identified a buying signal, try

closing the sale. Four of the proven techniques are:
• Assuming Close – From the beginning, assume the
customer will make a purchase. Transfer ownership by
referring to items as “yours,” “his,” or “hers.” At the right
moment, ask a question that prompts commitment. For
example, “How do you plan to give her the ring?”
• Alternate Choice Close – If a customer is teetering
between two choices, clarify the decision: “Do you prefer
the design in white or yellow gold?”
If a customer is teetering between
choices, clarify the decision.
• Summary Close – Recap features and benefits to
which the customer has responded most positively, and
then give your assessment: “It sounds like this is exactly
what you want.”
• Suggestive Close – When customer is poised on the
brink of a decision, but just needs an extra nudge, provide
a little encouragement: “Why don’t you give it a try?”
If you encounter an objection when you attempt to close,
resolve it and try again.

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Adding-On
When you close a sale, the personal chemistry is
working and the customer is feeling positive. In many
instances, you’re also doing the customer a service by
suggesting further possibilities.
Begin laying the foundation for an add-on sale early in
the presentation. Focus on completing the first sale, then
return to your add-on suggestion.
Logical choices for add-ons are items that complement There are countless scenarios for add-on
sales, but the best formula is to start early,
or coordinate with the initial purchase. Others include gift then ask for the add-on right after the first
or self-purchase possibilities for upcoming events such as item is closed.
holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Effective follow-up
is essential for your success
Following-Up
Effective follow-up is essential to your long-range success.
It ensures satisfaction with purchases, enhances your profes-
sional image, builds stronger relationships, attracts repeat
business, and generates positive word-of-mouth advertising.
Because it’s such a crucial step, you need to follow-
up with everyone you assist. With customers who make
purchases, there should be two follow-up contacts – a thank-
you note and a satisfaction call.
• Thank-You Note – Within a week after the purchase,
send a personal handwritten note. Thank the customer for
Follow-up with every customer you visiting you and trusting you to help them with an impor-
assist - even those who don't make
purchases.
tant decision. Also confirm that they made a great choice,
and end with a brief comment about your in-store conver-
sation. This helps to eliminate buyer’s remorse, and also
strengthens the relationship you’ve established.

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• Satisfaction Call – Make this about a month after the

purchase. The primary aim is to ensure that the customer is
completely satisfied with what they bought. If you uncover
problems, do your best to correct them. Thank the customer
once more for their trust and confidence, and also invite them
to visit you again.
These post-sale contacts, combined with ongoing activities
like service calls and buying reminders, can help you turn casual If you uncover problems
during a satisfaction call, try
customers into life-long clients. to correct them.

IDEAS AND INFO TO START USING

The lessons ahead will explore five areas that you need to
know about in order to sell fine jewelry at an advanced, star-
performance level:
• Jewelry Customers
• The Buying Experience
• The Process of Branding
• Dealing with Change
• Strategies for Different Product Categories
Here are some ideas and information from each area, which
you can start thinking about and using right away:

Customers
In dealing with customers, you Every customer is unique. You have to keep this in mind and
need to recognize both individual
traits and shared characteristics.
treat each person you serve as a one-of-a-kind individual. But it
also helps to be able to recognize and respond to distinctive char-
acteristics that are shared by large segments of the population.
These characteristics can involve demographics, which are
based on statistics such as gender, age, and income. They can also
relate to psychographics, which encompass psychological factors
like attitudes, values, and motivations.

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In selling jewelry, one of the most important demographic

distinctions you deal with is gender-based – women versus
men. For example, women (considered as a group) make the Women most
greatest number of jewelry purchases, while men (also consid-
ered as a group) make the most expensive purchases.
often buy
The female-male divide has behavioral and psychographic
jewelry for
aspects too. Women most often buy jewelry for themselves.
Their top priorities include design, style, and fashion. In
themselves.
contrast, men usually buy jewelry for a gift, and they tend
to look for a balance of value and “impact” (or how well the
piece will express the messages they want to send).

Buying
In today’s super-competitive retail environment, the buying
experience is becoming more and more important. This is
particularly true with jewelry.
Most customers regard fine jewelry as a special kind of
purchase. They buy jewelry to celebrate happy moments and
major milestones. They also want the emotional quality of the
buying experience to match up with the occasion.
This means you need to make it enjoyable to shop for and
buy jewelry. Depending on the customer and the occasion, the
right elements to evoke might be romance, fashion, entertain-
ment, education, or creative involvement – to name just a few.
Everything about your store should contribute to the
buying experience. This includes decor, merchandise, and
displays, but it also extends to things like housekeeping details
For most customers, fine jewelry is a
special kind of purchase. and the music that’s playing in the background.
In drawing the experience to a successful conclusion, the
most critical factor is almost always going to be you – the
knowledge, skill, interest, and other qualities you bring to the
interaction.

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Branding
The ultimate purpose of branding is to make your products and your
store stand out from competitors in positive ways, but you can adapt the
concept to yourself as well.
• Product Branding – Today most jewelry stores offer branded
merchandise as part of their product mix. Virtually all fine watches
are sold under brand names. Branding is also a growing trend in
jewelry, diamonds, and other gems. To present one of these prod-
ucts effectively, you have to identify and interpret the signature and
story. This is the combination of features and associations that make
the brand unique and give it added value or appeal.

• Store Branding – The public side of a

jewelry store’s brand is everything the store
stands for and means to its customers. A store
brand is reflected and supported by physical
elements like decor and merchandise. But the
brand also includes the store’s reputation and
the professional image you and your team work
hard to create.
• Personal Branding – You are the frontline
spokesperson for your store and its products.
So, you’re essential to making those branding
components work. But you also need to
standout as an individual and brand yourself.
Jewelry retailing is a team enterprise, and you
should always do your part – plus some extra
– for the group’s success. At the same time, it’s
The purpose of branding is to
appropriate to strive to make your presentations
make your products and your
store stand out in positive ways. and other interactions so great that customers
will remember you, seek you out in the future,
Photo courtesy Panowicz Jewelers.
and recommend you to others.

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CHANGES
Like many areas of modern life, the jewelry industry is
changing rapidly and dramatically. This makes it vital to be able to
It's vital
spot and utilize significant patterns of change that have an impact to spot
on your professional success.
Three important sources of changes today are fashion, devel-
patterns
opments in the jewelry industry, and bigger issues that reflect the of change.
links between our industry and the world we all live in.

• Jewelry and Fashion – Throughout history there’s been

a connection between jewelry and fashion. But over the last 40
years that connection has become increasingly close. One result is
that jewelry is now a prime fashion accessory. This trend is being
driven by fashion-conscious women, and it’s one of the big factors
contributing to the growth of branding in jewelry products.
• Industry Developments – Inside the jewelry industry, the
forces of creativity, discovery, and competition are producing
more and better choices for customers. Recent years have seen
the debuts of exciting new concepts like Three-Stone and Journey
Diamond Jewelry. Palladium, titanium, and other metals have
joined gold, platinum, and silver. Treatments are expanding
the availability and affordability of many gems. And synthetic
diamonds – a dream for hundreds of years – are finally becoming
a reality in the marketplace.
• Bigger Issues – The world is growing more interconnected
Jewelry today is a prime fashion
accessory. every day. As a result, the jewelry industry (including you and
your store) can often be involved in issues that are global in
scope. In the past decade, our industry has worked with govern-
ments and outside groups to fight the trade in “conflict diamonds.”
More recently, similar efforts have been aimed at corporate social
responsibility – making sure activities like gem mining protect the
environment and benefit the communities in which they occur.

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Categories
The variables of the jewelry-selling equation come together in
different ways with different types of merchandise. Each product cate-
gory has its own typical customers and buying scenarios. Each one also
has its own concerns and potential issues, and for each category there
are certain approaches that tend to work best.
Bridal jewelry provides a good example of how various factors can
come into play. This is the most important category for most jewelry
retailers. It consists of jewelry that’s purchased and given as gifts to
The diamond solitaire is today's
celebrate engagements, weddings, and anniversaries. most popular engagement
choice.
Photo courtesy Courtesy of A Jaffe.

For many consumers, the most iconic item of bridal

jewelry is the diamond engagement ring. Eight out of 10
first-time brides in the US receive one.
Today the process of buying a diamond engagement
ring can be extended and elaborate. It may involve a
number of separate steps, with multiple configurations of
people.
The process may begin with the future-bride and
one or more of her friends coming to your store “just
looking.” If that visit goes well, she and the future-groom
may come in together to identify possible choices. Then
the man may return alone to make the final selection, do
Many engagement rings feature a center
some negotiating, and complete the purchase.
diamond among smaller accent diamonds.
Courtesy of True Romance At each step in the process, there are specific goals
to achieve, questions to answer, and issues to address. In
order to close the sale, you have to navigate all the steps
successfully and deal with all the personalities effec-
tively. But if you can do that, you may also lay the foun-
dation for a long-term relationship.

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RECAP OF KEY POINTS

• Selling is a process of communication. In it, your aim is to establish a relationship
with the customer, identify his or her needs, show how your products meet those
needs, and assist with the purchase decision.
• In the first steps of selling – greeting, rapport building, and profiling – your goals
are to begin friendly interaction, build trust, and gather useful information. It’s
essential to get the customer to open up, and to keep him or her focused on the
emotions that are driving the purchase.
• To help the customer reach a purchase decision, you need to establish the value of
items you suggest, and build the desire to own or give them. Raising objections is
a part of the decision-making process for many customers. Whenever you believe
you’ve identified a buying signal, try closing the sale.
• By suggesting add-on possibilities, you’re doing the customer a service.
Following-up after the sale can help you ensure satisfaction and allow you to
strengthen the relationship you’ve established.
• To sell jewelry at an advanced level, it’s necessary to know about customers, the
buying experience, branding, dealing with changes, and effective strategies for
different product categories.
• You need to remember that every customer is unique. But it also helps to be able to
use demographic and psychographic differences that are shared by large segments
of the population.
• In today’s retail environment, the experience of buying jewelry is becoming more
and more important. Everything about your store should contribute to the buying
experience, but when it comes to drawing the experience to a successful conclu-
sion, the most critical factor is almost always going to be the sales associate.
• The purpose of branding is to make your products, your store, and yourself stand
out in positive ways. To present a branded product effectively, you have to iden-
tify and interpret its signature and story. Your store brand is largely the product of
the professional image you and your team create. To brand yourself, make your
presentations and other interactions so great that customers will remember you,
seek you out in the future, and recommend you to others.
• Changes have an impact on your professional success. Three important sources of
change today are fashion, developments in the jewelry industry, and bigger issues
that reflect the links between our industry and the rest of the world.
• The variables of the jewelry-selling equation come together in different ways with
different types of merchandise. Each product category has its own typical customer
profiles, buying scenarios, concerns, potential issues, and optimum selling
approaches.

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LESSON 1 FOLLOW-UP CHECKLIST

____ Think about the selling process and how well you’re currently doing with it.
Which step do you usually find the easiest, and which one do you often find to
be the most challenging?
____ This week conduct some simple demographic research. Keep a record of how
many items you sell to women versus men, and also the total sales amount for
each gender. (In the next lesson, you’ll find out how your results compare with
jewelry professionals nationwide.)
____ As you visit retail stores and websites on your own in the next couple of weeks,
pay attention to the quality of the shopping and buying experience. Look for
and think about factors that make the experience more or less enjoyable.
____ Also give some thought to branding: What branded product lines does your
store carry? Try to pick out two ideas or emotions that you’d say are part of
your store’s brand. What are some things you might do to brand yourself?
____ In the area of changes, identify new products – jewelry designs, gems, metals,
etc – that your store has started offering since you’ve been there. How have
they added to the choices you can offer your customers? Discuss this with
coworkers too.
____ Over the next month, keep detailed notes on your diamond engagement ring
sales. Try to gather the following data: amount of purchase; size and grades of
center diamond; ring metal; ring style; diamond / ring brand; add-ons; age of
purchaser; first / second / third marriage; future-bride involved in selection (yes/
no); others involved in selection (future-bride’s friends; future-groom’s brother,
etc); total number of visits to your store; other stores / internet sites visited
(number and names); top concerns in the purchase.

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Congratulations!
You’re on your way to becoming
Advanced Sales Certified by DCA!
There’s no Self-Test for this lesson,
so you can go ahead to Lesson 2.
Enjoy!

24 Advanced Jewelry Sales 1