I am starting to get ready for my trip to Tucson and in doing so I am researching gem reports – I like to get my information from the horse’s mouth…
One source I was recently directed to by Richard Wise* was his friend David Epstein. David operates Precious Resources – the company functions as a “buying agent” for professional buyers of gems in Brazil’s trading center – procuring single stones, discount lots and making special cuts for you.
Go to his site and sign up – you will get a monthly Gem Marketing Report – he has given me permission to reprint the December 2009 Report.
GEM MARKETING REPORT December 04, 2009
In the Nov. report we talked about face to face selling retail/wholesale and the 5 steps a sale usually takes. The first three, Attention, Interest and Conviction were covered. At this point some people think, well that should rap it up. They not only gave the feature of the product, the advantage of the feature but they gave the benefit also i.e. This Chrysoberyl is 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale- Feature, which means it won’t scratch easily- Advantage; and you can use it in a man’s or women’s ring without worry of abrasion-Benefit. You’ve done the whole thing… and they are still not buying. Hmm?
If they haven’t yet yanked their wallet out, and perhaps are looking at you with a vague indifferent gaze, as if to say “does this have something to do with me”, then you may have to instill some desire in them. How does one instill desire? By painting pictures. With what? The tip of your tongue. First you will paint a picture with using grey and black. You will show a lack, needless pain and suffering and then making the customer the hero you will paint a picture of happy pastel colors which leads into happy broad sunlit uplands. Their good taste and decisiveness created this happiness. If you can’t create desire strong enough for them to purchase, you are probably lost. They must want the product, service, or desire to please another, show off or something so strongly that they are willing to consider the buy. “But how do I know what they are physically or psychologically lacking? A key question. If they haven’t already told you or you haven’t observed it then you have to ask. “When you enter you husband’s company’s Christmas Party do you have some jewel,
stone, ring, cuff, necklace etc; that sets sirens screaming?”
OK you got them cranked up. Their interested, convinced, they have some desire. And you are both standing there… What do you do? You could ask a yes or no question – do you want to buy it. THE CLOSE: Let’s pause a moment to emphasize here – the worst request for the order (above) is better than none. If you can’t think of anything else, just ask. Let us also say here that you don’t have to wait till this point to try to close. If the prospect indicates with words or gestures that they want or intend to have possession you can try to close with a trail close. It might be something as simple as “Let’s wrap it up?”, “How would you set it up”, “Will you want a gift box?”, but more often one will try an alternate close, “Would you prefer white or yellow gold?”, “do you prefer the oval or the round?” In all cases the question suggests ownership in the mind of the prospect. If they answer “I think I would prefer…” you may have moved them closer to ownership. If they say “I’m going to…” take out the order form.
Well you’re in the home stretch. You’ve done it all except close (that is to say you haven’t done anything). They are primed, but they haven’t bit. Now What?
You become a counselor and help them make a decision. For anyone to make an objective balanced decision it is best for us to weight the pros and cons. The best way to do this is on paper, don’t try and do this in your head or let them do it in their head. To seriously help or even if you want to influence, take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Then write Pro on the left side and Con on the right. Start by writing the Pro for them enumerating carefully each point. Then write the Con. Get them to agree on each point. If you want to influence you may use more positive adjectives with the Pro and group some of the negative points together. Then you can ask what do you think?
But what if they give me objections? They probably will. Hopefully you have rehearsed answering them so many times by yourself or with colleges that they just become part of the process. How do I handle them? You can turn them into an advantage, “The 3 phase inclusion in this emerald is your guarantee that it is natural” Diminish them, “Though we can not engrave on the front of this ring, who would be able to see your initials anyway and of course we will put them inside where only you two can share the secret”. If they are not valid, you can laugh them off. “Yes Mrs. Dupont an extra $35 for the texturing makes this too much for your budget, ha ha. How did you want me to wrap it again?” If they are provably wrong, refute them. Eliminate them very politely when possible. “I believe that you will find there is the carat stamp, that says 22 carat gold”.
We hope here that we have helped you make some extra and perhaps larger Xmas sales.
A prosperous holiday season and happy selling,
David Epstein.
Precious Resources.
PRECIOUS RESOURCES
Rua Epaminondas Otoni, 891-sl/107 – Centro
Teofilo Otoni – MG – BRAZIL – CEP 39800-013
Phone: 55 33 3522-4724
Fax: 55 33 3521 5098
Website: www.gembuying.com
Email: davidse123@gmail.com
BTW – You may remember David Epstein’s name as the author of “The Gem Merchant“
* Richard Wise is a Jeweler (R.W. Wise Goldsmiths), Gemologist and the author of “Secrets of the Gem Trade” and more recently “The French Blue“
Robyn Hawk
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