It’s no secret that people love jewelry. It’s commonly purchased to celebrate special occasions and commemorate significant moments. Engagement rings are the most obvious examples of such sentimental pieces but watches, bracelets, necklaces and more carry a lot of meaning for both their purchasers and their recipients. Of course, all pieces jewelry are not gifts. Many people buy for themselves, simply enjoying the beauty and design of these globally-popular accessories.
With all of that said, however, it’s important for jewelry retailers to keep in mind that jewelry doesn’t simply sell itself. In fact, it’s generally quite the opposite. Because most pieces carry sentimental value for their owners, a great deal of preparation is usually put into the purchases of jewelry. As a retailer, it’s often your job to answer questions and provide senses of comfort to those who are interested in what you have to sell.
This is especially true if the jewelry is handmade. Author of the book, Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry: The Complete Guide to Turning Your Passion into Profit, Viki Lareau shares her thoughts, tips and ideas about how to endear the buying public to your one-of-a-kind pieces. Among her helpful tidbits of information is her recommendation to speak to customers in person at trade shows.
“Try selling jewelry at a local craft show–the smallest show you can find, your church bazaar, your kid’s school fair, or your town’s local weekend market,” she advises on Interweave.com, “This type of show should be very inexpensive, $20 to $40 for a table or booth, so that you can at least make your fee back. Don’t think of it as a money-making endeavor, though, but more as research. You need to really listen to folks, see which pieces they’re commenting on, which they are ignoring.”
Naturally, it’s just as important to engage in conversations with customers when they enter your store. You’ll want to do your part in asking probing questions to discover what it is your potential buyers are really looking for. Keep in mind that what they’re “looking for” isn’t necessarily jewelry – it’s a feeling – one of compassion and adoration for a loved one. Learning more about the sentimental values they place on your products will help you to sell the right ones.
However, salesmanship will always be at play. After all, you are looking to generate profits for your store. And, as a result, it’s important that your products are properly displayed. That involves placing your items in spots where they can be comfortably seen. In his The Retail Doctor’s Blog, Bob Phipps recommends than you raise your counters so that your customers can see your products better.
“Does anyone want to look at something at the level of their crotch?” he challenges, “No. The sweet spot in any display is the area between the bellybutton and the eyes. You want to highlight your best products at eye level. Stooping over, especially for older consumers, isn’t their preferred way to do many things. Raise your display counters to 42” instead of 32” so customers can have an up-close relationship with the products they’re browsing.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we believe wholeheartedly in the concept of making direct connections with your customers. Our many years of experience working with jewelry store owners have taught us that the personal connections made between retailers and their customers greatly improve their ability to generate sales. Our expertise, here at TK Enterprises Inc., is to get on the phones and invite your customers to your in-store events so that you’ll be given ample opportunities to make those personal connections.
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.