Shanu Singh Guliani

Sales 101: Small Talk Pays
January 30, 2007

Selling a diamond these days is tough enough…but at the same time are you doing all you can to learn about your client? Customers want more than to be romanced and/or educated about the 4C’s. They want to be able to relate with their sales associate.

Here’s my story: A gentleman is walking around our store with his Pocket PC in hand crossing off things from his digital list. From afar, I can also see him viewing a picture from the built in camera.

One of our sales associates begins to help him at the diamond counter. He wants a round 1 carat, doesn’t offer any specifications and after a couple of minutes says, “I’ll be back.” Our sales associate finally gets him to tell her what he wants and what he doesn’t like about the rings she was showing him. He begins to say, “I am looking for a specific setting that I saw somewhere else.” He opens up his PDA and begins to load the picture he took at another store. The sales associate goes on to look for similar rings in the showcase, totally aware, that we do not carry anything like it. The customer gets distracted and says, “I have fallen in love with a specific ring and need it for today. I will come back if I can’t find anything else.”

Before he leaves he glances at another showcase...here's my chance. “How do you like the PDA you have?” He goes on to talk about his gadget that he loves so much. He begins to show me the awesome picture quality and we start conversing about our Smart Phones. I eventually pulled out mine and then the conversation went from phones to why he wanted that specific ring and what it meant to their relationship to finally purchasing 1.28ct round diamond in a beautiful European shank from Mercury Ring Corporation. 

The bottom line is making the customer feel comfortable. We talked and I was able to learn who my client was. Believe me…I’m not aware of every Pocket PC on the market but I could tell it was something he treasured and I gave him time to talk-away about it.

How do you discover your client’s interests? Are you getting to know your client without going too much off topic?  During the course of the sale, you need to be aware of everything you can to learn more about your client. Does he or she have signs of membership in organizations on their key chains? Are there bumper stickers on their car? Has the client referred to a meeting or some other indicator of involvement in an association or country club? Can you gather information about their children or significant other?

Here are relatively easy ways to investigate new and future client’s interests:

• Memberships/Association/Favorite Places: If you meet a potential client in their office, you will often have the opportunity to discover their memberships by simply looking around the room. Do they have plaques from the Chamber of Commerce? Membership directories from an industry association on the bookshelf? When in your store, do they mention associations or a country club they play golf at? Do they go to the theater or attend certain restaurants frequently?
• Bumper Stickers: Some people advertise their political or social associations on their car. Do they support any charities or the military? Parents are always showing off their kids honor roll stickers or stickers of sports they play. That might be a perfect way to start conversation about their children or sports.
• Technology: These days everyone has a cell phone and most people who have Smart Phones or Pocket PC’s also love other kinds of “techno toys.” This type of conversation can go from phones, to game systems they own, online gaming, and much more. You won’t believe how many 40-year-old male customers who love online gaming themselves or know everything about them because they are always buying membership trials for their kids.
• Family: Does you client have photos on their key chain? Has your client mentioned anything about his or her significant other, children, and friends?
• Employment: People who love their work or business can’t stop talking about it. Does he/she mention finance, marketing, construction, the perils of owning a business, etc?

For more on sales take a look at an article I wrote last Christmas on the Top 10 Jewelry Sales Mistakes.

Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on January 30, 2007 | Comments (2)