Maybe you remember this old sales slogan: “We make money the old fashioned way; we earn it.” This can be an excellent approach for sales associates when it comes to add-on sales. The last thing customers want to experience is a salesperson that seems more intent on making an extra sale than best serving their needs. I wonder how many long term customer relationships have been damaged by clumsy attempts at add-on sales.

Consider the rapport and good will that exist at that moment when the customer declares their intent to make a purchase of fine jewelry. The customer feels they can trust the sales associate and the brand promise that has been conveyed. This is powerful stuff! Selling jewelry runs the gamut when it comes to emotions. From desperation of not knowing what one wants, to finding an appealing piece that seems unaffordable to zeroing in on just the right selection at the right price. Professional salespeople change the behaviors of shoppers by turning them into buyers.  There are many very professional sales associates who know how to help customers find the right piece of jewelry for the right reasons. But that may not be as evident when it comes to add-on sales.

Add-on sales can be the gateway to greater compensation for sales reps and economic success for store owners; or the wrong approach to add-on sales can be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back for some customers. All that good will and even more important…trust is now on the line when the sales associate attempts to extend the number of items that will appear on the final sales ticket. Done correctly, it can seem as natural as accenting an outfit for a customer. Too often attempts at add-on sales can be perceived as insincere and self servicing to customers.

Great sales are well planned and practiced. Sales associates need guidance and support from management when it comes to further expanding their conception of strategies and approaches to add-on sales. Suggesting matching sets can be rather safe, but what about all of those mix-and-match combinations that women love to wear? How well versed are sales associates at making these sorts of product presentations? How motivated are sales reps to make add-on sales? What sort of compensation might improve sales associates attempts at add-on sales?

Outstanding sales associates know how to probe shoppers to learn what will be the right quality, design, style and price range of jewelry. They also know how to ask the right questions that will help them not only close the first sale, but make an effective transition into an add-on sale. Professional jewelry sales associates know that they can be the consultant at the beginning of the sales presentation and gain valuable input from shoppers. However, once they ask for the order some shoppers will adjust their perception of the sales rep from being a consultant to a deal-closer. Knowing how to transition back to trusted advisor to further engage the customer with add-on sales is a sign of true professionalism. Earning the right to make an add-on sale can make all the difference in the success of jewelry sales associates and jewelry companies.

JCK