”If you ask people why they shop in your store, and they say it’s the merchandise, you’re in trouble. If they say it’s because of the people, you’ll have a long and profitable business,” said sales trainer Brad Huisken in a session titled ”How to Help Employees Combat the Internet.”

”Install human software,” he said. A jeweler should be focused on making a relationship and building a long-term or referral customer, not on making the immediate sale. It becomes increasingly important every day for a jeweler to sell himself, his store, and his brand. ”If you don’t sell yourself at least three times in each presentation, you’re making a big mistake,” he said. To illustrate, he asked members of the audience to list some of their stores’ competitive advantages, such as a repair shop on the premises, a good return policy, and so forth. ”Is there anything wrong with telling your customers the same thing?” he asked. He also stressed the importance of understanding customers’ emotions. When someone comes in looking for an engagement ring, the first thing most jewelers will say is, ”round or marquise?” or something similar, but the first thing a jeweler should say is, ”Congratulations! Tell me about your bride.” It’s about the people, not the product.

JCK