Austin, Texas—The diamond industry needs to do a better job communicating with men, said a glitzy James Bond-themed Diamond Promotion Service presentation on the “Male Paradox” on the third day of the American Gem Society Conclave.

“Men want to win,” said Diamond Promotion Service training director Diana Warga-Arias, noting that men do not enjoy and often feel uncomfortable shopping for jewelry. “You need to translate the joy of giving a diamond into what’s in it for him?”

She gave the following tips on how to better communicate with men:

* Have events in your store that are interesting to men.
* Advertise in male-oriented publications and “go where the men are.”
* If you have “diamond rooms,” set aside one specifically to make men comfortable.
* Use male-targeted terminology. A DPS example had a jeweler telling a male customer that buying a diamond was a “slam-dunk.”
* Stress what diamonds mean emotionally to women. “Men are not comfortable talking about emotion,” Warga-Arias said. “A lot of times they don’t ‘get’ diamonds. Let them know why diamonds are important to women. You have to tell him that, to her, diamonds symbolize your past, present and future as a couple.”
* Stop asking for permission to sell and start advising. “Men love to get advice,” she said. “We need to advise them.”
* Build a relationship with the male consumer that is unrelated to jewelry. “Introducing jewelry too fast does not work with men,” she said.

JCK