You ever hear this? If a customer tells you about a diamond they "saw" on the internet don't sweat it! You did the tough part. They are already in your store. Now in order to make the sale all you need to do is create the feeling of value. Your price does not matter as much as the feeling that the customer is getting a great value with you. So how to you make you customer feel your diamond is a great deal without discounting? Here are some tips to help you create that feeling of value.
#1 SELL FEELING.
Remember, you are selling a feeling. Instead of debating price with a customer, connect with them! When are they getting married? How did they meet? Not everyone buys based on price. People buy from you because their mom bought from you or you give to a charity they support. Sell the feeling that the internet can't!!
#2TELL A STORY
People love a story. Create a story about your store. Your story might be your long history in your community or that you do the best custom work in town. It could be your events or your fun décor. Sell your story, not just jewelry. The better you deliver your story the better your customer feels about their purchase and the less price matters.
#3 Nature
Remember a diamond is more than letters and numbers. It is a work of nature. If I gave you all the dimensions of a woman could you tell me if she is beautiful? NO!!! You need to see her. Same as with a diamond.
#4 THE VALUE OF PICKING
When selling a diamond to a retail customer, remind them how many hundreds of diamonds had to be picked through in order to get to the diamonds they are seeing now! Try to teach them of the value of having professionals PICK the BEST of the BEST for them. Your effort, time, and knowledge all ADD REAL VALUE to your diamonds! The public has no idea how many diamond experts look over a diamond before it gets into the hands of a jeweler. If the customer realized how much effort went in to selecting the best diamonds they might be more inclined to buy in a store over an on-line supplier.
#5EXAMINE BEFORE YOU BUY
A jewelry store lets you examine the diamond BEFORE you buy it and compare it to many other diamonds. The internet will not show you diamonds side by side. Diamond dealers don't buy diamond without seeing them! Why should you?
#6 WHERE IS THE INCLUSION?
Ask the internet site WHERE the inclusion is. How bright the stone is? What is the quality of rough? Is it hazy? All these things translate to value and are not easily discernable to the untrained eye. If you do not know them when you buy a diamond on-line then you do not know if you are getting value.
#7A RANGE WITHIN GRADES
If every G SI1 was the same everyone would always buy the cheapest! DeBeers sorts rough diamonds into over a thousand different categories. There are many degrees and differences within the color and clarity grades. Even with GIA, a good SI1 might even be better than a bad VS2!!!! Plus, there are many diamond qualities NOT Even listed on a certificate! Brightness, scintillation, quality of the rough, position and relief of inclusions. These all determine beauty and are not listed on a GIA or any other cert.
#8 TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. No one is giving anything away. There is usually a reason something is below market value. Tell the customer to try to get the stone on the internet and bring it in. Many stones are just listed and do not even really exist.
#9 MAKE IT FOREVER
When you buy for price that is all you get. This is a life long position. This is maybe the most precious item you will ever own. It means something. Make it special. Internet sites come and go but a diamond is forever.
#10 SERVICE
Who are you going to go to if there is a chip, or a problem? The internet site will not provide maintenance, experience, or service. When you buy from a jeweler you are purchasing their time and expertise. They give you a mounting and keep your jewelry clean and in good condition for as long as you own the piece.
#11 HONESTY
Unfortunately, sellers of diamonds are not always looked upon as beacons of honesty. I have heard of and experienced fake certificates and real certificates sold with diamonds that did not match the diamond. Don't be afraid to tell your customers some of the internet purchas
But I Saw the Same Diamond for Cheaper!
If every G SI1 was the same everyone would always buy the cheapest! DeBeers sorts rough diamonds into over a thousand different categories. There are many degrees and differences within the color and clarity grades. Even with GIA, a good SI1 might even be better than a bad VS2!!!! Plus, there are many diamond qualities NOT Even listed on a certificate! Brightness, scintillation, quality of the rough, position and relief of inclusions. These all determine beauty and are not listed on a GIA or any other cert. A diamond is more than letters and numbers. That is why diamond dealers must look at a diamond before they buy it and you should too. This is maybe the most precious item you will ever own. Make it special."
For more Jewelry Selling Tips pleas
THE TRUTH ABOUT EGL INTERNATIONAL CERTS!
I have heard many jewelers complain that EGL International certs are often embellished. They are upset and frustrated. I think it's time we addressed this issue.
Honesty is the best policy. The same is for clarity enhanced or drilled stones. The problem occurs when the jeweler does not properly disclose the treatment. The same with EGL International certs. It is fine to sell them, but be up front with the customer. Tell the customer that EGL International uses a different standard of grading than GIA.
Different is not always bad! EGL invented the SI3, which almost the whole world, including the RAPAPORT price list, recognizes as necessary. There were too many diamonds that were falling between SI2 and I1.
Change is good! AGS invented the cut grade. Competition is good! I am glad there are many labs. If there was only GIA then they could raise prices and essentially charge any price they want for certs.
DIAMOND GRADING IS SUBJECTIVE
There are traits of a diamond that are objective, like depth, and there are traits in diamond grading that are subjective like color and clarity. There is no master set for clarity. Clarity is complicated. You must look at the total volume of the stone and the location of the inclusion. What is the scientific basis for clarity? All labs seem to have different scales. There will always be a gray area. I have been all over the county and I have seen different jewelers and appraisers grade diamonds differently. It is impossible to have one standard. Even GIA has variations. I have seen the GIA multiple times give different grades to the same stone!
Diamond grading labs have so much to look for, especially now with clarity enhancement, synthetic diamonds, and HTHP treatments. They have to check for all these and yet the price of certing a diamond has not gone up. One day a laser might be able to grade clarity, but until then, they are graded by humans with opinions and it will remain subjective. If you look, it says right on the cert, this is not a guarantee. It is just the opinion of a gemologist.
The problem is when a jeweler pretends GIA and EGL Interantional certs are the same. The wholesale and retail market proves they are different by pricing. Just look at what each are selling for. All EGL International graded diamond sell for less than GIA's.
Consumer communication is always best. Show your customer multiple diamonds with different certs or even un-certed diamonds and explain the differences. Earn their trust by telling them the truth. You are the jeweler. You are the expert - you owe it to them to tell them what you know. If you only sell GIA's you might be pricing yourself out of the reach of many customers. I think when you bad mouth EGL's, or the jeweler down the street who sells EGL's, it makes YOU look bad.
Instead of putting downEGL international just explain that there are different standards. Say to the customer lets compare! "Here are different certs from different labs and yes, GIA is more expensive, because they have a higher standards.... Now which one looks prettiest to you?"
These are a few articles. I can make them longer shorter. Ect. Please let me know your thoughts. Feel free to change the subject line and any of the wording.
2 articles for the DIAMOND PULSE:
The VALUE of Having an Expert PICK your diamond
When selling a diamond to a retail customer, remind them how many diamonds had to be picked over in order to get to the diamonds they are seeing now! Try to teach them of the value of having professionals
PICK the BEST of the BEST for them. Much of the public has no idea how many diamond experts look over a diamond before it gets into the hands of a jeweler. If the customer realized how much effort went in to selecting the best diamonds they might be more inclined to buy in a store over an on-line supplier.
Tell your diamond customer that when you select a diamond you select the best from all the diamond suppliers and in turn those suppliers only bought the best from the cutters! So when the customer looks at 2-3 diamonds in your store remind them that even thought they might only be looking at 2-3 diamonds that they had many people looking at hundreds of diamonds to make sure those 2-3 diamond were the BEST of the BEST!!
Remember when selling diamonds: Your effort, time, and knowledge and your diamond dealers effort, time, and knowledge all ADD REAL VALUE to your diamonds!
Aleah Siegel
Olympian Diamonds
5th Generation Jeweler
3rd Generation GIA Gemologist
"What do I say if a Customer asks for a Diamond I do not have in stock?"
If a customer ask for a diamond you do not have, consider an answer like this. "I Co-op with many different diamond wholesalers. It saves me money on insurance and allows me to have the very best diamond at a moments notice. I will call my partners and they will select the very best diamonds from the very best cutters. I can have you the most amazing diamond in one day if you can come back I promise you will be impressed."
It is true! You do co-op with diamond dealers! But most of the public does not know this. If you tell them in an exciting way, most people will be willing to wait a day to get the best selection of diamonds!!
People Love a Story!
When I am wearing a piece of fine jewelry and someone says "Wow that is a great necklace" I need to say SOMETHING back right?? What do I say? Some people make the price the story. "Oh, it was on sale". The best scenario is if when I bought the piece of jewelry, the jeweler told me a story to help sell the piece. Stories help sell an item. They help romance the item. They add excitement, interest, and meaning. The story can be where the jewelry was from, such as it was handmade in Italy or the diamond was mined in Canada. The story can also be the rarity of an item. How few clean natural emeralds there are in the earth or how many tons of earth must be dug up to find a 1 carat diamond. The story can be as simple as "I was at the huge Las Vegasjewelry show and as I was leaving out of the corner of my eye I saw this piece. It was so special and eye catching I just had to have it!"
My dad, a very smart jeweler, suggests having a card go along with each piece of jewelry in your retail store. Each card should have a story specific to that piece of jewelry.
That is why antiques are so popular. People LOVE a story. If you can make them love and connect with the story behind the jewelry, then price is no longer the issue.
Don't just sell your Tangibles, Sell your INTANGIBLES!
Most Jewelers price their diamonds based on the tangables. The carat weight of the ring, the number of stones, but MOST CUSTOMER'S BUY based on the Intangibles.
You think people shop with you because you have the nicest selection of engagement rings, but that is not always the case. Many people BUY from you because of intangibles. People buy from you because their mom shopped with you, because you are the hippest store in town. Customers buy based on intangibles....SO SELL your intangibles! Your Intangibles ADD VALUE.
Your intangibles might be your store warranty or the services you provide. Maybe it is your long history in your community or the charity events you hold. These things create a story about your store. Your story is what you should sell, not just jewelry. The BETTER you deliver your STORY the better your customer feels about their purchase and the less price matters.
Your intangibles might be your store warranty or the services you provide. Maybe they are your long history in your community or the charity events you hold. Your personal credentials are also intangibles that add value to your jewelry. All of these things create a story about your store. Your story is what you should sell, not just jewelry. Your story could be your events, your fun decor, that you help each bride with their wedding, or that if it rains on Christmas then they get their jewelry for free. The BETTER you deliver your STORY the better your customer feels about their purchase and the less price matters
You know what your diamonds, gold, labor 
