Open The Floor!: Your Questions That Were Posted to the National Jeweler Website

Answered by Leonard Zell

Notice that Leonard's answers all make good sense and allows you to sell the same way you would like to be sold. He answers these questions all the time in his sales seminars. In fact Leonard acts them out (role plays) taking the part of the salesperson and lets any one of his students play the customer. Leonard says, "This is the best way to show a technique because talking about it is meaningless. Salespeople want to challenge you and see how you handle the situation. This type of roll playing gives you and the technique credibility and motivates others to try it with their customers.

1. What's a smooth way of passing a customer onto another sales associate whose personality better fits a difficult customer?

Passing a customer from one salesperson to another or to a store manager or owner, is known in jewelry terms as the T. O., meaning turnover. Most salespeople are instructed to do this incorrectly, in a way to demean themselves. They are told to bring in another person as the "Expert," "Someone who knows more about it than I do," or "The store manager or owner." By all means avoid any of these phrases because what does that make you? It makes you less than the person you are T. O.ing to, so why should the customer ever come back to you? Using these phrases force you to lose your credibility. You should always appear just as knowledgeable and important as the person you are T. O.ing to.

The dialog could be like this:

Mrs. Jones, the customer: "I don't see anything I like in your store and you're too expensive. You should give me a better price."

Tom, the salesperson: "Mrs. Smith, let me bring Bob Jones over here, I believe some new merchandise arrived that I haven't had a chance to see yet." "Bob, this is Mrs. Smith."

Bob Jones, the Manager: "Mrs. Jones, I'm Bob Smith.

Tom: "Bob, Mrs. Smith was looking at this diamond ring and was concerned about the value. Perhaps some new diamond rings arrived just arrived that I haven't seen yet. "Mrs. Smith, you are in good hands and I will be nearby. By the way Bob is our store manager." (It is fine to say Bob is the manager as an afterthought because this does not make you look less, however if you bring in Bob as "the manager," that makes Bob the heavy hitter and demeans you.)

Bob Jones: "Thank you Tom. Mrs. Smith, Tom was right there are two other rings that I just put in stock and didn't get a chance to show them to him. Let me get them for you."..

I recommend to roll play this technique with your store manager and get it right before trying this with a customer. Like all the techniques I teach salespeople it answers these two important questions with a yes. Does it make sense and would I like to be sold this way? You may download the article, "The Turnover" from my web page at http://www.zellit.com.

2. Are there any new services retailers can use to attract customers?

I am not aware of any new services to attract customers and frankly that is where you should not be putting your time and dollars. I tell jewelers time and again they are sitting on a pile of ready made customers who trust them and have enjoyed buying from them in the past, yet they choose to ignore them and go after new services to attract customers. I fail to see any sense in that and I tell my students that the first rule of Zelling is only do things that make sense. Forget your new customers and for starters go back three years and look up important sales that your store has made. Call that customer with something definite in mind for them to come in and see. They would be pleased as punch to hear from you, to show that you cared. Not only retail jewelers, but almost everyone in retail, for some strange reason or other, expects a customer who has bought an important piece of merchandise from them are obligated to be a repeat customer. Why should they? It doesn't dawn on jewelers that customers would like to have a personal jeweler who looks out for them by reminding them of an upcoming important occasion and that they have something ready to show them for a birthdays, anniversary or Christmas. Did you ever think why the Internet is doing such a great job in all retail, especially in jewelry? I'll tell you why, the Internet gets their business by default from jewelers who ignore their customers and never call them. Every salesperson should have all of their important sales, like $500 and more recorded in a client book. This history will show what the customer has purchased and what they need. When that customer comes in to see what you have, they are presold on you and your store so the rest is easy. Salespeople who have an active client book and use it outsell others in their store by more that two to one! I ask you, why do you want to spend all that money on advertising and go after new customers when you can call your old customers without any expense? You may download my article on clienteling, "Increase Your Sales 100%" from my web page at http://www.zellit.com.

3. What do I say to a customer who says, "I can get this cheaper somewhere else?"

This is easy, but most salespeople are taught incorrectly in a way that ticks off their customers. They are told to say, "Well those jewelers just mark it up so they can mark it down." That salesperson may be right, but so what? Haven't they heard of that old phrase, "Win the battle and lose the war?" Hear is what the customer did not like, they were demeaned as if they were stupid. They did not come in for a lecture on logic, they came into buy, but by now their desire to buy is lost. Worse yet the salesperson demeaned themselves by knocking the competition.

Everyone knows you should never knock your competition, but some jewelers love revenge on their competition and then shoot their customers down by answering a challenging remark with one of their own. This is something that should be avoided at all costs. Never come back with any kind of answer right away, especially one like that when a customer challenges you.

First you must acknowledge that remark with a SMILE and go into neutral or better yet agree with them by saying something like, "I understand what you are saying and chances are you can find something very similar, but it won't be this diamond with all of its luster and brilliance and I will show you why. Just look how it sparkles under low light."

This will not work if you do not smile because that shows that your customer has "Gotcha." On the other hand if you smile that disarms them and shows confidence in what you are saying. That is why I tell all my students, "Your smile is your most powerful selling tool." You may download the article, "Challenge Your Customer and Lose the Sale" from my web page at http://www.zellit.com.

4. How do you "sell up" a customer?

If a customer asks for something with a price in mind, say $2,000.00, try and not go over 10% of that amount and preferably less. Then after you have romanced the piece of jewelry you can bring out something for more money, just don't make the mistake of volunteering the price. Make the customer ask. If they do not have a price in mind show them the most expensive piece of jewelry in that category you have, then you don't have to sell up. You can come down and as you do your customers budget goes up, a WIN WIN.

The easiest way of selling up is with add-on sales. One of my students recently sold five add-ons to a customer for $8,500 who was "just looking." The customer praised the saleslady for, "the very best of service." How's that for selling up? You may download the article on add-ons, "Let's think Ahead, It does Wonders" from my web page at http://www.zellit.com.

5. What might we say to a customer who asks about GE processed diamonds.

I refer you to the front page of the July 16 edition of the National Jewler, "GIA Scrambling to Detect GE-Processed Diamonds." This is where honesty is the best policy. I would refer to the article and say, right now the GIA has not been able to detect identifying charachteristics of the GE-Processed diamond, but in time they will, according to Tom Moses, VP of Identification Services. When they do, it will just be another imitation diamond. There is no substitute for a diamond.

6. How do you turn repairs into sales?

There are several ways and here is one that works because it makes sense. Let's use the most obvious situation, a customer coming in to replace a watch battery. While they are waiting to have it done say something using the key word, "Occasion" like, "You must have an upcoming occasion," then be silent and let your customer talk. They have to say something. Whatever the occasion is ask what fine pieces of jewelry he has he bought her in the past? This statement flatters him because you did not ask what she has, but he gave her. This gives you all the information you need to show him a piece of jewelry. Most jewelers complain about all the watch batteries they sold, the others brag about all the money they made from them. I have yet to hear a jeweler take pride in all the sales they created from watch batteries. I tell my students that every opportunity is a selling opportunity.

7. How do you handle returns?

Give them store credit? Turn it into another sale? Just accept it? The first thing you must do when handling returns is SMILE, then introduce yourself, find out the customer's name, remember it and use it selectively throughout the conversation like you would a friend in your home. If you fail to do this don't look for miracles because there won't be any. If you insist on staying nameless and letting your customer be anonymous, that's all they need to be difficult. However once you know their name they have to behave themselves.

Never give your customers the shield of letting them remain anonymous. Once you do introduce your self use your customer's name in the very next sentence by saying something like, " Mr. Smith, let me take care of this for you, please tell me the circumstances." Now you must remain silent listen and do not interrupt. In fact when you think they have stopped talking don't come in right away because they will talk more and that information will be paramount in handling the return. Now that you have listened well and are on a name basis the invisible barrier disappears between you and your customer. If it's a watch give him a loaner while you have his repaired. If it's something the customer didn't like they will let you show them something else because you now have a personal relationship with them.

Remember when they buy something in exchange of what you brought in, this is not selling, all you did was save a sale. Now the selling must begin. You should say, "Bob, I bet their must be another occasion coming up." By this time you are friends and since you have been so personal and professional he feels he owes you the courtesy to look at what you have. Selling from complaints is easy, most jewelers never try this technique. This is another selling opportunity that should not be missed. On my web site, http://www.zellit.com., you may download the articles, Why Salespeople Get Returns and Selling From Returns.

8. At the end of a sale, how can I establish my name in customers' minds for future sales?

What a great question! In my 20 years of sales training no one has ever asked me this and yet it is the most important technique in selling, introducing yourself. Selling anonymously makes absolutely no sense, especially selling the most personal item in the world, jewelry. However this is not done at the end of the sale it is done near the beginning, any time before the jewelry is shown. If you do it at the end it does not make any sense, because you are inferring, "Now that you finally bought something from me, I will tell you who I am."

Instead you can preface your introduction using these key words, "I "or "me." Such as, "Let me get this diamond ring out for you. By the way, my name is Barbara Smith," or "I would like to show this diamond ring, my name is Bob Jones. Customers want to know who "I" or "me" is and that is the time to tell them. Now hear is the important part. To remember their name you must use it in the very next sentence, other wise you will forget their name and that is embarrassing. "Mrs. Smith, just look how this diamond dazzles." Then use their name selectively otherwise you are addressing them as a "hey you" instead of as a person.

There are many advantages. You have established trust because you have implied you personally will be responsible for what they are buying. You have personalized the sale and the customer will come back asking for you. If you used their name throughout the sale you would have programmed it into your mind and you will remember it and be able to say, "Mrs. Smith, great to see you." She will be a repeat customer of yours, forever.

Another benefit is that you will not get any more challenging remarks because your customers cannot remain anonymous and therefore will temper their remarks. For more information on how to introduce yourself you may order my 180 page sales manual, on the how to's of selling fine jewelry, on my web site or call your order in toll free at 1-800-642-SELL. Chapter V. goes into all of the details.

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Leonard Zell is an honorary member of the Diamond Council of America and a contributing editor. This article was written for their newsletter the Diamontologist and is reprinted with their permission.

Author's Note: I welcome your comments about this or any of the other artcles presented here. LZ