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Last week we discussed how important diamond grading reports have become in terms of diamond sales, and how customers today often come in with a specific set of criteria, dictating to you \u2013 the salesperson \u2013 \u201cexactly what they want.\u201d Today, we will begin a discussion of how to take control of such a situation and show the customer not only what he wants, but possibly something that is an even wiser choice.<\/p>\n
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Having an in-depth understanding of the 4Cs <\/span>\u2013<\/span> and making sure your customers understand them too \u2013 is crucial, but a superficial understanding <\/span>\u2013<\/span> <\/span>leading to prejudicial comments <\/span>\u2013<\/span> <\/span>will definitely have a negative impact on sales success.<\/p>\n As a knowledgeable diamond salesperson knows, as well as most consumers today, the 4Cs deal with the overall quality of specific diamonds. But there is confusion related to the impact that each \u201cC\u201d has with regard to <\/span>beauty<\/em>, <\/span>rarity<\/em> <\/span>and <\/span>cost<\/em>. Each diamond is unique, regardless of whether or not they sound like they are the \u201csame quality\u201d on a diamond grading report. Some factors appeal to one buyer more than to another, depending on the taste, aesthetic needs, and budget of the buyer. One person may like round shapes the best, while another might prefer an oval or emerald cut, one being costlier than another; one person won\u2019t be comfortable wearing a diamond under three carats, while another won\u2019t be comfortable with anything over one carat; a \u201cD\u201d color diamond might seem \u201ccold\u201d to one person whereas the same person may find J-K color more desirable because it\u2019s a \u201cwarmer\u201d color; and so on.<\/p>\n The successful salesperson will find out what\u2019s most important to the customer, and present diamonds to best meet those criteria. Most important, they will do it without bias. This is the key to successful selling. The successful salesperson will discuss differences between diamonds in the context of \u201crarity\u2019 and will help customers find the right combination of the 4Cs to best meet the customer\u2019s needs, emotionally and financially. Let\u2019s look at what this means in terms of a specific selling scenario.<\/p>\n Explaining differences should, first and foremost, be in the context of \u201cmore rare\u201d and \u201cless rare,\u201d not \u201cbetter than\u201d or \u201cworse than.\u201d Explaining that one diamond is \u201cmore\u201d or \u201cless\u201d rare is stating a fact. But all too often sales people use the terms \u201cbetter than\u201d\/\u201cworse than\u201d or \u201clower quality\u201d\/\u201dhigher quality,\u201d all of which are judgmental. Take a situation where a young man is looking at diamonds for an engagement ring. He finds a diamond he really likes, but notices it\u2019s the same price as a smaller diamond and he questions why. The diamond he likes is an SI1, and the smaller diamond is a VS1. The salesperson immediately points out that the larger diamond is a \u201clower quality\u201d or \u201cnot as good as\u201d the smaller diamond, that the smaller diamond has a much \u201cbetter\u201d clarity [delete word \u2018grade\u2019]. The customer can\u2019t really see any difference; he\u2019s not sure why he keeps going back to the larger diamond, which really appeals to him, and the salesperson not only hasn\u2019t helped, but has created a dilemma for him \u2013 he really likes the \u201cworse\u201d diamond! So he simply thanks the salesperson, and leaves the store without buying either one.<\/span><\/p>\n Some may be asking why, thinking that the salesperson did the right thing and was being honest and direct, and the customer left because customers frequently leave without making a decision to buy what you\u2019ve shown. But is this really the case? Think about it and put yourself in the customer\u2019s shoes; would you buy the diamond you really liked if the \u201cexpert\u201d (the salesperson) told you it wasn\u2019t \u201cas good as the smaller diamond\u201d? I doubt it, and certainly most customers don\u2019t. The reason is simple: the buyer was made to feel embarrassed because he liked the \u201cless good\u201d diamond, the one of \u201clower quality,\u201d and didn\u2019t want to buy a diamond the salesperson clearly thought was \u201cinferior.\u201d In short, he didn\u2019t want to buy a diamond that would reflect badly on his judgment! It is simply easier to go to another jeweler, one who would make him feel good about the diamond he really wanted!<\/p>\nSuccessfully Connecting the 4Cs to Your Customer Needs<\/h3>\n