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Back in May, we were lucky enough to have some very important content provided to us by Travis Isaacson of Lashbrook, which focused on “3 Reasons You Can’t Afford to Let Him Walk.” Check out the previous article here, and see below for a follow-up to this important research.
47% of couples buy his ring somewhere other than the place they bought her ring.1
Why?
Sometimes it’s price, sometimes it’s selection, sometimes it’s salesmanship at the “other jewelry store” where they declared they were “just looking” as they walked in.
Whatever the reason, this is a problem for all jewelers because the key to long-term success in the industry is in earning the lifetime business and loyalty of new customers.
So, how can you earn the incremental business and lifelong loyalty of that giddy young couple in front of you? Not everyone lets 47% of couples walk to buy his ring elsewhere. As we’ve traveled the country, talking to some of the best in the business, we’ve learned a few secrets for keeping him in your store and selling his ring.
Secret One: Size Him
The best of the best assume the combined sale—her ring and his ring—from the very beginning. They are not simply using the classic “come back and see us” line after finishing up with her ring. It’s not using the “assumptive close” from Sales 101 after he’s picked out a ring. It’s also not a phone call one month before the wedding. No, it starts before that…a long time before that.
During the first introductions, the very best in the industry start the conversation with the happy couple as a “package deal.” From the first moments in a conversation, they set up the shopping experience as an all-inclusive, find-the-perfect-ring adventure for BOTH of them. However, the way these stores talk to couples is only part of the secret. There’s a subtle but powerful tactic that the best salespeople use to send this message and plant the seed for his sale: They size him. When they first get her finger size, they get his too. They write down both sizes right in front of the couple. It’s simple. It’s painless. And it sets the stage for our second secret.
Secret Two: Surprise Him!
The best of the best never assume he doesn’t want to think about his ring on the first visit. Frankly, even if he says it they don’t believe him. Yes, of course, the gentleman is there to take care of his bride-to-be, as he should be; but the best sales associates in the country do something that he never expects. In fact, that’s the point. They surprise him!
Here’s how it works. They start by doing what everyone does—they get to know the couple. They lay the foundation for a relationship by learning about their professions, hobbies, background, likes, and dislikes. Most importantly they learn about their personalities for insights during the shopping and designing process. Then, when the time is right—sometime during the first visit—they show him something that will surprise him. To the baseball fanatic, they show him the baseball ring. To the avid hunter, they show a camo ring. To the gamer, maybe it’s a Damascus Steel ring. Or to the Sci-fi fan, an authentic Meteorite ring. Whatever the scenario, a savvy salesperson doesn’t let him leave without surprising him. And that prepares the couple for the third secret.
Secret Three: Personalize His Ring
Customers today have come to expect a degree of personalization in the majority of their significant purchases. People customize everything from bicycles and cars to shoes and cell phones. In fact, more than 25% of shoppers said they are interested in customization options for the products they buy.2 Jewelry is even more personal. In 2015, 45% of couples customized her ring in some way.3
With this in mind, the third secret a great jeweler will employ is to help the couple customize and personalize his ring. Creating a custom ring has a lot of benefits and there are some tricks to doing it well, but those are topics for another paper. Suffice it to say that the perfect, made-to-order, customized ring will be a symbol of her love for him, of who he is as a person and of what they are together. He’ll enjoy wearing it, she’ll melt when she sees him in it, and you made it all happen!
For more research and ideas on the benefits of helping them customize and personalize his ring, ask for our whitepaper: “The 3 Undeniable and Underappreciated Benefits of Custom.”
For more on how to quickly and easily help customers create the ring they never knew they always wanted, ask for our whitepaper: “The 3 Ways to Create a Custom Ring for Your Customer.”
Let’s review the three simple secrets for selling his ring:
- Secret One: Size him. This sets the stage for both sales.
- Secret Two: Surprise him. This gets him talking about his ring from day one.
- Secret Three: Personalize his ring. This turns his ring from something he “has to wear” to something he “loves to wear.”
The best of the best are already doing this and, in the process, they are winning more lifetime customers and referrals than anyone in their market. They understand the “3 Reasons You Can’t Afford to Let Him Walk,” so they size him, surprise him, and personalize his ring.
The JA New York Summer 2016 Event is taking place July 24-16 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Register here to attend!
1 The Knot, 2015 Jewelry & Engagement Study, page 33
2 “Making it Personal: Rules for Success in Product Customization,” Bain & Company, http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/making-it-personal-rules-for-success-in-product-customization.aspx
3 The Knot, 2015 Jewelry & Engagement Study, page 27
