Last week I talked about selling the love. This week I’ll explore another way to create interest in your jewellery…selling the story.
Jewellery has been around since the dawn of humans on this planet. It is perhaps one of the first non-essential things we wore on our bodies purely for the enjoyment and adornment. Since that time jewellery has been a part of our existence. There are historical stories and legends that trace back thousands of years and new stories are being created right now. Use them all to make a sale.
One of the basic ways to add a story to your selling technique is to research the meanings behind different gemstones and jewellery styles. This information is readily available online and in libraries. You can print these stories on a small card in your showcase to create interest and get a conversation started. Talk about your own personal feelings about a stone or piece of jewellery. Does it make you feel happy? Calm? Excited? Let the customer hold it and ask them how they feel. Always remember that there is no correct answer, you just want them to respond to their initial impressions. This can be a clue to their motivations and can guide you toward making the sale.
It is even better if you can personalize a story about a particular item. Did you find it at a show? Tell them a bit about the show, what else you saw, and why this particular item caught your eye. It is the story of why it is in your showcase.
If you travelled to an exotic foreign locale to source an item; back it up with the story of your travels. Make your story colourful and exciting. Let them feel they were with you. Talk about the sights, the sounds, the smells. What did you eat? Did you meet any interesting characters? Make it real and make it fun. Now it is more than just a piece of jewellery, it has a personality and a history.
Custom work is an excellent opportunity to tell a story. It can be as simple as describing the process of designing and building an item. Did you make a drawing? Is it cast or handcrafted? Did you run into any problems that you had to solve? How did you come up with the idea? Anything that adds interest can help make a sale.
You don’t even need your own story. Ask your vendors for their story. It might be a story of their travels for sourcing or it may even be a story of them overcoming personal challenges. If you or your vendor has a favourite project or charity that gets a part of their profit, tell that story. People want to know that their purchase goes to a higher purpose than just a profit. It makes them feel good about buying and we certainly want to elicit positive emotions from our customers.
A good story elevates your jewellery beyond just mere metal and stone. It brings life and personality into the picture.
What’s your story?