A year ago, GN Diamond shared the 4 Pillars of Clienteling: service, convenience, staying top of mind, and employee training. Even the upheaval of 2020 couldn’t shake these timeless features of effective sales, but the specific techniques used should be tweaked to meet customers where they’re at in 2021.
Clienteling can still be described as the art of building rapport with clients and nurturing their long-term loyalty. So what can you do to draw customers closer despite social distancing, and inspire trust and confidence for years to come? “We talk to 2500 independent jewelers every day who are navigating this ‘new normal’, and they’ve given us valuable insights into clienteling in the here and now,” said Asaf Herskovitz, CEO GN Diamond.
Exceed Client Expectations in the “New Normal”
Yes, diamond sales took a dip in 2020, but they bounced back to deliver a holiday season that was 8.3% higher than the previous year. Also, fewer stores closed in 2020 than in 2019. People are still going in-store and online to spend stimulus funds on lasting, meaningful purchases. And that trend is expected to increase in 2021.
Don’t greet new and returning clients with the same old mediocre tactics. Exceed their expectations and take the opportunity to cement a strong relationship.
- Service. Showing genuine care for the customer, forming a personal connection, and providing helpful, targeted guidance are still essential. This year, go above and beyond by offering highly-personalized virtual and in-store appointments where the customer feels like a VIP.
- Convenience. 2020 accelerated the push toward always-on, omnichannel, digital presence. Be reachable by website, phone, email, social media, and video conferencing. And when clients can’t talk to you directly, make sure your website and social feeds are full of dazzling images and videos that showcase your inventory and provide engaging education on the 4 Cs. Remember: visual and verbal communication are not only easier for clients to absorb, they also help build credibility 7x faster than text.
- Staying top of mind. Timely, personal reminders when holidays and special events are approaching are appreciated more than ever by clients. It shows you are thinking about them and that you want to be available and helpful during difficult times. Call your clients and offer to clean their jewelry and watches, or tell them about a great discount they may take advantage of. A human touch is the most powerful thing you can bring to your clienteling this year.
- Employee training. As always, you’re only as good as your team. Train and empower salespeople to delight clients and remind them why shopping with you beats buying from an online retailer or chain store. Training should cover creating an excellent customer experience whether on the phone, over Zoom, or using safe in-store practices. The better the experience they deliver, the more sales momentum they’ll generate.
GN Diamond Makes Clienteling Easier
“The GN Diamond platform makes it easier than ever to give clients the exceptional service, digital convenience, and personalized experience they desire,” says Herskovitz. “Independent jewelers nationwide benefit from Diamond Hunt, our white-label loose diamond search portal that seamlessly integrates with your website to showcase our entire inventory with your own branding and markups.”
Learn more about Diamond Hunt and GN Diamond’s free sales and marketing resources and continuing education and training at www.gndiamond.com. GN’s sales representatives are available 7 days a week at sales@gndiamond.com or 800-724-8810.
