Secrets and subtleties of jewelry marketing. A Step-by-Step Guide to Increasing Jewelry Store Sales

Is your area of activity the jewelry market? Are you interested in a massive influx of customers and constant profits? Is your task to stay at the top of the most popular and popular shopping centers, to become a real trading virtuoso? In this case, read carefully: this article will be interesting and useful to you. It is the result of an analysis and synthesis of the work experience of many owners and managers of jewelry stores, professional sellers, and contains practical recommendations for attracting target buyers and selling goods.

Technology of "Magic Numbers"

To ensure that trade in your jewelry store flourishes, set “correct” prices for products that contain special combinations of numbers.
According to research, people like amounts containing the numbers 5, 7, 9. Include them in the cost of products. Seven is especially popular, so use it more often. Then 5 and 9. For example, 799 rubles, 7095, etc. “7”, “9”, “5” almost hypnotize customers, literally forcing them to buy the product! Price “swings” are the second component of the “Magic Numbers” Technology. Sale prices, big discounts must be on products. But the assortment also requires expensive goods. A separate and fairly large category of customers will not buy products precisely because they are cheap. The point here is the stereotype of prestige or the combination “expensive means high quality.” And most people want high-quality products that meet their needs.

Rescue on the Internet

Remote trade in jewelry could significantly help retail chains, but it became possible only in December 2019, recalls Eduard Utkin. Prior to this, the country was subject to a 1992 presidential decree prohibiting the industry from trading online. Before the crisis, sales of most jewelry companies via the Internet did not exceed 4% of turnover, so the companies were not ready to work in a pandemic. “But they figured it out pretty quickly and within one or two months they launched their own online trading or went to marketplaces. Thus, many managed to increase the share of online sales in turnover to 10-12%,” notes Utkin.

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Mercury launched online sales of watches and jewelry in March 2021. This area is actively developing and has great potential (up to 500,000 unique users per month), the company notes. The overall level of online sales in 2021 doubled compared to 2021.

Online trading has become a way out for Adamas, admits Dmitry Dosko. However, jewelry is a product that buyers still want to try on and touch in person before purchasing, says Dosko.

For the SOKOLOV brand, the online channel provides about 30% of revenue; the audience of the online store has reached 3 million people per month, says managing partner of the brand Artem Sokolov. As a result, the company closed 2020 with a 60% increase in operating profit.

The Moscow Jewelry Factory is also recording an increase in online sales: their share has grown to 15% compared to 7-8% a year ago.

Jewelry became one of the fastest growing categories last year, marketplaces admit. Over the past year, turnover from jewelry sales at Ozon increased 5.4 times, notes Iloanga Ershova, director of business development at Ozon. And in 2021, the trend continued: the turnover from sales of jewelry in the first quarter of 2021 increased fourfold year-on-year, while the average bill did not increase compared to the figures for the first quarter of last year and is about 2,000 rubles.

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In 2021, the turnover of jewelry products at Wildberries reached 5 billion rubles, and from January to May 2021 - 2.6 billion rubles, which is 50% more than in the same period last year, a company representative said. The average bill in 2021 was about 1,655 rubles; over the five months of 2021 it grew to 1,688 rubles. Now Wildberries has 1,067 suppliers selling jewelry, their number has almost tripled year on year. The number of entrepreneurs and jewelry brands has increased fivefold from December 2021 to December 2021 on Ozon. At the end of the first quarter of 2021, the number of sellers on the marketplace increased more than four times year on year.

Let’s role-play the situation, or “Successful Sales Script”

The visitor entered - the seller looks at him, smiles (eye contact, 30 seconds);
The seller greets (optimally - “Good morning”, etc.), addressing the visitor strictly as “you”;
The client is given 30 seconds to “get comfortable”;
The seller begins a casual conversation with the visitor, saying, as if by the way, a “magic” phrase like: “We’re just running a promotion, there are good discounts on...”, “Oh, you’re lucky, we’re showing a new collection...”, “We have all the goods comes directly from manufacturers, therefore...”;
A pause of 10 seconds for the visitor to absorb the information, then work with the client. If there are a lot of visitors, the questions are monosyllabic: “Should I show you...?”, “Are you interested in...?”, “Why...?”. All attention is on the buyer, the desire to understand what he wants. If there is only one buyer, the conversation can be more extensive, with open questions: “What exactly interests you? And if you look at this...?”, “What do you plan to wear with it? Then…";
During the presentation, you should look at the visitor most of the time. Offer to look at no more than 4-5 items of the desired type of jewelry at different price levels. The following phrases are well received: “We have a whole line of this product... Its name... The products are different...” The demonstration should begin with the most valuable items, emphasizing that you take into account the client’s needs: “You said that you want...”. The seller can emphasize the advantages of the jewelry offered, their excellent quality, original design, successful selection of stones, etc., and draw attention to the benefits of the purchase. The appropriate questions here are: “Is this thing suitable for you? Or look at this one... After all, you wanted to...” Arguments like: “In this way you...”, “This will allow you...”, “You will have the opportunity...”, etc. will become especially powerful.
If the client objects, the seller should not argue with him. The following tactics would be excellent here: take the position of the buyer, apparently agree with him, and present counterarguments. Namely: “Yes, you noticed correctly here, but...”, “You know, it’s good that you said this. However...", "I don't argue. But let's look at this differently...” The buyer should feel that you are not just objecting and pushing, but collaborating with him and helping! If the client refuses everything that is offered to him, the seller must ask: “What would you like?”, “What did not suit you?”, “What conditions would suit you?” The entire conversation should take place without any hint of aggression on the part of the seller! Only respect and care!
Making a purchase begins with clarifying whether all issues have been resolved. Therefore, the employee asks the buyer again whether he is satisfied, whether the choice is final: “Are you satisfied?”, “Shall we write a check?”, “Are you taking the goods?”
It is important that when completing the purchase, the seller offers additional accessories that the buyer himself did not think about, but which will be useful to him and will increase sales. These are cases, jewelry boxes, holders, and care products for metals and stones. A store should definitely have an assortment of all this! The client himself did not think about them, but they are necessary things! The buyer will be grateful to the seller for his forethought and care.
The final stage is to clarify whether the client has any other questions, congratulate him on a successful purchase, thank him, wish him success/good day, etc., and invite him to visit the store again. The seller must behave sincerely, warmly, and kindly.

By applying these simple marketing steps from the jewelry company VOROBYEVA, you will effectively and significantly increase traffic and sales in your store in a very short time. You can also register in our wholesale catalog and purchase the best-selling jewelry wholesale for your store. Good luck!

Insider from a jewelry store: “If the client doesn’t understand anything, we sell something very expensive”

Our heroine is over 30 years old, 10 of them she worked as a cashier-consultant in the store of a large Russian jewelry brand, and now she has moved to a similar position with its direct competitor Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

ABOUT THE INSIDER

“There were also secret shoppers who also filled out forms and came up with legends: “I would like to give a gift to my girlfriend, show me, tell me.” And you must serve the buyer 100 points” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

About buyers and checks for a million

Most buyers are people of average income and middle age - from 30 to 50-60. They really want to buy, but they still need something cheaper. Previously, they took more jewelry - both diamonds and precious stones, sales were larger and easier. Mostly women buy, they often come in - both to look and to buy. Men come when there is a reason: a holiday, a birthday. And women always need: “I don’t have sapphires, I don’t have topazes.” Most often they take jewelry for themselves, and if they need a gift, they ask for something small. There are different types of customers - some walk with their husband all the time, and cannot take a step without him. And there are those who can afford it themselves, there are more of them. There are also those who chose themselves and then brought a man.
There were regular customers whom we knew, but there are no favorites or unloved ones and there shouldn’t be. After all, a drunk person may come and look bad, but will buy for a very good amount. Maybe a grandmother will come, take out a little bag and buy diamonds worth 100-200 thousand rubles. You can't know in advance. I have had cases when a couple came in drunk, they bought a lot and left happy. An unsightly man came in and also made purchases - I don’t know where he got the money. Naturally, we cannot kick him out, say: “You smell bad, get out of here.” We always had security in the hall who made sure that there were no suspicious persons.
Men are less likely to buy jewelry for themselves. If they take it, it’s rings, signets, watches, chains, bracelets. This has been going on since the 90s, you look and think - all these chains look wide, it’s no longer fashionable, but still they need an armored chain, an anchor chain, so that it’s a decent amount of grams. Moreover, such requests come from completely different men, who have their own cockroaches in their heads. Some people think it’s status, others think it’s beautiful. If you see that it’s a nightmare, you offer an alternative within the same price range. But more often than not, if a buyer wants to buy that expensive ring, what kind of seller will tell him “don't take it”? Of course, you will do everything to make him take it, because you are thinking about your personal plan and the store’s plan.
Angry customers also came. Today he chose one thing, he liked it, but the next day he thinks it’s ugly, he saw something else or regretted the money, and wants to return it. We answer him: “We warned you that jewelry cannot be exchanged or returned. You should have thought carefully about your purchase.” If they start making trouble, they sort it out with management, and their issue is resolved at the level of the plant or head office. If there is any defect, the product undergoes examination. There is a chance to return the jewelry if you bought it on the same day, but this is not advisable. We always discuss with the buyer that it is better to buy as a gift not a ring, if he does not know the size, but something neutral - a pendant, chain, bracelet, brooch. Every place has its own characteristics of the body - you can’t even buy earrings by eye, because you don’t know the thickness of the earlobe. The locks are different everywhere - in some places they are wider, in others they are narrower.
I sold jewelry with a total receipt of more than a million. These were exclusive products, massive rings with stones that were expensive—sometimes they took those too. There were rich people who were looking for something exclusive, they could come in and say: “Oh, there’s nothing!” Those who buy for a million look different - as officials, as athletes, and as businessmen. Officials could take something for themselves, or as a gift - a tie clip, a watch. Sometimes there were famous Tatar pop singers, the singers took jewelry for themselves. There are special boutiques where everything is more expensive and exclusive, I think these people went there because our prices were not too high.

“The appearance must be neat, the nails are in order, with a good manicure or neatly filed, but not flashy” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF THE SELLERS AND THE LOVE FOR JEWELRY

We arrived an hour to forty minutes before the store opened in order to have time to put everything away; in the evening, all the decorations were necessarily put away in the safe for an alarm. Products must be placed on display in such a way that everything is laid out beautifully and the price tags must be visible. Then you change clothes, if you have a uniform, you get yourself in order. In jewelry stores the standard is white top, black bottom. We are on our feet all day, we need comfortable shoes.
Appearance must be neat, nails in order, well manicured or neatly filed, but not flashy. The buyer should pay attention not to your nails, but to the jewelry. There should be no showiness in appearance at all - hair pulled back into a ponytail if it is long, makeup within reason, so that everything is neat. We didn't have any girls with dirty nails or crooked fingers.
My husband had a positive attitude towards my work - we met there, he worked as an electrician. He buys me jewelry himself and does it with pleasure. And when I began to understand and understand jewelry better, I began to wear more jewelry, and I wanted to buy one for myself. At the same time, over the years of work, my taste has changed - I used to wear rose gold, and then switched completely to yellow. It began to seem that the copper admixture was becoming cheaper. When a new assortment arrives and there is something beautiful, of course you want to take it for yourself. At the same time, in our store it was forbidden to wear jewelry or walk around in it, although others may encourage advertising. But when you see the same models every day, it’s boring to sell them and buy them for yourself.
There were no big discounts for customers; the company believed that it was unacceptable to sell gold at a 70% discount, as other stores did. It was emphasized that we have a different status, everything is factory-made, branded, and prices cannot be too low. The slogan was: “Gold cannot be cheap.” There were also standard discounts for sellers - 10% maximum.

“There are different plans - 3-4 million rubles per month. They depend on seasonality and store location. In jewelry season, it's the holidays. New Year, March 8, February 14" Photo: "BUSINESS Online"

About the secrets of successful sales

The seller has many responsibilities - accept the goods, check if there are any defects, if the stones are loose, if the settings, locks are in order, if the sample is worth it, and so on. The defects are immediately eliminated and returned to the merchandisers. Sometimes you even have to carry generators when there is no light. They may be asked to clean up, maintain order, or train new sellers. We also have to check shop windows and set up the checkout area. At the same time, sometimes they sat for a long time without light, sometimes there was no heating, they stood there almost in fur coats, selling. But no one complained or protested - the management’s position is typical: if you don’t want to work, quit. It is much more difficult to work in a shopping center - there, delivery of goods, inventory, collection occurs at night, and this cannot be done in front of customers. That is, you leave work no earlier than 11–12 pm.
We also had tasks to monitor stores. It was necessary to find out the prices and compare them with ours, then fill out a form. During working hours, you need to go to different points, find out the prices per gram, come back, submit a form. In Kazan there is no great variation in prices - some are more expensive, some are cheaper. Now the average price is 2 thousand per gram, but 4–5 thousand rubles will be a bit expensive. If you walk around and compare, you can determine where the big markup is.
There were also secret shoppers who also filled out forms and came up with legends: “I would like to give a gift to my girlfriend, show me, tell me.” And you must serve the customer 100 points. If you score - good, if you don’t score - that means the bonus will be less or they may even deprive it. Sometimes it’s clear that there’s a “hidden place” in front of you: the person examines you for a long time, doesn’t buy anything, and leaves. Sometimes unnoticed, and we were shocked when a questionnaire with points arrived: “Can you imagine, it turns out it was a secret shopper!” I always had a lot of points and was never deprived of bonuses.
There are different plans - 3-4 million rubles per month. They depend on seasonality and store location. In jewelry season, it's the holidays. New Year, March 8, February 14. If the store is in the city center, where traffic is high, the plan is higher. There will be a lull in the shopping center in the summer, because everyone will go on vacation. Plans depend on these criteria - they will naturally be larger for the holiday. When there are empty days, without sales, the management is dissatisfied, asks about the reasons, but does not fine. Sometimes they asked for more products from this or that factory to be sold, they even rewarded me with small jewelry for this - I once received a thin chain.
Success in sales depends not on the layout of the product, but on how you present it yourself, what you tell about it. Yes, the layout also has its own tricks; it is subordinated to the merchandiser’s idea. We had it like this - there were chains at the entrance, then items without stones, and diamonds at the cash register area and in the center. Expensive items are placed closer to the cash register so that they are under supervision. Sellers also have the right to rearrange something, they themselves see how to attract buyers: they will hang chains and beautiful pearl beads somewhere so that they can be seen, so that the buyer can see the most interesting things. We often change the display so that the same people come in and see that something has changed. When there is no new assortment, you try to play around with it.

“There were regular customers whom we knew, but there are no favorites or unloved ones and there shouldn’t be. After all, a drunk person may come and look bad, but will buy for a very good amount" Photo: "BUSINESS Online"

ABOUT THEFT AND ROBBERY

There were two security guards - one monitored the CCTV cameras, the other stood in the hall. Moreover, all products are insured, so we were immediately warned that if something happened, we must first of all save our lives. If you can press the panic button, good; if not, save yourself.
There were robberies in other places, in other cities. There were no stores in Kazan, but they informed us about other cases - they sent us materials, printed them out, and gave us information to read. They also warned us if there were counterfeit bills going around the city, so that we would be more careful.

“Most buyers are people of middle income and middle age - from 30 to 50-60. They really want to buy, but they still need something cheaper” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

ABOUT WEDDING RINGS

Wedding rings are most often taken by two people. Previously, they used classics more often, maybe they saved money - classics are cheaper, they contain less grams. Sometimes a man says that he needs a classic one, but a woman wants one with stones and diamond cutting. Sometimes they only ask for the same ones.
To choose engagement parties, sometimes they also come together. A man’s size is usually found out, some bring the future bride’s ring - we have size rings, ring gauges. Someone measures a thread and brings it.
Sometimes it happens that a man doesn’t really want to spend money or is planning to buy a cheaper ring, and here they stand, hesitating and hesitating, unable to solve their problems. At the same time, the seller should not put any pressure, he can only use a cunning way to interest people and attract them to a more expensive product. I did that too. Sometimes it was possible to convince, sometimes there are men so stingy that nothing works on them. There were men who said: “Choose according to your taste.” I tried to ask what kind of girl, what type. As a stylist, I try to see what suits this girl best and advise what is best. Well, he should know what she likes, at least a little. And if he doesn’t understand anything at all, then, naturally, you’re selling something very expensive. Why not?

“Diamond jewelry is evaluated according to other parameters - the purer the stone, the higher the carat, the more expensive it is. And you should always look at color and frequency: on the tag, the first number is color, the second is purity" Photo: "BUSINESS Online"

ABOUT FAKES

There was a factory behind our network, everything was very strict there, so there were no fakes. How can you recognize a fake? If another stone is inserted, you will not know about it, only a specialist will figure it out. There is a tag - a document where it is written which stone is precious, semi-precious, artificial or natural. We trust our factory and our suppliers. Everything is also written on the alloy - both the sample and the name of the plant, all this is visible. It is impossible to distinguish whether an alloy is good or bad - this can only be done by a gemologist, a special person using professional equipment. If you need to test gold, there is a special reagent - this solution is used to test it in a pawnshop. And you will not be able to find out what kind of alloy is mixed in this alloy. For example, sample 585 means that the alloy contains 58.5% gold, the rest is an alloy, an admixture: silver, palladium, zinc, nickel... And you don’t know what was mixed in there - maybe more copper, or maybe silver?
The price should depend on this, but it may be too high. Sometimes you can see by the color - in one plant the chains are pinker because of copper, and in another they are yellower because of zinc. But this is not very noticeable, and we only see a sample confirming that the jewelry really contains gold, the name of the plant, and whether the jewelry has been approved by the state inspection - this is indicated by the symbol in the form of a girl with a kokoshnik. Imported items usually only bear hallmark markings, which makes you wonder where the jewelry came from. And if you don’t find a sample, then you can’t take it.
You can also say about the quality - there was one supplier, his products were cheaper, and the earrings bent in the hands, the locks had to be adjusted in front of the buyer, straightened so that the lock would click. This happens when the gold is very thin, very few grams.
Sunlight, which gets a lot of criticism, is made in China. I cannot say that there is something wrong there. This is really gold, there was even an examination on TV, they said everything was fine. The only complaint was that they had a lot of small pebbles that often fell out. But this is a problem with setting stones - some hold stones well, while others use glue. Therefore, when you buy a product, you need to make sure that it has good fastenings and high-quality casting.
Diamond jewelry is evaluated according to other parameters - the purer the stone, the higher the carat, the more expensive it is. And you should always look at color and frequency: on the tag, the first number is color, the second is purity. The scale is from 1 to 7, if less than 0.29 carats, and to 9 - from 0.30 carats, where 1 is the most transparent, colorless diamond, and 9 is cloudy, dirty and with a brighter color. Generally, stores are 2–3 clean, but the difference is not very noticeable. And from 5 and above you can notice. All precious stones - emerald, sapphire, ruby - will also have similar parameters.

“It is better for the buyer to carefully inspect the product himself. The seller can sing, talk, dissuade anything” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

How to spot a fake?

After many years of working in a jewelry store, I began to understand jewelry better, I always go to showrooms and study. But still, no one is safe from counterfeiting. If you bought something, you can go and check with a gemologist, but a good fake will not show itself in any way, you will not see the difference if only the alloy begins to darken. We have never had any counterfeits, but if they were discovered, the store would probably be closed. There was a Turkish store in one of the shopping centers, and they found a fake. After this, the store closed, the products were seized, and the owners were fined.
It is better for the buyer to carefully inspect the product himself. The seller can sing, talk, dissuade anything. Of course, he will say that you need to wear jewelry carefully, take off rings when cooking dinner or washing dishes, the floor, you shouldn’t hit the table, and if you handle it carefully, nothing will happen.
Many girls came with blue topaz and said: “Look what a nightmare I have with the stone, it’s all cloudy, the color has disappeared, it’s all covered in some scratches, your product is of poor quality.” But in fact, the girl simply wore this ring around: she washed dishes and the floor in it, chopped salads and did whatever she wanted. And it is not recommended to wear it even in bright sunshine; the stone fades. You need to understand that when you buy jewelry, you should wear it when you go out, and when you come home, put it away in the box. But our people don’t know how to do that, they even wash themselves in gold. I have already developed the habit of taking off all my jewelry at home; I even feel uncomfortable sleeping in earrings.
Pearls also do not like washing, chemicals, or perfumes: they become cloudy and rough, and lose their pearlescent coating. The rhodium plating that is applied to white gold and silver also scratches, wears off and becomes dull if it is exposed to stress. In expensive jewelry stores, most often everything is rhodium-plated, and sometimes it is even impossible to distinguish white gold from silver.