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Why not hand out brochures to champion your store?

By James Alperin
October 23, 2009

Price is a huge factor for today's jewelry consumer. The Internet and the wholesale clubs offer a better price--or at least the perception of a better price--on jewelry and diamonds than the independent brick-and-mortar jeweler.

So how can independents, who must pay for a staff, an expensive lease, insurance, utilities and so on, compete?

First, realize that the large segment of the population who shop online or at discounters will never be your customers. Your customer base--those who already frequent your store--have been staring you in the face all along. Even if they just want a new watch battery, encourage them to stop in more often and tell their friends about you. Word-of-mouth remains the most powerful type of advertising.

One way to encourage return visits is to advertise directly to each customer who walks into your store by handing them a brochure that describes what distinguishes you from the competition. There is value added to each sale in your store, but your customers need to be told what it is.

We assume, mistakenly, that those visiting our stores already appreciate and understand all that we have to offer. If that were true, would they still bring you the watch they bought at the wholesale club and ask you to shorten the bracelet, even though you sell the same brand? Sadly, the answer is probably yes, but more customers might buy that watch from you if they knew you had it.

Here are eight "values" you offer to your customers that they won't get on the Internet or at a wholesale club. Why not incorporate them into a brochure to hand out to each person who walks in? You can further use these talking points in your newspaper or other media advertising campaigns.
  1. Experience counts: Your knowledge of gemstones and the jewelry business enable you to examine each piece of jewelry to make sure it is of the highest possible quality within a certain price range. That means a livelier-looking, longer-lasting piece of jewelry for your customer's money.
  2. No worries: You have years of experience in buying and selling jewelry, so your customers can rest assured that everything you sell is tastefully designed and well made.
  3. Save time: With parking nearby, your customers won't have to walk through a huge warehouse to get to the jewelry department. If they are local, they'll save time and gas money as well.
  4. Buy local: Your store is locally owned and operated. For customers, that means their dollars stay within the community, supporting schools, roads and other merchants. There isn't a huge, out-of-state buying office or foreign company taking a portion of each sale.
  5. Safe, convenient and comfortable: Instead of standing on a cement floor with no sales help in sight, your store provides a warm, safe and inviting environment in which to shop, plus a knowledgeable staff to help with every aspect of your customer's purchase, repair and appraisal.
  6. Jewelry and watch repair: You won't sell your customer a watch and then send them down the street to get the bracelet adjusted to their wrist. You adjust the bracelet right there and at no additional charge. The best watch and jewelry repair people are on your staff or doing your repair work.
  7. Longevity: You have been in business for a certain amount of time and, these days, that means a lot. You have weathered difficult economic times and will be around for customers tomorrow.
  8. Thank you: It's always good policy to thank your customers for visiting your store. By giving them a brochure with these eight points you are giving the customer the opportunity to read about the value added that you offer each time they visit.
James Alperin (alpjewel@aol.com) is the owner of James Alperin Jewelers in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
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