Selling jewellery, a matter of heart
[Image Courtesy: The Diamond Loupe, Diamondsgalor.com via BetterDiamondInitiative.org]
A tête-à-tête with Raffaele Ciardulli: Luxury Expert; Coach, Trainer & Marketing Consultant.
What is the first commandment that a jeweller should obey in order to offer his customers a real "emotional experience"? In the past, the jewellery store was an emotion-evoking place where people went to find something that gave sense and beauty to everything that was emotionally important in their lives. Now, although these moments are different, they still exist, but we have allowed them to be connected to other worlds, from travel to communication. We need to go back to the roots when jewellers were the keepers and accomplices of every family's secrets. To do so, we need to shift attention from products and focus instead on the customers, on each individual Customer, re-building our business model around him or her, helping each one become what they want, allowing them to tell their own story.
Can Millennials be drawn in with methods to their liking?
The distinctive characteristic of Millennials seems to be the dematerialization of needs. They don't buy things, they buy sensations. They aren't interested in the packaging, they want substance. They don't buy cars, they want movement. In order to meet these new consumer habits, we have to get rid of the old clichés including the idea that lowering prices is the key to getting the "young" to buy. And it is a matter of heart. Millennials pay attention to relations and sustainability. Being immersed in the virtual, they are careful of the truth. Perhaps we have a long way to go in this field, but our competitive disadvantage might be able to help us here: small-sized companies, limited production and distribution. In reality, it is warmth that is needed. Diamonds and metals are cold, but the hands of the Italian craftsmen that work them are warm.