As a jewelry designer, brand, or retailer, you know almost everything there is to know about the world of jewelry. You can pick a vermeil piece out of a lineup, and talking about total carat weight is as natural as talking about what’s for lunch. But the reality is that most of your customers don’t have the same information, and that might make shopping for jewelry a struggle. In this article, we’ll talk about why and how you should educate your customers about jewelry quality so they can navigate their shopping experience with as much information as possible — and so you can close the sale.
Why Educate Your Customers on Jewelry Quality?
Educating your customers on jewelry quality can help you build trust with your customers, close more sales, and ultimately, increase your revenue. The more your customers understand the difference between high-quality and low-quality jewelry, the more likely they’ll appreciate the craftsmanship (and price tag) that comes along with the product you’re selling. Jewelry is often an investment, and helping your customers understand exactly what it is they’re investing in can give them the confidence to complete the purchase.
7 Tips for Educating Your Customers on Jewelry Quality
So how do you explain why quality matters in the jewelry world? Here are some tips to help your customers understand what they need to know about high-quality jewelry.
#1: Start with the basics
To avoid making any customer feel alienated or unwelcome, you’ll want to start at the very beginning with the basics of jewelry quality. Introduce them to the four Cs of diamond quality (cut, color, clarity, and carat), the Mohs Hardness Scale, and the differences between precious metals, for example. You can always decide to ramp it up with more complicated information, but starting at the beginning is a surefire way to make learning about jewelry quality accessible for your average customer and then bring them along for the ride.
#2: Be clear and concise
You and your team naturally speak the language of jewelry, but it’s important to avoid using jargon or insider terminology your customers won’t know. Instead, clearly define common terms and explain why they’re important to know. Keep your descriptions and explanations simple and clear so that your content stays approachable for all your customers.
#3: Use visuals and graphics
When teaching your customers about jewelry quality, images and videos can be powerful tools. As you explain gemstone clarity, for example, visuals can help you show the dramatic difference between a clouded gem and a very clear one. A tarnished gold-plated ring can show your customers why getting a solid 14K or 18K gold ring is a better investment. Visual aids and graphics can demonstrate how these quality factors should weigh into their shopping decisions.
#4: Be objective
When you explain jewelry quality to your customers, focus on providing genuinely helpful information instead of pushing for sales at every turn. Being objective means that you shouldn’t only talk about your own products when educating customers. It makes sense to want to increase sales, but customers will see right through your efforts if you’re not actually building content that educates. Focus on providing them with valuable information, and you’ll end up boosting sales by providing value instead of being manipulative.
#5: Use a multi-channel approach
When you’re providing educational content for your customers, utilize every channel available. You can create a landing page that gives the highlights (like overviews of diamond and metal quality) or go deeper with dedicated blog articles about topics that are relevant to your brand and frequently asked questions from customers. You can also develop a social media strategy that periodically introduces jewelry quality topics so your customers can get doses of this information in a casual way.
#6: Train your sales team
Lastly, train your sales team to talk to customers about jewelry quality. While it's important that your sales team can answer questions from customers, it's even more vital that they're trained on how to proactively educate people who may not even know what questions to ask. Teach them how to explain the four Cs, demonstrate the differences between lab-created and naturally occurring gemstones, introduce different metal types, and more, so that your customers feel well informed and supported while they make their decision to purchase.
Educating your customers can help you ultimately build a brand that’s reliable and trustworthy. Looking for another way to earn that reputation? Partner with a manufacturer with your brand’s best interest in mind. MJJ Brilliant is dedicated to building brands and has been a leading manufacturer in North America for over forty years. Contact us today to find out more about how MJJ Brilliant can help your brand reach its potential.
