Look Book

36 www.thejewelrybook.com B E N G U T T E R Y S O C I A L S T U D I E S Clientele Better With Instagram BENJAMIN GUTTERY As a former fi ne-jewelry sales professional in a brick-and-mortar store, I remember the constant struggle to get my customers' atten- tion. I would spend countless hours sending emails, making phone calls (often leaving messages), and sending out handwritten cards. All these traditional methods were tools to invite my best, and even some new clients to a re-mount event, trunk show, or new prod- uct debut. But during certain sales periods, it felt as if I was bombarding these prized and precious contacts multiple times a week, almost to the point of being overbearing. Today, consumers are inundated with adver- tising. From special deals to invitations to join a club or attend a sale, the constant back- ground noise of advertising surrounds us. How many times have you deleted an unopened email, not listened to a voicemail, or not opened a piece of snail mail because you know it's yet another invitation for you to buy something? Personally, I ignore many of the communication methods that I once used as a salesperson. There's a way, however, for your enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and personable sales staff to authentically and more effi ciently connect with clients: social media. Studies show that many adults over the age of 25 routinely spend more than an hour and half a day on Instagram and Facebook. If you and your staffers learn how to master these free-to-use channels, then dis- seminating information to share with clients gets a lot easier. I recommend that all fi ne-jewelry sales pro- fessionals maintain business accounts on these platforms, especially Instagram, to cli- entele. If the store's offi cial account posts about a trunk show, then each staff member's business clienteling page should be posting what they know their clients like and want and will, hopefully, buy. The posts will link back to the offi cial store account, amplifying not only the audience size but also the en- gagement levels. You don't want your page to be all commercial, though. Share some personal aspects of your life—no one wants to follow a sale-posting ro- bot! I recommend posting about uncontrover- sial topics like pets, vacations, meals, and inspi- rational or aspirational imagery—subjects that you would naturally talk about to clients in store. The rest should be product focused from your sales associates' perspective while tailor- ing the product and style of wording to appeal to their best customers. Notifying existing shoppers about these new channels is simple: mention it to them when they're next in the store and reach out via old- school contact methods to let them know about this new way to connect. Also advise staffers to add social media handles—and that of the store—to business cards. Once your feeds are up and running, referrals from friends and family—and even new organic sales leads—can start to roll in. Spend the time to learn the ins and outs of these platforms, and your natural skills as a sales professional will shine through. If you create the accounts, shoppers will come. About Benjamin Guttery, GIA G.G., A.J.P. Ben is an advocate for jewelry designers, a story- teller, and a self-proclaimed gem nerd from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He spent several years selling fi ne jewelry behind the counter of an inde- pendently owned jewelry store in Texas before debuting his @ThirdCoastGems account on Instagram. To date, the account has amassed 110,000 followers—including some celebrities like Debra Messing. In addition to sharing gor- geous snaps of jewels on the medium, he also teach- es retailers how to master it for maximum sales. Reach him at Benjamin.Guttery@gmail.com. B Y BENJAMIN GUTTERY "Spend the time to learn the ins and outs of these plat- forms, and your natural skills as a sales professional will shine through."

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