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Refining Sales Strategies Helped The Menagerie Sell A 19-Carat Diamond | July 15, 2015 (0 comments)
Austin, TX—The Menagerie is an interesting store with a super salesperson at the helm, Vickie Roan. Roans spends a good amount of time building her customer base and implementing new ways to better connect with customers. Her store is unusual in that it offers a full range of tableware and giftware and a bridal registry, something many jewelers dropped long ago. But Roan's founding vision remains the same: "We provide timeless goods in a beautiful environment that is a delight to visit, and we pride ourselves on celebrating life!"
The Menagerie's origins date back to a day in 1978 when Roan was shopping at the wholesale trade furniture mart in Dallas. She met two wholesale jewelers who became close friends, gifting her with baby bead necklaces for each of her young daughters. Back in Austin, her friends immediately clamored to have similar necklaces, and Roan's business was born--literally--on her dining-room table before moving into a tiny, 900-square foot shop. Today, following a move to one of Austin's upscale shopping areas, The Menagerie features more than 1600 square feet of luxury jewelry and gifts.
The Menagerie's exterior, above, and a table setting, below:
Roan recently shared some of her ideas and plans with The Centurion.
Staff is given a monthly budget for customer contact. “Reaching out is an important aspect of building our clientele base. At The Menagerie, we “touch” our customers via a phone call, email, hand written note, handpicked card for their celebration, sending a gift of flowers or sending a gift card from their favorite restaurant!,” says Roan. “My staff is given a monthly budget for such ‘touches’ and encouraged to use it!”
Roan reaches out with touches to her customer as well. “On Monday, I sent a beautiful floral arrangement to a couple who bought their wedding rings from me. Their wedding is this weekend and the flowers were to say ‘Happy Wedding Week!”
How To Deal With Hearing ‘No.’ Roan works with her staff to be prepared not only to close a sale but to also hear ‘no’ from time to time. “I tell my sales staff that ‘no’ is just a two letter word that opens the way to their next opportunity,” says Roan. She also counsels her staff not to dwell on ‘the lost one,’ and instead move onto the next opportunity. Often a ‘no’ leads to Roan’s favorite four-letter word: “NEXT!”
Asking for a customer’s business. Roan has two new initiatives that she’s recently debuted; both relate to asking for business. One is for new customers, the other for customers inside her store.
One is to send hand-written notes to potential customers. “There are specific people I would like to have as customers so I’m reaching out.”
Two, Roan considered the number of times she’s been asked for her business and realized it was time to start asking customers for their business. “Insurance companies, vendors, real estate agents, etc., all ask for my business. I think from this point forward, I will ask every customer that walks in the door to be their personal jeweler.”
Vickie Roan
Roan’s approach also lets the customer know what they receive “if they honor me in becoming a loyal customer:
- You will ALWAYS get an honest answer.
- You will ALWAYS get value.
- You will ALWAYS be appreciated.”
While these initiatives are new, no doubt the enthusiasm behind it will gain a larger, loyal clientele.
Two interior views at The Menagerie
The easiest sale. Roan also shared the easiest sale she’s ever done. “A customer had inquired about the availability of Golconda diamonds. I knew nothing about them. At the Vegas show, I was visiting with a diamond vendor and asked if he had any Golcanda diamonds and he pulled a diamond out of his case. It was a 19.82 carat emerald cut, Type II diamond, D color, IF clarity.”
Roan knew her customer would be excited. “I immediately said, ‘I’d like to tell a customer about this.’ The vendor handed me his cell phone and said to call him.” Happily Roan had his number and quickly placed the call. The result? “He bought it the next week!” said Roan.
Her take-away? “Listening to the customer’s questions and following up with information is a great way to make a sale.” Lots of jewelers will say "Amen to that!"