Sales Strategy
Yes, Do Take It Personally! | September 28, 2016 (0 comments)
Miami, FL—Recently I saw an Instagram post that said, “Take it Personally to Make it Personal.” I thought for a while and then realized, that’s exactly what Preferred Jewelers is doing! We are not just marketing to the masses, we are thinking about each individual experience. I’ve got to share this with you, so read on.
How many times have you heard someone say, “Don’t take this personally!” And more times than not it is followed by something personal and offensive. For example, we were out for dinner with some friends that happen to be attorneys. The conversation went like this, “ Don’t take this personally… BUT, everyone I’ve met from your law firm is an entitled jerk!”
Now really, how can you not take that personally? And is taking it personally a bad thing? Maybe if we take those comments to heart, we could help effect a positive change.
As marketers (and this is what we all are) we urge our people to personalize messages when engaging consumers--but many marketers do so without regard to how they might inadvertently offend customers by getting it wrong. Our intention is there, but not the follow through. How many emails have you received that didn’t even get your gender right? My case in point!
Fortunately, in the world of face-to-face marketing, we can invite a broad spectrum of people, such as people wanting a new diamond ring but who only want a specific diamond and maybe from one specific manufacturer. Now we have the opportunity to design an experience that lets the customer self-identify. That means we have more opportunities than most to make each experience personal. We do this by thinking about what each individual wants out of his or her experience. We must strive to make it more human, intelligent, thoughtful, interactive, and meaningful. Keeping all these things in mind, I guarantee return consumers and referrals.
If we’ve learned anything from the Internet, it’s that the future is about letting people make their own choices and create their own universe. I love this comment I saw on Instagram: "We can fight the disruption or be the disruption.” In marketing it’s no longer about the one brand speaking to the many. Or even the “many to the many,” as we see on YouTube. It is about creating opportunities for many to connect on a one-to-one basis.
When we take things personally we acknowledge people’s interests, passions, and needs. You will find how uniquely different everyone really is. With all of this in mind, we can create various ways for people to choose for themselves how and what they want to experience.
This is how we get it right. This is how we make it personal.
Let’s all make it personal! --Andie
Andie Weinman, president and CEO of Preferred Jewelers International / Continental Buying Group Inc., was born with the “Jewelry Gene” working in the jewelry industry since she was only ten years old. Her first job was as a cashier in the opening of a catalog showroom doing a fantastic job even at that tender age. Andie holds a B.A. in musical theatre and a B.S. in marine biology from The University of Tampa. When she realized that seawater and marine biology were not good on her hair and she wasn’t quite good enough to make it on Broadway, the jewelry business beckoned. Andie has picked diamonds, sorted color stones, shot waxes and performed a multitude of jobs in the manufacturing of jewelry. Her negotiating experience and prowess has given her the reputation as being tough but fair in her dealings with vendors. In 2012 the Indian Diamond and Color Association awarded Andie the Prestigious Doyenne Award of the Year.