Who’s gone into a jewelry store lately and had that dreaded feeling of the sales pressure immediately hit you? Oh no, here comes the sales person making a dash straight to me “How can I help you” she immediately asks. How do you get her to go away? You think quickly and then muster a “just looking” as she steps away and watches every move you make from afar. Every store is the same because they are usually empty (especially during the week) and the sales reps are ready to pounce when you walk in. How daunting is it to walk into an empty store knowing that the person is going to try to sell you in the first 5 minutes?
At Austin Private Jeweler, I eliminate all of those uncomfortable feelings of buying jewelry. First of all, this is meant to be fun! I want to get to know you and understand your motivations before we find your ultimate piece. My business is based on referrals and relationships that I have built over the years. When people think of jewelry, I want them to automatically think of Austin Private Jeweler for the best price, quality, and over all experience.
Jewelry stores have many disadvantages in their models that force them to pass huge costs along to the client by over inflating the markup of their products. Think about all of the costs in the team of sales reps, the security, all of the rent/utilities, millions of dollars of dated inventory, and on and on. You are paying for all of these costs when you buy a heavily inflated piece from a store.
Here are three key areas that I want to make sure all of my friends out there understand about a jewelry store:
Sales - I love to see 50% off sales…. It really makes me laugh. Well, do you really think they are giving away their jewelry for half off? I can tell you that they mark up their pieces 300%+ just so they can mark them down to think you are getting an unbelievable deal. Trust me, you are not.
Sales reps – these are not GIA gemologists that have a deep understanding of diamonds and gems. These are basic sales reps trying to sell you anything they can in order to hit a quota or a commission. They will not educate you on what you are buying and how to understand what drives value in jewelry.
Inventory – they will sell you on what they have… not so much on what you want. If you see a pair of earring that have rubies – ask them to see the earrings in sapphires.. not going to happen easily. If you see something you like in a store, not only can I custom design it, I can get you better quality stones for the price.
Of course every business has costs, but do you really want to pay for their operational expenses? APJ does not have a brick and mortar store. What does this mean to my clients? This means that the savings are directly passed on to my customer since I source directly from the supplier. Not only are jewelry stores becoming an outdated way to shop, I find most of my clients love the flexibility that I bring to the table. I can come to them, they can come to my private office or we can meet at a mutual location to discuss exactly what we want to design or what they are looking for. It all comes back to making my clients feel empowered when they are buying their special purchases for their loved ones.
My clients really enjoy the one-on-one attention. Whether it is a personal banker, local restaurant, or any service you enjoy; it is always nice to have someone that knows you and understands your wants and needs. I build relationships with my clients that I want to have for years to come.