Listen to Jewelry Customers, Part 1

In creating great customer experiences, asking your customers what they want and need is just the first step. You have to really listen to their answers, says David Peters, Jewelers of America’s resident education and management expert. Peters warns against committing “selling malpractice” by failing to listen. That’s when you tell a customer what they should buy, versus discovering what they really want and need.

Peters says listening to customers is essential for the following reasons:

• People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. In other words, all the product knowledge in the world won’t convince a customer that you can provide the product and service they need. Only by listening to your customers jewelry desires can you understand how to apply your knowledge to meet their needs.
• Listening requires active participation. Ask questions and keep the customer engaged. Whatever a buyer’s concerns, you should be fully engaged or risk coming off bored or, worse, dismissive.
• It’s a way to let your customer know that you care. You'll build customer loyalty, if you are perceived as being the one who really gets their consumer wishes.

Peters says managers should remind their sales staff that the four key components of good listening skills stand for CARE:

C: Concentrate
A: Acknowledge
R: Restate
E: Empathize

Take The Tip:
Click here to read Part 2, which discusses bad listening traits to avoid.