I recently went along to seminar at the Jewellery Association of Australia to learn more about selling from Tim Shaw, one of the best sales guys in the country and gained a better perspective about selling and some of the finer points.

Tim's advice to early rising jeweler was full of sparkling gems that can benefit any business interested in success.

For Tim Shaw the secret of being a top sales executive is all about creating that special relationship with the customer.

Tim was so successful with the Demtel ads because in a matter of 2 minutes he was able to present a value proposition about a brand, took away the issue of risk with a guarantee and told a story that everyone could relate to. These fundamentals of selling remain valid and are part of building that trusting relationship.

Treasuring Your Customers

The key to building the prosperous relationship you want with your customers is trust. When a customer trusts you they'll shop with you, refer their friends and family and come back again and again over the years.

To build that trust the customer needs to be understood; you need to connect to and read the customer. This means being good at reading their body language when they are in front of you, understanding where they are coming from and anticipating their needs.

So doing your demographic research is important. Start with the generations involved and what motivates them as each generation is different so your response to them needs to be tailored to how they see the world. Once you understand what motivates your customers you can meet their needs and wants.

The Opportunities of the Online World

Jeweler are finding there's more online research being done for their younger customers to come in informed about important jewellery purchases like engagement rings. Where they buy their precious jewellery is more likely to be local and based on recommendations.

The opportunity her is providing the information online that is being searched for, especially for the high end purchases such as engagement rings and wedding rings. By sharing information online about how to buy a diamond ring, details of the top gemstones, explanations of the different cuts, grades and clarity you're getting to present your business as being authoritative and trustworthy.

By following this up with happy customer testimonials online you'll be meeting the need for recommendations and peer approval.

By sharing information online you're also getting the chance to tell the story of the gems, your business and the people involved. This lets you start building a relationship that has the potential to last for years with regular visits for presents to celebrate special occasions.

This method of sharing stories can be done within your own website but also others such as online women's magazines, blogs and forums giving you a broader audience to learn about your business.

The Personal Touch Improves the Bottom Line

With so much electronic communications today with text messages and emails the value of a hand written note has rocketed up and is a very simple way to impress a valuable customer and build that all important relationship.

For jeweler the opportunity to build a lasting relationship with wedding customers is an open door ready for them to explore. The hand written note can say congratulations and ask the happy couple to pop into the shop to show their photos. This simple gesture will be discussed by them with their family and friends, gaining referral business and creating that very valuable community feeling that is created through care rather than advertising.

When you have a section on your website showing happy customers you can also ask for their permission to post a photo and testimonial about their wedding jewellery purchase. This also builds the community atmosphere, lets them share the link via their social network sites (as long as you give them the link!), gives you content for your newsletter, offers prospective customers doing online research real life testimonies and gives you the chance to use more targeted keyword phrases for internet marketing hooks.

Taking Hold of the Lessons

I would recommend attending any seminar by Tim Shaw or any other successful individual as you get the chance to learn, revisit the essentials for success and put yourself and your business ahead of the pack.

It was surprising that there were spare seats at this morning presentation, especially as it was by a man who really knows his business. The jeweler who were the most highly representative were the medium to big jeweler There were very few small, independent jewellery businesses represented and they are the ones who are competing the most with the big guys. So maybe this gives a clue about how to make a small business more successful - take the opportunities to take hold of lessons and make it happen.

While Tim tailored the presentation to his audience and had done his homework any business owner or sales representative could have taken away valuable sales advice so get along to seminars that are in different fields when the presenter is top quality.

But Wait, There's More!

For general sales and marketing tips from Tim Shaw click here.

Advice for jewellery stores that we all can learn from with Tim Shaw.

Click here to share the story of your business here on SheInspires as part of your marketing strategy.