[Jewelry making - Article 00212] - Re: [Orchid] Hagglers at your jewelry booth

[daniel spirer]

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>     Neither will think about the seller again, except to reflect on
>     how their own need to be "somebody" was, or was not, satisfied.. 

    See, now that's where I have to differ. I want every person who walks
    in my store to think about the seller again, because I am the seller.
    And they ARE going to think about me, either because I sold them
    something they're in love with, or because they feel they got a great
    value, or because I was more honest with them than anyone else they
    talked to, or because I had better product than they saw anywhere
    else, or because I told them that my product was worth exactly what I
    was charging for it; and because they are wearing something that I
    made for them for some occasion in their lives. And they do always
    think about me. They think about me because I listen to them, make
    them aware that I am there for them and become a part of their lives
    in a myriad of ways. I know this because they stop me on the street
    to talk about my life, their lives and their pieces, because they
    open up to me all the time, because they remember what I told them
    and because quite often, even though I'm not open to bargaining on a
    regular basis, they come back to me to purchase their pieces at full
    price. 

    Do I sell everyone who comes in my store? Absolutely not. But who
    cares? The one thing I have absolutely learned in my 35+ years in
    this business is that those who want the most for the least amount of
    money are absolutely the most problematic customers that will ever
    walk in your store. The ones who want the repairs done for half price
    will always complain about how the repair was done. The ones who want
    custom work for less than usual prices will always be the ones who
    make you redo the piece five times. The ones who want big discounts
    on something out of the case are the ones who always come back and
    return it three times before they're happy. I make my customers
    "special" by listening to THEM, to their HEARTS (not their minds
    which are often the bargaining part of them), offering fair value
    and giving them something they can't get elsewhere. In exchange for
    their money and support I give them a part of me to take with them
    wherever they go. I have had customers come into my store and break
    into tears when I show them the pieces I made for them, not because
    they were necessarily so amazingly beautiful, but because I listened
    to them, listened to what they felt and felt they wanted and
    interpreted it in a way that made them realize that someone, SOMEONE
    actually HEARD them. None of this has to do with money. It has to do
    with opening yourself up to other people in a way that allows you to
    give them what they need. 

    And balderdash to all of you who don't think jewelry is a need. It
    is absolutely something that many people need. Maybe not all of them
    (but not all of them feel a house is a need either but I doubt many
    of you do without one), but many people do. Haggling is about money.
    What I sell is absolutely not about money. It's about making people
    happy. The rest of you can go sell your product for the money. I'm
    going to keep selling my product so that more people are happy,
    whether it's because they get engaged with my rings, get married with
    them, recognize births with them (I'm personally responsible for
    thousands of babies when you think about the role my rings have
    played in people's lives), noted their anniversaries, their
    birthdays, or just simply got themselves something because they
    deserved it. 

    Oh and by the way, even though it isn't about the money, this kind
    of attitude I have just happens to pay all my bills and then some at
    the same time. Amazing how it works that way. Give something of
    yourself, get something back. And it's amazing sometimes how well it
    works. There's a recession out there. But my work envelope is so
    stuffed right now that it looks like a pregnant elephant and at the
    moment I have absolutely no clue how I'll get it all done (although I
    will). Besides Neil (sorry Neil I just had to throw you in there),
    how many of the rest of you out there can say this???? 

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambrige, MA 02140
www.spirerjewelers.com
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