RAPAPORT... The one thing that we can always count on in life is change. Expected or unexpected, it has a way of marching into our lives whether we want it or not. And certainly the past few months have brought a tsunami of economic change to the world. It has sent us into a new era that requires us to rethink our lives and businesses. It is forcing the industry to reevaluate its priorities and to change the way we present diamonds to the consumer. So here are a few points to ponder on new ways to consider diamonds.
• Diamonds are no longer about blinding bling; they are about elegance.
• Diamonds are no longer about more, more, more; they are about having fewer things that are more important to us.
• Diamonds are not something we are flaunting to show our status and wealth; they are about value.
• Diamonds are not just about romantic love; they are about family love and an heirloom legacy.
• Diamonds are not about greed; they are about beneficiation and societal reform.
That’s a lot of change and it’s the message that needs to get out to the consumer. So what can you do? Have a party to celebrate family values. Select an evening around Mother’s Day for mothers and daughters to come in and look at jewelry. What daughter wouldn’t be thrilled to help her mom select a diamond that she may one day call her own?
Talk about how the diamonds are benefiting their countries of origin. Take notes on what the women want. Then have a men’s night — a little poker party where men can come in to play a hand and see the diamonds that the women in their lives have chosen. It’s easy for him to be the hero in the eyes of both his wife and daughter when he comes home with exactly the right diamond. And there you have it, all wrapped up in one pretty little package: love, value and the family heirloom.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - December 2008. To subscribe click here.