MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsNov 21, 2016
Squirrel Spotting: The Necessity of Open-Ended Questions
Peter Smith discusses the possibilities that come with asking customers to talk about the person for whom they are buying.
Peter Smith has more than 30 years of experience building wholesale and retail sales teams. He currently is president of Vibhor Gems.
I’ve been busy these past few weeks conducting Vibhor launch trainings at various stores around the country.
In rolling out our private label program to retailers, I try to accomplish two important and complimentary ends. First, I want to convey those things that make our program relevant and exciting to retailers and to their customers. In the second instance, I try to convey some basic but essential sales principles that are, unfortunately, more often discussed than they are practiced.
One of those sales disciplines that I speak to is the necessity for salespeople to ask open-ended questions. The concept is not new. In fact, I remember there being a lot of chatter about that back in the 1980’s and, I am quite certain, some of you may go back even further in remembering when you first heard the term.
Having said that, it is, quite frankly, remarkable how rarely we as consumers are exposed to quality open-ended questions and, if we are being perfectly honest, how infrequently the art form is used in retail stores.
In the course of the training, one of the questions I suggest is, “Can you tell me about the person you are buying for?” The question itself appears to be rather innocuous and is not likely to set any pulses racing with its creativity or originality. If you peel back the layers of that question, however, you just might see it as a uniquely profound and potentially rich asset in the narrative of engaged retail salespeople.
There are two different psychological components at work in asking the question. The first is the empathic engagement that is communicated when you invite a person to tell you about someone who is important to them. The neurological effects of the question, delivered with warmth and sincerity, releases oxytocin in the brain, and that can serve as a great platform to make an emotional connection and begin to build a relationship. It’s as if you are saying, “I really want to know what matters to you.”
In the book Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton wrote, “There is something at once sobering and absurd in the extent to which we are lifted by the attention of others and sunk by their disregard. Our mood may blacken because a colleague greets us distractedly or our telephone calls go unreturned.”
In the second instance, when you insert “...the person you are buying for,” it sets yet
another psychological principle in play, because what you are actually doing is priming the customer. You are unconsciously setting the table for them to engage with you not with a view to gathering information but with the intent to actually make a purchase. By using the word buying, you are tapping into the customer’s oftentimes latent desire to actually buy something, even as he or she may consciously believe they came in to kick a few tires.
A retail store is a mini-stage and it provides great moments of drama every single day. You are presented with opportunities to make a difference--for your customers, your store and your career--every time a customer honors you by visiting your place of business. Approaching each and every one of those opportunities with the mindset that the customer has come in to actually make a purchase, and using deliberate and purposeful language in engaging those customers, can be game-changing.
As we enter into the most important few weeks of the year why not give it a try, and let me know how it works out for you.
Peter Smith, author of Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent, has spent more than 30 years building sales teams at retail and at wholesale. He currently is president of Vibhor Gems. Email him at peter@vibhorgems.com, dublinsmith@yahoo.com or reach him on LinkedIn.
A retail store is a mini-stage and it provides great moments of drama every single day. You are presented with opportunities to make a difference--for your customers, your store and your career--every time a customer honors you by visiting your place of business. Approaching each and every one of those opportunities with the mindset that the customer has come in to actually make a purchase, and using deliberate and purposeful language in engaging those customers, can be game-changing.
As we enter into the most important few weeks of the year why not give it a try, and let me know how it works out for you.
Peter Smith, author of Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent, has spent more than 30 years building sales teams at retail and at wholesale. He currently is president of Vibhor Gems. Email him at peter@vibhorgems.com, dublinsmith@yahoo.com or reach him on LinkedIn.
More on Independents
The Latest
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
Policies & IssuesMar 25, 2026
Community for Ethical Jewelry to Host Bench Jeweler Shortage WebinarSet for April 2, the webinar will discuss how the jewelry industry can address the workforce gap.
IndependentsMar 24, 2026
Lisa Bayer, Illustrator and Beloved Member of the Muse Family, Dies at 64Bayer, founder of Lisa Bayer Designs, is remembered as “a bright light in every room.”
AuctionsMar 24, 2026
White Diamonds Shine In Christie's Jewels Online SaleThe highest-grossing lot was a Tiffany & Co. ring set with a flawless, emerald-cut diamond of 10 carats.
SourcingMar 24, 2026
AGTA Solidifies Tucson Dates For 2027-2029The next three editions of AGTA GemFair Tucson will feature a five-day show that includes Sunday.
WatchesMar 24, 2026
Christie’s Names New Senior Specialist, WatchesFormer Sotheby’s executive Tom Heap has taken on the London-based role.
CrimeMar 23, 2026
NYPD Looking for 3 Jewelry Store Robbery SuspectsThe group of women allegedly robbed two Catbird stores and one Gorjana location on the afternoon of March 9.
FinancialsMar 23, 2026
Movado’s Q4 Sales Rise As Demand Grows From Younger Shoppers, WomenMovado CEO Efraim Grinberg noted continued strength in the fashion watch and accessible luxury segments in the U.S.
TrendsMar 23, 2026
Marco Bicego’s New Campaign Showcases ‘The Art of Craft’After celebrating 25 years in 2025, the campaign marks a new chapter for the jewelry brand with the message that “Identity Creates Value.”
Events & AwardsMar 23, 2026
These Watch Brands Are Heading to Couture This YearCouture and Time to Watches announced the watch brands, from big names to independents, attendees will see at the show.
FinancialsMar 20, 2026
Macy’s Turnaround Plans Shows Promise, Boosted by Bloomingdale’sPlus, why Saks Global’s bankruptcy may have given Bloomingdale’s an edge.
AuctionsMar 20, 2026
Sotheby's, De Beers Unveil ‘Jwaneng 28.88’ DiamondThe flawless, Type IIa stone is estimated to achieve up to $2.8 million at the auction house’s high jewelry sale in April.
TrendsMar 20, 2026
‘Frankenstein’ Costume Designer Is Bejeweled In Brooches for Oscars WinCostume designer Kate Hawley wore three archival Tiffany & Co. brooches, our Pieces of the Week, while accepting her first Oscar.
FinancialsMar 19, 2026
Signet Jewelers to Close 100 Stores, Shutter James Allen BannerThe jewelry retailer announced changes to its store network and brand portfolio during its fourth-quarter earnings call.
SurveysMar 19, 2026
NRF Forecasts 4% Retail Sales Growth in 2026From a weaker labor market to inflation, NRF Chief Economist Mark Mathews gave insight on what retailers can expect this year.
AuctionsMar 19, 2026
26-Carat Diamond Tops $1M at AuctionThe historic stone, which sold at Elmwood’s in London, is the largest white diamond to be offered on the U.K. market in more than a decade.
Events & AwardsMar 19, 2026
JCK Rocks To Ride With NellyThree-time Grammy award-winning artist Nelly is set to perform at the annual event at Tao Beach in Las Vegas on May 31.
