Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
IndependentsNov 13, 2018
Squirrel Spotting: 10 Random Sales Tips for the Season
Smile, Peter Smith says, and stay away from chronically negative people.
Peter Smith has more than 30 years of experience building wholesale and retail sales teams. He currently is president of Vibhor Gems.
As we approach the critical holiday season, I thought it might be fun to share a few random tips that you might want to think about on the sales floor.
Have fun and be great!
1. Smile
Smiling engages the mirror neurons in our customers. They don’t care about our motivations, they’re just happy to see a warm smile, and they are more likely to reciprocate and adopt a more positive and friendly attitude as a result.
2. Use Hand Gestures
Effective communicators tend to use their hands more when they are speaking. It makes you appear warmer and more relatable. Let your hands help with your communication.
3. Avoid Negative People
There is no value whatsoever in choosing to associate with chronically negative people.
We all need to vent occasionally, but some people seem to have been born to complain and they must be avoided at all costs. You can’t be successful in sales unless you bring a positive attitude to work and maintain it throughout the day.
4. Don’t Information Dump
Great salespeople are not information-dumpers. They don’t use customer interactions as an opportunity to spew every fact and feature of their products. It is important to know your products well enough to speak to them, but the goal is to connect on an emotional level.
5. Be Authentic
Always present an authentic version of yourself to your customers. There are so many elements that contribute to our communication, verbal and non-verbal, so trying to present an inauthentic version of yourself will be taxing for you, and not terribly convincing for your customers.
6. Features and Benefits Are Irrelevant Until We Connect Emotionally
Features and benefits mean absolutely nothing unless you connect with your customer on an emotional level. Once that has been accomplished, you can underscore the connection with select features and their respective benefits to your customer.
7. Set Goals for Yourself
Having goals is like a GPS system for your own performance. The most obvious example is a daily/ weekly/monthly sales goal. But there are other measures to drive your own performance.
What is your average sale? Can you improve your personal conversion rate? Can you make X amount of add-on sales? If you work for a store that does not provide goals, set them yourself.
8. Use Your Colleagues
Using your colleagues to help shows them respect and demonstrates humility and curiosity on your part.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
Including them as appropriate in your customer interactions (be it a formal turnover of a prospect or a friendly inclusion) is just good business.
9. Sell Value, Not Price
Value and price are separate but often confused terms.
If I buy something for the cheapest price and it breaks or underperforms, did I get a good value? If I pay “more” for something than I might have wished, and it performs beautifully for years, did I pay too much?
Establishing value requires the salesperson to understand the underlying motivations behind a customer’s questions and to probe beneath the surface of requests for cheap prices and discounts. Do the work and sell the customer something she or he won’t regret buying. That’s value.
10. Build Your Customer Base
The difference between good and great salespeople is that good salespeople get a solid share of walk-ins, while great salespeople get a solid share of walk-ins and drive their own customers.
Every interaction is an opportunity to build your customer base. Don’t waste that opportunity during the holidays when you have more customers to work with. Capture key information and follow up after the season. These are the seeds of next year’s business.
Have a great season!
Peter Smith is president of Vibhor, a public speaker and author of “Sell Something” and “Hiring Squirrels.” He spent 30 years building sales teams in retail and wholesale and he can be contacted at dublinsmith@yahoo.com, peter@vibhorgems.com, or on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
9. Sell Value, Not Price
Value and price are separate but often confused terms.
If I buy something for the cheapest price and it breaks or underperforms, did I get a good value? If I pay “more” for something than I might have wished, and it performs beautifully for years, did I pay too much?
Establishing value requires the salesperson to understand the underlying motivations behind a customer’s questions and to probe beneath the surface of requests for cheap prices and discounts. Do the work and sell the customer something she or he won’t regret buying. That’s value.
10. Build Your Customer Base
The difference between good and great salespeople is that good salespeople get a solid share of walk-ins, while great salespeople get a solid share of walk-ins and drive their own customers.
Every interaction is an opportunity to build your customer base. Don’t waste that opportunity during the holidays when you have more customers to work with. Capture key information and follow up after the season. These are the seeds of next year’s business.
Have a great season!
Peter Smith is president of Vibhor, a public speaker and author of “Sell Something” and “Hiring Squirrels.” He spent 30 years building sales teams in retail and wholesale and he can be contacted at dublinsmith@yahoo.com, peter@vibhorgems.com, or on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
More on Independents
The Latest
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
Weekly QuizJul 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
CollectionsJul 23, 2026
Silvia Furmanovich’s New Collection Travels Back to the 1920s“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
WatchesJul 23, 2026
Movado Inks Licensing Deal With Kate Spade New YorkThe watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2026
Trump to Put 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.
CollectionsJul 22, 2026
Monica Rich Kosann’s High Jewelry Is FruitfulThe “Enchanted Garden” series features a cherry, lemon, and pear that each hold a little secret inside.
Events & AwardsJul 22, 2026
NY Now Returns in August Under New OwnershipThe show, recently acquired by Rockview Management Group, will be held at New York City’s Javits Center from Aug. 2-4.
ColumnistsJul 21, 2026
Sherry Smith: Shattering the Illusion of the ‘Either/Or’ Diamond MarketSmith offers retailers guidance on creating an environment where natural and lab-grown diamonds can both thrive.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2026
Apollo Funds Completes Emerald AcquisitionFormer Emerald President and CEO Hervé Sedky has transitioned to the role of senior advisor.
CollectionsJul 21, 2026
Graff’s New Butterfly High Jewelry Brooches MetamorphosizeThe 12-piece capsule collection transforms from brooches to pendants.
SourcingJul 21, 2026
Anglo Reportedly Selects Gareth Penny’s Consortium as Top Bidder for De BeersA Botswana government official told lawmakers Anglo has selected The Global Diamond Consortium, an entity chaired by Penny, to buy De Beers.
Policies & IssuesJul 20, 2026
Tariffs on Brazil to Increase But Rough Gemstones ExemptThe new tariff, imposed after a Trump administration study, is 25 percent and will stack on top of existing tariffs.
CollectionsJul 20, 2026
Vhernier Transforms ‘Freccia’ Collection Into High JewelryThe collection from 2014 has been reinterpreted into high jewelry with its signature triangular-shaped elements.
MajorsJul 20, 2026
Krista Collins Walters Promoted to Publisher of InstoreShe will also take on the role of vice president of jewelry for SmartWork Media, a newly created position.
Events & AwardsJul 20, 2026
TJS Accepting Speaker Proposals for 2027 EventOrganizers are looking for presentations on topics like manufacturing, technology and research, bench work, gemstones, and sustainability.
CollectionsJul 17, 2026
HOWL Taps Shailene Woodley for ‘Home Sweet Home’ CampaignWoodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
U.K. Woman Pays £5 for £15K Diamond Ring at Car Boot SaleA WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
Diamond Dealer Jeff Pancis Pens MemoirThe founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.
Events & AwardsJul 17, 2026
Gem Awards Opens 2027 Nomination PeriodSubmissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.
EditorsJul 16, 2026
Q&A: Guzema’s Co-Owners On Its US Expansion, 10-Year AnniversaryValeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.
SourcingJul 16, 2026
Ekati to Close, Leaving Canada With One Diamond Mine The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.
FinancialsJul 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Sales Soar for the Seventh Quarter in a RowJewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.
