AuctionsOct 24, 2025
Bonhams Under New Ownership, Top Executives ReplacedLondon-based investment firm Pemberton Asset Management acquired the auction house for an undisclosed amount.
IndependentsJan 15, 2019
Squirrel Spotting: Why Having a Method of Turnover Matters
Peter Smith suggests adopting a seamless turnover practice that includes “loitering with intent.”
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels,” and “Sell Something.” Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
Turning over customers—the delicate art of shifting a prospective customer from one salesperson to another when the chemistry seems not to be right—has much in common with New Year’s resolutions.
With the best of intentions, we determine to do better, we know we ought to do better and, yet, as we get into the meat of the year, we can often find ourselves lamenting that we are no closer to effecting change then when we made the resolution in the first place.
There are, naturally, many reasons why turnover is important in a sales environment but perhaps the most compelling argument comes from the research on bias conducted by Alexander Todorov and Janine Willis at Princeton University.
Todorov and Willis concluded that people make decisions about whether they like someone or not within 1/10th of a second upon meeting them.
If that first impression happens to be negative, everything that follows serves only to underscore the validity of the initial perception for the customer.
If someone takes an immediate dislike to you they will follow that perception down the rabbit hole to the detriment of you, your store and, ironically enough, themselves. In many respects, there might have been nothing you could have done differently to avoid your fate.
Rationalizing why customers might feel that way about someone they have just met serves no purpose.
It could be that you remind them of somebody they don’t like, it could be the color of your outfit, your accent, or even the closeness of your eyes.
There is also the possibility that you yourself unconsciously communicated your dislike of the customer in your own body language.
RELATED CONTENT: Squirrel Spotting—Body Language Speaks VolumesIf your schedule permits, you could conduct a post-mortem on what your body language communicated that might have been off-putting to prospective customers with whom you did not connect.
Or, in the interest of time and sanity, you can accept that no one person—no matter how nice, smart or well-intentioned—is ever going to connect with everyone they meet.
And you can get busy working on the practical aspects of how you might execute turnover in your store to ensure the best possibility for a win-win-win for your customers, your salespeople and your store.
Like most of human engagement, there are few absolute truths in how one ought to construct the practice of customer turnover.
I would suggest
a “seamless turnover” practice, aided by a culture of team selling, is not a bad place to start.
That doesn’t mean invoking an “everyone in” approach to every customer where you risk overwhelming your customers with a gang-selling approach. What is does mean, however, is that you adopt the practice of what I call “loitering with intent.”
Loitering with intent means that when a given salesperson engages with a customer, one of her colleagues “busies herself” nearby, within earshot, so that she can offer an opinion, a helping hand or, when necessary, a life raft.
Seamless turnover is a good way to hand off a customer without him knowing that he is being passed from one person to another.
It is facilitated by having more than one salesperson (appropriately and respectfully) in the space (within a case length or so of the customer) and potentially in the conversation.
It also requires a practiced and subtle signal between the salespeople that one will pass the customer to the other when the first salesperson feels the chemistry is not good.
The hand-off can happen by the original salesperson quietly excusing herself with something as simple as, “Let me grab a coffee for you and I’ll have Sharon show you that ring. I know it’s a favorite piece of hers.”
There should be no hard stopping point (where you announce that you are handing the customer over) so the customer is not put in an awkward position. The hand-off should be as subtle and seamless as possible. Once the original salesperson has quietly slipped away, the second salesperson can take the lead.
Another way to make the switch is to have the original salesperson stay on the periphery of the conversation but nonetheless cede the lead role to a colleague.
As the conversation progresses, the original salesperson can gradually work her way out of the conversation altogether and eventually excuse herself to “return a phone call” or engage a new customer.
Salespeople will often be resistant to the practice of turnover.
Besides the perfectly understandable resistance to not wanting to give up potential sales opportunities, there are two additional reasons why salespeople might be resistant; one is psychological—not wanting to admit failure—and the other is more practical—you haven’t been trained to manage customer turnover and it might feel staged or awkward to do it.
Those latter two concerns, of course, need to be addressed before implementing the practice.
It is important to share with your salespeople why turnover does not signal a failure on their part, and why it is in the customer’s best interest to foster a culture of turnover as standard practice.
Those points, of course, will be underscored provided your salespeople are as often the recipients of handovers from their colleagues as they are the givers of customers to their colleagues.
A culture of turnover is the right thing for your business, it is the right thing for your customers and, ultimately, it is the right thing for your salespeople.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” and “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople.” Both books are available in print or Kindle at Amazon.com. Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
That doesn’t mean invoking an “everyone in” approach to every customer where you risk overwhelming your customers with a gang-selling approach. What is does mean, however, is that you adopt the practice of what I call “loitering with intent.”
Loitering with intent means that when a given salesperson engages with a customer, one of her colleagues “busies herself” nearby, within earshot, so that she can offer an opinion, a helping hand or, when necessary, a life raft.
Seamless turnover is a good way to hand off a customer without him knowing that he is being passed from one person to another.
It is facilitated by having more than one salesperson (appropriately and respectfully) in the space (within a case length or so of the customer) and potentially in the conversation.
It also requires a practiced and subtle signal between the salespeople that one will pass the customer to the other when the first salesperson feels the chemistry is not good.
The hand-off can happen by the original salesperson quietly excusing herself with something as simple as, “Let me grab a coffee for you and I’ll have Sharon show you that ring. I know it’s a favorite piece of hers.”
There should be no hard stopping point (where you announce that you are handing the customer over) so the customer is not put in an awkward position. The hand-off should be as subtle and seamless as possible. Once the original salesperson has quietly slipped away, the second salesperson can take the lead.
Another way to make the switch is to have the original salesperson stay on the periphery of the conversation but nonetheless cede the lead role to a colleague.
As the conversation progresses, the original salesperson can gradually work her way out of the conversation altogether and eventually excuse herself to “return a phone call” or engage a new customer.
Salespeople will often be resistant to the practice of turnover.
Besides the perfectly understandable resistance to not wanting to give up potential sales opportunities, there are two additional reasons why salespeople might be resistant; one is psychological—not wanting to admit failure—and the other is more practical—you haven’t been trained to manage customer turnover and it might feel staged or awkward to do it.
Those latter two concerns, of course, need to be addressed before implementing the practice.
It is important to share with your salespeople why turnover does not signal a failure on their part, and why it is in the customer’s best interest to foster a culture of turnover as standard practice.
Those points, of course, will be underscored provided your salespeople are as often the recipients of handovers from their colleagues as they are the givers of customers to their colleagues.
A culture of turnover is the right thing for your business, it is the right thing for your customers and, ultimately, it is the right thing for your salespeople.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” and “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople.” Both books are available in print or Kindle at Amazon.com. Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
More on Independents
The Latest
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
Brought to you by
Are Earrings an Overlooked Category? What Retailers Need to Know NowAs the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
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.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive FlagshipHollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First FlagshipThe New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.
Events & AwardsOct 21, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink DiamondMaking its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby MineThey were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European SalesGemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.
Events & AwardsOct 17, 2025
An Edit of Italian Jewels Is Coming to NYCThe new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
TrendsOct 17, 2025
Piece of the Week: Judi Powers Jewelry’s ‘Stella’ EarringsTake a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.
