WatchesJun 30, 2026
Pokémon Fans Will Want to Catch This New G-Shock WatchThe new watch commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
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.
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
MajorsJun 30, 2026
Saks Global Emerges From Bankruptcy With New NameThe luxury retailer is now called Exemplar Luxury Group.
CollectionsJun 30, 2026
Jade Ruzzo’s New Collection Embodies the Art of Being a LadyThe “Lady” collection is a new take on old beauty standards with gemstone-adorned hair pins and combs, a compact mirror necklace, and more.
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.
SourcingJun 30, 2026
Blue Nile Introduces Montana Sapphire CollectionThe new line is included in the e-tailer’s curation of jewelry celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
Weekly QuizJun 25, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
GradingJun 30, 2026
AGS Opens 2026 Recertification ExamAll active members who earned their credential or designation before Dec. 1, 2025, are required to recertify.
CollectionsJun 29, 2026
Briony Raymond’s New Collection Is a ‘Carousel’ of Hard StonesThe new jewelry collection uses a colorful palette of onyx, malachite, tiger’s eye, mother-of-pearl, lapis, turquoise, and coral.
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.
GradingJun 29, 2026
National Rarities Announces New Gemology ManagerSean Milliner has joined the company.
GradingJun 29, 2026
GIA to Open New London CampusClasses will begin in August at GIA’s new Canary Wharf location.
AuctionsJun 26, 2026
‘Hogback’ Diamond Ring Finds a New Home A ring set with “hogback” diamonds, an early stone cut dating to around the 16th century, sold for more than $20,000 at a U.K. auction.
CollectionsJun 26, 2026
Strength Is Sharpened Into Beauty in Kris Averi’s ‘Prism Thorn’ RingThe rainbow version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, features angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires designed to be worn as armor.
MajorsJun 26, 2026
Rembrandt Charms Debuts ‘Charms That Give Back’The new initiative donates a portion of the proceeds from select charms to charitable causes.
TrendsJun 26, 2026
Bernard James Celebrates Knicks’ Win with RingThe Brooklyn-based jeweler created a limited-edition version of its “Aura” eternity band, set with gemstones in the team’s colors.
SourcingJun 25, 2026
ICA Names Brandee Dallow as CEODallow will lead the International Colored Gemstone Association, effective July 6.
EditorsJun 25, 2026
Out & About: How Jewelers Mutual, SCAD Are Tackling the Bench Jeweler ShortageSenior Editor Lenore Fedow headed to Savannah to learn more about the 10-year, $10 million partnership between JM and the art school.
CollectionsJun 25, 2026
Mejuri Experiments With SteelIts new capsule jewelry collection features gold-finished stainless steel pieces designed for a maximalist look without a luxury price tag.
Events & AwardsJun 25, 2026
Watches & Wonders Announces 2027 DatesThe week-long event in Geneva is slated for April 2027.
SourcingJun 25, 2026
Annie Doresca, Mark Smelzer, Sara Yood Join Gem Legacy BoardThe three industry leaders bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the nonprofit’s board of directors.
ColumnistsJun 24, 2026
The Revenue Hiding Between Your Counter and Your Online CartJewelers are missing out by not offering this one key add-on at the online point of sale, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsJun 24, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers, Jewel Boxing’s Latest Drop Is On-TrendThe fourth collaborative collection from the retailer and jewelry content creator focuses on gemstone charms and strands of colorful beads.
Events & AwardsJun 24, 2026
AGTA Accepting Entries for Spectrum 2026This year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards will feature two new categories.
SourcingJun 24, 2026
Columbia Gem House To Offer Alexandrite Melee OnlineThe collection features traceable alexandrite from Brazil in calibrated sizes that is sorted by grade.
MajorsJun 24, 2026
CaratLane Names New Chief Sales OfficerDhaval Raja has been appointed to the role.
CollectionsJun 23, 2026
Francesca Villa Goes ‘On the Road’The capsule collection looks to vintage trunk pins that echo the spirit of speed, freedom, and the mythology of the American road trip.
SourcingJun 23, 2026
New Paraíba Tourmaline Source Reportedly Discovered in EthiopiaSSEF issued a notice about the potential new source of the sought-after gemstone, citing “credible reports” from trade sources.
MajorsJun 23, 2026
Etsy Says ‘Shop Other Jeffs’ This Prime DayAs Amazon Prime Day kicks off, Etsy is encouraging shoppers to support small businesses.
