Poised for success

Rajkumar Sarraf Jewellers of Ambedkarnagar, UP, trains the front face for the customer to be confident, well-groomed and engaging.

Shivansh Raj Seth, Director Rajkumar Sarraf Jewellers, first conducted the training session for the staff in 2021. Consumers’ mindset has changed post-pandemic, and they have become more knowledgeable regarding products they are planning to purchase and never shy away from asking pertinent questions. “They have started enquiring about the carat, purity, return policy on diamond jewellery, and even Rapaport price list in a tier-3 city like ours. One of the reasons behind this change is the increased time spent online exploring the category women love. Therefore, we felt that our 26-member strong staff must undergo a proper training schedule by professionals to handle the customers efficiently,” he said.

The staff training focused on product knowledge, grooming, and more. It included body language, communication skills, dress code, etiquette, and selling skills, such as up-selling and cross-selling. The staff was told to inform customers about the benefits of gold investment, diamond jewellery purchasing, and other information to help improve purchasing decisions.

Radical change

The training benefited the brand with significant improvements in staff behaviour and customer engagement. The staff has become more serious and finally shed their hesitation to start conversations with the client. Most of the time, initially, the customers had to explicitly specify their requirements and the staff used to act accordingly. After the training program, the staff greets and escorts the customer from the entry door to the designated counters. During this time, they try to create informal conversations to understand their requirement and build a rapport. It builds a deeper understanding of the occasion of purchase and the customers’ aesthetics, allowing them to show a more comprehensive selection and impress the customer.

Another improvement has been in punctuality. For example, on several occasions, the staff members used to inform on the same day of their inability to report to work. After the training program, they have developed a sense of responsibility and plan their leaves accordingly, so the work should not suffer.

Upselling has also improved, thanks to the training sessions. According to Shivansh, previously, customers used to leave the showroom with just the products they planned to purchase, but now, they buy more. “I’ve also observed a regular movement in demand for diamond jewellery, and sales have shot up by almost 30-40% compared to the last year. The staff members can also cross-sell, converting gold-buying customers into diamond buyers through effective communication about the benefits of buying natural diamonds over gold jewellery. Training schedules have increased staff confidence significantly, which has minimized the involvement of the senior management in customer conversion,” Shivansh added.

Motivated by the advancement in staff performance, the jeweller is planning to introduce a new system to gauge the staff’s product knowledge. As per the plan, the staff members will receive questions on their mobile phones at regular intervals regarding any product or category, which they have to answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller India News