Ever reach for your keys only to realize they’re not there? You check your pockets and bags to no avail. Realizing you don’t have access to your own home is an awful feeling.

Outside with no way in—that’s what it’s like when jewelers are asked questions they’re unequipped to answer. We see this all the time. New jewelry professionals understand the basics but don’t communicate convincing expertise, so the client walks away.

Here are three secrets that will help you solve this problem. Think of them as “keys” that unlock the door to meeting clients’ needs and achieving greater sales success.

Secret #1: You Already KNOW What You Don’t Know
Consumers investing in jewelry purchases generally prefer to buy in-person versus online. Many do online research prior to going into a store, but they can be overwhelmed by what they see. A knowledgeable jeweler, speaking one-on-one with the client, who can cut through the noise and explain things in a way that makes sense wins trust. Winning trust leads to sales.

Customers want to buy from someone they believe is a expert. Your sales staff become experts through regular training. If you run a jewelry store, you probably already realize how much ongoing professional education boosts your team’s expertise. It can make the difference between, say, being acquainted with “carat weight,” and being able to articulate why differences exist in both physical size (due to shape or depth) and visual size appearance (due to light performance).

Or perhaps your salespeople understand the color scale for diamonds, but they don’t engage customers with more detailed information, such as how D-Z color is graded with the diamond viewed upside-down (a fascinating piece of intel). Maybe they know about grading diamond cuts but struggle to provide context around what terms like excellent, ideal, and super-ideal mean. To that end, here’s a second secret that’s even more important than the first.

Secret #2: You DON’T KNOW What You Don’t Know
If you’re locked out of your house, you know what you have to do: Contact a locksmith or someone who has a set of keys. You’re aware of the problem, and you’re motivated to fix it immediately.

It’s different when you don’t even realize there is a problem—in other words, when you don’t know what you don’t know. This can occur in the jewelry industry when products and services are evolving. For example: the lab-grown diamond sector. Your staff may be able to define terms like HPHT, CVD, IIa, and IIb, but what about AG, PGT, and SCS-007 certification? You want to make sure their knowledge is up to date, and is accurate. (Some information related to lab-grown diamonds that gets promoted is inaccurate.)

When it comes to natural diamonds, you want your staff to be familiar with positive upstream developments over the last half-century. Environmental rehabilitation, sourcing, tracking initiatives, and philanthropic actions that benefit millions of people in diamond-producing regions are just a few of the good news stories that jewelry buyers may not know. Sellers of natural diamonds should learn about them and share the information with clients.

Secret #3: You Can Train Your Staff Through IGI eLearning ON DEMAND
IGI offers a series of popular eLearning modules on diamonds, designed for front-line retail personnel. Courses can be taken on demand, so they fit the user’s schedule, and can be accessed across multiple devices.

Use IGI eLearning to improve your staff’s diamond knowledge. The modules provide education ranging from introductory 4Cs training, to comprehensive information on lab-grown diamonds, to timely lessons covering the vital benefits the natural diamond industry brings to diamond communities around the world.

IGI’s eLearning is available on an interactive online platform that reinforces the content and verifies users’ understanding of it. Each program can be done in about 45 minutes. Participants who take all the diamond courses receive an IGI Certificate of Completion.

In addition to eLearning courses, IGI offers seminars and webinars for jewelry professionals, trade organizations, and international chains, including leading luxury brands. We invite you to take advantage of this convenient and effective training.

Sharpen your skills and sell more by eLearning valuable knowledge with IGI today. Visit IGI.org/elearning/courses to find out more.