Diamond, Newsletter

GCAL Newsletter 6/29/20: What Are You Going to Do About It?

Online purchasing, from the websites of traditional brick & mortar stores is a reality. You can choose to ignore it… fight it… or embrace it. This is not simply GCAL’s observation. We are listening to the marketplace very closely. Recognizing and embracing this trend is the advice (and warnings) of many economic and industry experts. Embrace the trend, not just because you want to… but because you have to. If you don’t, your store could conceivably lose a percentage of its 2020 sales, and possibly beyond.

So the big question is: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? We know none of you are prepared to settle for anything less than what’s right for your store, and what’s right for your customers. Why on earth would you? Certainly not now in yes, the new normal or the next normal, as it’s often referred to (we know, we’re all a little sick of hearing and reading about this).

There are of course very specific strategies to help you increase your store sales. Everything from how your store looks and feels… to how your team interacts with customers… to product mix… to pricing and payment terms… to your marketing strategies. But there are of course very specific strategies to increase your website sales as well. And there is one strategy GCAL is extremely familiar with, so that’s what we want to share with you in today’s email.

Like us, we’re sure you’ve all read and heard that consumers will likely expect more transparency in the products they’re purchasing. Expectations will run high for receiving exactly what was promised. Is the sweater really 100% wool? Is it sized correctly? Is the food really fat free or appropriate for dieting? Is that G VS2 diamond really a G VS2? The impact of this on the diamond and diamond jewelry business could be considerable. And it should be no surprise that all of us here at GCAL believe strongly that the diamond certificates (or “reports” in the case of all other labs) can be your “proof” that the product you’re selling is exactly what you believe it to be, and subsequently what your customer will believe he, she or they are purchasing. That said however, do the reports of other labs truly represent “proof” of the diamond grading? Are they really accurate?

The importance of this cannot be overstated in the case of customers buying from your website. In many or most cases, they’re purchasing sight-unseen. In almost all cases, they’re not benefiting from the knowledge and advice of your sales team. Nor the professionalism and “salesmanship” of the team. So how are they expected to purchase a diamond or piece of diamond jewelry without this? They’ll want proof that it is precisely what your website says it is. NO OTHER LAB IN THE WORLD VERIFIES EXACTLY WHAT THE DIAMOND IS, NOR DO THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR GRADING WITH A ZERO TOLERANCE, MONEY-BACKED GUARANTEE. NO, NONE. BUT GCAL DOES!

GCAL can because we provide the most accurate, consistent and reliable grading in the world. In fact, GCAL is the only diamond, gems and jewelry, ISO 17025 2017 Accredited Forensic Lab in the world”. That’s your proof what GCAL says is accurate. And in the highly unlikely event our grades are proved to be inaccurate, GCAL will reimburse your customer (“zero tolerance, money-backed guarantee”). Plus, we provide a host of additional and meaningful criteria about that diamond. For example, directly assessed light performance (including optical brilliance and optical symmetry); directly assessed Hearts & Arrows; photomicrographs (actual photos of the diamond, not generic images); to-scale proportion diagrams; and let’s not forget about Gemprint®, the most reliable diamond identification technology in the world. This is the proof your customers’ need. This is how you’ll increase online diamond sales. This is how you’ll sleep better at night. Please click on the links below to see exactly what we’re talking about.

See an example of the GCAL Certificate with Hearts & Arrows and 360 Video (Link)

See an example of the GCAL Lab Grown Certificate with Hearts & Arrows and 360 Video (Link)

If you have any questions, or would like additional information about GCAL or our Guaranteed Certificates, please let us know – 212-869-8985, or simply respond to this email. Thanks so very much again. To you and your families (personal and business), we hope you’ll be well and stay safe. And please enjoy a happy and healthy July 4th celebration. “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber ways of grain. For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain……”

Sincerely,

Don, Pam, & Angelo Palmieri, Steve Feldman, & The GCAL Team


See an example of the GCAL Certificate with Hearts & Arrows and 360 Video (Link)
See an example of the GCAL Lab Grown Certificate with Hearts & Arrows and 360 Video (Link)


YOUR BUSINESS
CHECK OUT THESE ARTICLES…

Survey: How US companies are planning for a safe return to the workplace
-McKinsey & Co.


Back to Work: Advance, Retreat, Adapt
-Bain & Co,


What’s At Risk: An 18-Month View of a Post-COVID World
-Visual Capitalist


Communications get personal: How leaders can engage employees during a return to work
-McKinsey & Co.


Five charts that track economic recovery in the U.S.
-CNBC


Apple Mobility Index
-Apple

THE INDUSTRY
CHECK OUT THESE ARTICLES…

How Will Jewelers Change How They Operate Post-Pandemic? Here’s What Our Brain Squad Said
-InStore


Signet’s New Chief Digital Officer Talks About Its Online Plans
– JCK


Jewelry Cleaning Tips Straight from an Expert
– National Jeweler


1 in 2 Jewelers Surveyed Say They Require Masks In Their Stores. Here’s Why (And Why Not)
-InStore


3 Things You Need To Know About Your Digital Footprint
-Jewelry Ecomm


The Best-Selling Jewelry Brands During A Difficult Month Of Sales, According To Our Brain Squad
-InStore


This Is How COVID-19 Impacted Jewelry Sales
-Edahn Golan

WEBINARS
CHECK OUT THESE SEMINARS…

July 2 at 9 AM EST
CIBJO Webinar: Natural & Lab-Grown Diamonds: Rules of Engagement
– CIBJO
The ‘Jewellery Industry Voices’ webinar series looks at issues of interest in the jewellery business from the perspective of industry figures. The eleventh edition will focus on natural and lab-grown diamonds. It will have a particular focus on frameworks that need to be created so that the products may coexist successfully alongside each other, and the work of the CIBJO Laboratory-Grown Diamond Committee, which has focused specifically on maintaining consumer confidence.

TRAINING
CHECK OUT OUR EDUCATION…

Selling with GCAL
-GCAL Team
Energize your staff to close more sales with the help of GCAL’s many exclusive, differentiating features. Turn prospects into buyers by skillfully answering questions and explaining the Zero Tolerance, Money-Backed Guaranteed Certs. Email us to schedule a time.


Gemprint – Protection and Profit Center
– Gemprint Team
Gemprint’s rapid and secure fingerprinting system for diamonds is used by every level of our industry to protect diamond assets. Learn how Gemprint technology can be implemented in your business to do everything from streamlining inventory control… to identifying returned diamonds… to earning discounts on jewelers block insurance… to providing a true profit center.