Coach’s Corner: Pinterest, a gift for salespeople

 I love Pinterest.

I grew up making big poster boards of things I loved and things I wanted to do in my life … someday. When Pinterest came out I was so excited to “make my boards up,” that I pinned every cool vacation photo, dream homes and body of water possible (I am a water person, as you might know due to my previous article about open-water swimming.)

And I am not alone. Since Pinterest’s launched date in March 2010, the social media site has gained more than 70 million users. That’s a pretty big audience to ignore and it isn’t just for foodies and fashionistas.

I am here to tell you that Pinterest is a place you-- jewelry stores and sales professionals-- should know and love.

I hope by now your social media efforts already include Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but Pinterest is the ideal marketplace for your customers.

Not only should your store be on Pinterest, but you as a jewelry sales professional should know all about it.

Pinterest helps you get an idea of what your customer’s style is. So if, for example, a man is shopping by himself, his biggest worry is he won’t get the ring design right, that she might not like it.

If she has a Pinterest page or is on Instagram you can go to the page and see her style and boards. Usually, she already has a board with rings on it.

It’s a gift to sales professionals. You used to have to try to get her style out of him, and he never could really articulate it. Now we just go to Pinterest and it’s all there for us.

Take advantage of this powerful medium. Your customers have Pinterest boards that you get to see. It shows what their dream jewelry is as well as their personal style. It is a gift to us. They are telling us their stories!

Seize these opportunities that Pinterest has to offer. Remember, people buy with their eyes before their minds. In this world, striking visuals speak so much louder than words, take the time to post photos of the brands you carry in your stores … your customers will love them.