AGS - DPS Does It Again

Bleary-eyed and somewhat tired, a hall packed with jewelers gathered early Friday morning at the AGS Conclave for the Diamond Promotion Service's wake-up and smell the sales breakfast.

“Be a dream maker, not a dealer maker,” urged DPS Executive Director Lynne Diamond. For two hours, commoditization was belittled as AGS members listened to the ways in which they should be selling the dream that women across the world are aspiring to - the diamond dream.

According to Diamond, 56 million women in the U.S. already want diamonds for their anniversary present and with the average anniversary diamond jewelry piece retailing for $1,400 (the average ticket at an independent jeweler is almost a thousand dollars more at $2,230) - the past, present and future is not only marketing message with a potent meaning, it's a billion dollar market segment that is waiting to explode even further.

Following Diamond, Diane Warga-Arias, hyped the hall even more with a 'secret agent' fly on the wall montage of the best, unique and revolutionary in shopping experiences. From the East to West Coast, the ultimate shopping experience was examined.

Whether it's Planet Ford, service at a Mercedes Benz dealer in Manhattan or a deli in Michigan, the ways and methods in which both giant and small retailers are providing consumers with more than just a product afforded the audience of jewelry retailers a wealth of tips and considerations in how they can 'sell their service'. After all, she noted it all 'starts with service’.