Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Jewelry and Persuasion



Marilyn Monroe famously said that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” and her words have had a lasting effect on women around the world.  Over time she has become a symbol for sexuality, luxury, and beauty.  Similarly, so have diamonds and other fine jewelry over the years.  Diamonds not only symbolize status and wealth, but they are also used as a sign of everlasting love.  Advertisements, movies, and television shows have conditioned us to view marriage in a particular way, and they have helped to shape our beliefs and values also.  Men are taught that the way to a woman’s heart is through diamonds, and women are taught that men show their love and commitment through buying them.  Since we have this dominant cultural ideology in today’s society, I decided that a perfect option for this assignment would be to visit a high end jewelry store.  I chose to go to Tivol on the Country Club Plaza in order to see what types of persuasion the employees use in order to sell diamonds.  I found the salespeople to be particularly effective at persuading me through atmospherics, cognitive shorthands, and coactive persuasion. 

            One of the first things that I noticed when I entered this high end jewelry store was the elegant atmosphere.  Not only is the Country Club Plaza an incredibly nice place to shop, but the stores located within this outdoor shopping center are all nicely landscaped and flawlessly decorated.  Tivol is no different, with white pillars and marble décor outside of the store.  Although I was somewhat intimidated by the clientele entering the store, I entered the store anyways and proceeded to look around.  The soft, romantic music instantly calmed me, and the darker walls further encouraged me to look at the lit up cases of jewelry.  The scent inside the store was a musky mixture of lavender and vanilla.  It seemed to me that the scent was neither feminine nor masculine, and that it was a romantic scent that appealed to both genders.  When I walked in I immediately saw a table of discounted jewelry which also made me feel more comfortable, for it seemed that they were trying to cater to people who were on a budget as well.  Although the store is known for being very expensive and high end, the inviting atmosphere made me feel comfortable enough to continue to shop.
            After I had been looking around for a few minutes, a middle aged man confidently walked up to me and began to ask me some questions.  I immediately felt the need to show him respect because of his business suit and gentlemanly behavior.  Instead of simply asking how I was feeling, he said “how do you do miss?”  I told him that I was very well and explained to him that my boyfriend suggested that I go look at engagement rings.  Even though I never told him what my boyfriend did for a living, or what I suspected my price range was, this was obviously something he was excited to hear.  He started asking me what carat of diamond I would prefer, and what type of cut I would potentially want.  Since I do not own any expensive jewelry, I was somewhat confused and overwhelmed by his terminology.  He seemed incredibly knowledgeable about all different types of diamonds and jewelry, and I started to become submissive to him and felt his authority over me.  Since I know nothing about jewelry, I felt as though I should listen to his opinions about what type of jewelry would be the best for me.
            As I continued to listen to this man, a beautiful and well-dressed woman approached me and asked me if I would care for some champagne while I shopped.  Although I politely declined her generous offer, this idea of pre-giving made me want to continue to interact with the salespeople.  She questioned me about my life and showed genuine interest in me, and the communication seemed receiver-oriented.  As the saleswoman learned more about me and my interests, she was also keeping my attention, making it easier for her to persuade me.  She realized that I probably was not in any position to buy any jewelry that day, and so she used different strategies to try to get me to purchase something.  She informed me about payment plans, and showed me jewelry that was very affordable.  She seemed to genuinely want to satisfy me as a customer even though I am sure she understood that I was not in any position to buy anything. 
After some time had passed, the man approached me again and asked me if I had seen any rings that I wanted to try on.  Even though I would have wanted any ring in the store, I decided to ask him to choose a few for me that he felt suited me the best.  The first ring he had me try on was obscenely expensive with an enormous diamond, and it looked ridiculous on my hand.  When I openly admitted that it was far too expensive he showed me another ring.  This ring was less expensive, and the diamond was a little smaller.  Even though this ring was still way over my price range, in comparison to the other ring it seemed to be much more affordable.  I immediately upped my price range in order to continue to try on rings that were similar to this particular ring.  The way that he contrasted the rings made me change my perception about how much money should be spent, and I ended up wanting to spend more than I originally did. 
            As I proceeded to try on a plethora of beautiful diamond rings, many different salespeople began to compliment me on how amazing the rings looked on me.  They also complimented my hands, manicured nails, and impeccable taste in jewelry.  Although I knew that they were simply trying to get me to buy something, I felt flattered and I wanted them to continue to like me.  I almost wanted to purchase something in order to be liked and admired, even though I knew it was completely insincere.  Instead of purchasing something, I found the ring of my dreams and asked the man who had been helping me about the price, and if he could give my boyfriend some sort of deal if he were to purchase the ring from this particular store.  He told me that if my boyfriend were to come in before the end of the week that he would be able to offer him a percentage off of the original price.  He seemed to act as though this sale was only available for a limited time only, and that sales were scarcely offered.  This made me feel as though I would never be able to buy this ring unless it was within the week.   
            I learned so much about persuasion through this experience.  I found that there are many aspects that factor in to persuading customers to purchase items, and that persuasion is not always defined as a pushy salesperson trying to force you to buy something.  I was not pushed by anyone at Tivol to purchase any jewelry, however they did persuade me in less obvious ways.  The inviting atmospherics made me want to stay longer in the store and admire the fine jewels.  The authoritative and complimentary staff encouraged me to listen to their opinions and want to be liked.  They contrasted different rings to get me to up my price range without overtly letting me know that they wanted me to spend more money.  Finally, they used scarcity to make it appear as though this was a fantastic deal that would not be there for long.
            Although I could sense that their motives were selfish and insincere, the staff did successfully persuade me in many ways throughout my time at Tivol.  Even though it appears as though these types of persuasion are not completely ethical because their main purpose is to sell jewelry, it also seems as though it is not entirely unethical either.  In today’s society it is difficult to make a living, especially in sales.  I did not get the impression that the employees at Tivol were going out of their way to be dishonest and unethical, but that they were genuinely interested in satisfying their customers in order to make a profit.  However, I have become much more aware of the different types of persuasion that salespeople use, and I believe that I have grown into a smarter consumer.      


References

Jones, J. G., Simons, H. W.  (2011).  Persuasion in society (2nd ed.). New York, NY:  Routledge.

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