On Building a Referral-Based Business in a Marketing-Driven World
Maybe this is personal bias speaking, but I feel like every other day I hear about a new jewelry store opening, a new fine jewelry line launching, or a new named teamed-up collection debuting between a jeweler and a - bridal gown designer - eyeglass designer - handbag designer - (fill in the blank). We are truly in what I consider to be the most accessible time for fine jewelry design and manufacturing, with options available in the widest range of price points ever and, of course, lab diamonds lowering the cost for durable materials in the fine jewelry sphere. Perhaps equally impactful is the prevailing access to ubiquitous, inexpensive marketing for new brands. Instagram stories, Tik-Tok “explainers”, and influencer-generated interest have turned the traditional model of referral-based business growth on its head. It’s easier than ever for an upstart brand with a savvy marketing budget to become an “expert” in creating heirloom-worthy craft.
It used to be the case that before a client would engage with a jeweler (or for that matter, a home renovator, restoration specialist, plumber, etc.), they would turn to their immediate network for resourcing advice. Now, people more readily turn to social media for inspiration and, subsequently, professional advice without realizing that a business’s social media representation is not the same thing as its professional reputation. More often, I find that the higher the marketing budget a business has, the more dubious their professional services tend to be. If you have to hire an influencer to gush over your services, then shouldn’t that beg the question of why your own clients aren’t doing this for you?
A business’s social media representation is not the same thing as its professional reputation… If you have to hire an influencer to gush over your services, then shouldn’t that beg the question of why your own clients aren’t doing this for you?
I’ll be honest: when I see what used to be smaller brands suddenly expanding seemingly every day to a new location, with a new cool line, with some new partnership to excite their customers, I feel a twinge of jealousy. At those times, I wish I had the cash capital to spend on a sophisticated marketing firm to design a beautiful new, user-friendly website with a global reach and dedicated fulfillment center. At the same time, as a boutique mom-and-pop style business which generates most of its new clientele through word-of-mouth referrals (not paid influencer referrals), we can attest that while our growth model may be slower than a VC-backed franchise, we have a much more focused and exacting reputation to live up to - and this is a good thing for our clients. Our workshop has been producing craftsman-quality work since 1969 right here in Old Town, Alexandria, using on-site jewelers and designers who know how to create jewelry that is not only beautiful, but durable for a lifetime. We have spent decades cultivating a stellar reputation that our clients trust due to actual experience wearing our work over many years; indeed, many of those clients are now sending their children in for their own engagement rings. Just the other day, I met with a client for whom we designed a beautiful ruby and diamond engagement ring about a decade ago and the ring looks just as stunning today as the day we made it. Knowing that we created a beautiful ring that she could wear with confidence for so many years without needing even a single diamond replaced made me realize how rare it is to provide a true full-cycle service that lasts. This is what creating heirloom-worthy jewelry truly means.
Being in-person also demands a higher level of service than online-only shops. For better or worse, I know that when a client takes the time to schedule an appointment at my studio and then invests money in my services, they are going to hold me more accountable to my product than they would, say, an online jewelry designer with whom they have only “met” virtually. I hear it all the time when discussing a repair with someone for an item they purchased online: “I mean, I bought it online so I can’t expect them to repair this,” or, “I tried reaching out to fix it but I’m four days past the warranty but whatever, I bought it online so I guess that’s how this goes.” This would never fly in our studio! For reasons only psychologists should really get into, people expect more out of face-to-face interactions with service providers than they do online stores. I am grateful for this dynamic, because I want to provide an amazing experience to our clients - so amazing that they can’t help but refer us to friends and family seeking similar services. This is why the majority of our new business comes from referrals.
In the end, the level of service we provide is increasingly rare in our ever-enlarging world. By (obstinately?) sticking to our in-house workshop model of providing full-service fine jewelry design, fabrication, and restoration services in a market where most jewelers outsource at least one if not all of those components, we stand out. We do cost more than competitors (though, not always), but our clients find value in what we provide. We are eternally grateful to our clients who have shared their trust in us with others, helping us to reach more prospective clients without resorting to Tick-Tock gimicks. Because… please don’t make us dance on the internet! I would rather be designing your perfect ring.
Proof of time better spent in design work than on social media.
