What We Can Learn from Chocolate Cake

At Paparazzi, we don’t just sell jewelry, we sell confidence. Of course, we are proud of our nickel and lead-free products and the $5 price point, but those are merely features. Focusing only on the physical characteristics of the accessories blinds us to a powerful sales technique! We’re not just selling accessories, but we are selling feelings! During the 2016 Empower Me Pink tour, Founder, Trent Kirby summed this concept up in what is now famously known as “the chocolate cake story.” Years ago, I worked as a server in a Brazilian all-you-can-eat type restaurant. I wanted to increase my ticket sales and in doing so, I decided to focus on upselling desserts. More specifically, I focused on chocolate cake. I believe everyone can relate to the scenario where a server approaches your table at the end of the meal and asks if anyone has saved room for dessert. By this time, most customers would have their payment ready go and would politely decline the offer. At this point, in order to sell a dessert, I would really have to paint a picture. Add in the fact that this was an all-you-can-eat restaurant, and the chances that anyone had left room for dessert were next to nothing. Instead of passively asking if people had saved room for dessert as I dropped the check on the table, I would begin selling the feeling and sensation of eating the actual cake. Everyone has a sweet tooth! Instead of asking if they had saved room for dessert, I would tell the customer how they should take the cake home and save it for later. I would carefully explain how they could drizzle chocolate syrup on the frosting and heat the slice up in the microwave and how it tasted just like it came out of the oven! I didn’t just focus on the features of the cake, but the feelings that were produced from eating the cake and guess what? My sales rocketed! If I had approached the table and told them all about this piece of chocolate cake that has 2,000 calories, would contribute to causing diabetes, was cooked earlier in the day, and had three layers, nobody would have bought it. But because I could paint a picture of what that cake would taste like later that night when they sat down to watch a favorite TV show and their sweet tooth kicked in, they were able to connect with the product and buy into that future experience. The cake in each scenario is identical! The only thing that changed is my approach in selling it. The next time you open up your orders to inspect your products, don’t just focus on the features of the accessories, but focus on the feeling that wearing the jewelry creates. Focus on the incredible feeling of how putting on the accessories can spark confidence and courage. Focus on how just that perfect splash of color or glitzy embellishment can help someone hold their head a little higher. Practice telling your customers how a color complements their skin tone, or how a necklace lengthens their body. Share how a pair of earrings adds sparkle to their eyes, or how a ring pulls their whole look together. As you target these aspects, you’ll find that you’re selling more than just a piece of jewelry to your customer – you’re selling her an accessory that sparks self-confidence. And that self-confidence will change the world.