Buy Like a Guy... » Engagement Rings

Unmanly, Unromantic and Completely Unnecessary

Andy Koehn — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:54:32 +0000

I sat down and had a few conversational beers with some regular guys to find out what men think about when they’re on the diamond/engagement ring hunt. (See Can Men Be Jewelry Gurus?) I have to be honest…I didn’t expect the conversation to focus on “salespeople” and “trust” as much as it did. I thought for sure the #1 topic would be price, but I found out that guys want real, live help at the counter and are willing to pay for it.

That’s really cool because the people behind the counter(the good ones) can and do help give you something that you can’t buy online in most cases: peace of mind. They are your Hired Guns and when a true professional is there to help it speeds up the process and takes some of the pressure off. So…kudos to the guys in the vid and thanks again!

Under Pressure…Not!

Which brings me to the topic at hand: A lot of men feel pressure when it comes to buying the “right” ring and really not as bad as all that. I know how it goes…I’ve seen it a million times and it goes something like this:

You are in love and spent some time talking to her and looking at ring styles she says she likes.
You’ve found a beautiful ring that fits her style and the price is something you can live with.
You’re standing in a store that speaks your language and you like the salesperson.
All you need to do now is pull the trigger and buy the ring. Instead you say something like:”I think I’m going to bring her in to make sure she likes it.”

No…no…no…no and NO. You can and should buy the ring because bringing her in to look at yet another ring is unromantic, unmanly and completely unnecessary. How do I know? I asked women who are/were in the market for an engagement ring and asked them.

The Survey…

I wrote a very casual survey and submitted it to women with the help of several jewelry store buddies and Facebook fans. This is the question I asked:

How would you like the ring purchase to go down?

I want to pick out the ring and that’s the ring I expect to see when I open the box. (10.1%)

I want to show him the general style I like and as long as it’s in the ballpark I’m good. (61.6%)

I’ll provide a laundry list and expect him to fill it. (Not in a mean way. I have to wear this ring the rest of my life!)(6.9%)

I want it to be a complete surprise. I’ll take anything.(21.4%)

Nearly 62% of respondents said as long as you buy a ring that is similar to the style she picked out, you’re good. If you add the other 21.4% who want the ring to be a complete surprise then you have an 8 in 10 shot at being the man she expects you to be. Seriously…you know if she’s one of the other 17% so act accordingly.

But still…what if I pick the wrong ring?

There you go again…making it harder than it needs to be. That’s OK because I have this to share with you as well. The follow up question to the above was:

If he came home with something different than what I told him to get or hinted at I would:

Be disappointed but OK. (54%)

Be disappointed and mad. (4%)

Love it just the same. (42%)

Only 4% of women will be “mad” if you propose with something she’s not expecting so the risk factor is extremely low. See? This is easy.

Go for it!

I grant you this is not the most sophisticated survey on the planet but it is telling. Feel free to take your own casual surveys as you’re out and about. Ask women what they think, combine those answers with my results and come to your own conclusion. Something tells me you won’t feel the need to “bring her in” anymore.

Personally I’d take this info and run with it. There are so many more important things to do than push off buying a ring with manufactured excuses. (For example…you can start planning your proposal.)

Let me know how it goes!

A Diamond=Game Over

Andy Koehn — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:23:58 +0000

REAL QUESTION POSED TO ME:

Why do I even have to give her an engagement ring? (I’m not kidding…)

MY ANSWER: You’ve just finished a great steak, your 3rd pint of Guinness, and an obligatory round of high fives because the good guys won the game. You’re in a crowded sports bar which is clearly one of the best places to indulge in the age-old sport of people watching.

A casual glance over your shoulder pushes your senses up an entire octave. There she is, an exotic beauty with legs “up to here.” She’s the kind of woman that garners admiring stares from men and women alike. Confident. Alluring. Tight body. Probably smells good too.

So what keeps other men at bay? It’s the little sparkler on her left hand, third finger. A geek filter that says, “I have someone that I love, who loves me back. Game over, fella’s.”

Therein lies the power of diamonds set in a ring, given from a man to woman as a symbol of their commitment. THAT’S why you give her an engagement ring.

A Truck is a Truck

Andy Koehn — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:05:45 +0000

TIP: As beautiful as your new truck may be to you, it’s best not to discuss its importance when you are at the diamond counter.

I wince every time a young man utters the most unabashed pledge of allegiance to his vehicle in front of his girlfriend.

It’s a common expletive when he comes face-to-face with the ring she really wants, versus the one he’s prepared to buy her.

Keep your vehicle envy under your hats, boys. For her, a visit to the jewelry store is just like the day you bought those sport rims for your refurbished muscle car. Anticipation. Visions of admiring glances. Jealousy. That kind of stuff.

Every time a guy says, “Man, that’s almost as much as my truck!” he is knocked clean off his white horse. She walks in feeling every bit the princess she has been brought up to deny. And in a split second, feels lower than a snakes belly because her white knight loves his horse more than the damsel in distress.

There are but a few moments in our lives that we will remember upon passing to the next phase of existence. I believe the happy times spent with the people you love are what we will remember as we drift off into the abyss. All guy talk aside, showing a woman how much you cherish her is worth its weight in gold. You only get one chance to do it right. Don’t blow it.

[Yeah, yeah, I know, “You can’t drive a ring.” You also can’t fool around with your truck. Think about that the next time you nuzzle up to her for a little sumpin' sumpin' ]