Buy Like a Guy... » Men

A Weapon at the Diamond Counter.

Andy Koehn — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 19:00:25 +0000

This is one of the best ideas I’ve heard in FOREVER. A young man came into our store holding a couple of print outs and some pictures. That’s not the great idea. I see that all the time.

What made this guy stand out was the fact that he was holding a picture of his GIRL FRIEND. (No…she wasn’t naked.)

He had all the other product stuff in tow: the kind of ring styles she liked…a bit of info on the 4 C’s…a budget…your standard “I’m going to look for an engagement ring,” arsenal. That’s how we approach things as guys, isn’t it? We start thinking of the “who” (our love)…then stampede to the “what” (the ring) and end up getting lost there. This guy had a reminder of his “who” in his back pocket and everything was easier because of it.

Why would a picture make it easier?

First off, when my sales associate saw the picture of his girlfriend she melted and couldn’t have wanted to help him more. This young man did something instrumental in getting the kind of help we all crave: he made it personal. The entire process was personalized for him, his intended, AND the sales associate because he had that picture. Seriously, how cool is that?

Tip: Bring along a picture of the person you are buying the ring for. It will remind you why you’re doing it…and will help keep you and the sales person from getting too wrapped in the nuts and bolts of the purchase.

I’m not suggesting a picture will take the place of product knowledge, but it will definitely add a romantic element to something that can quickly turn into a monotonous endeavor. I think you need to consider the nuts and bolts of the physical ring but temper it with a romantic backdrop to make the “right” engagement ring choice. A simple picture can help you do that.

Buying an engagement ring is easy, and getting easier by the minute thanks to thoughtful guys like this one. If you’ve stumbled on a simple way to make things easier on you at the diamond counter please share them with us. When it comes to buying the right stuff we need all the help we can get.

[As posted on Where To Get Engaged. A very cool site for anyone and everyone in the market for an engagement ring.]

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!

Can Men Be Jewelry Gurus?

Andy Koehn — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:55:27 +0000

Granted this was sponsored by an independent jeweler…but these guys still have some enlightening things to say. Check out our 1st BLAG-Cast…

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' ]