Leonid fill the room at the JCK Show

[oldminer]

Leonid, the big cheese of Pricescope packed the room for his hour presentation of what the Internet means to the retail jeweler. He made an effort to express that retailers need to understand that 80% or more of today''s consumers shop the Internet for education, information and pricing assistance BEFORE visiting their local jewelry store. On that visit the regular retailer has their opportunity to make a sale, but because so many retailers are uninformed about how much the new consumer already knows that they are missing many sales they easily could make by inventing new ways to work with customers.

Consumers continue to buy from local retailers in the vast majority of cases, but to do more and better, local retailers need to get with the newest trends and figure out ways to sell to the well informed shopper. This new shopper is turned off by a strong sales pitch. They are looking for a trustworthy seller, not a hard sales pitch. They desire confidence and sharing of knowledge, not a dictum from above by an authority figure. What used to work is not going to work so well in the future.

The audience was mixed between those who support Pricescope, those who oppose the openness of the Internet and those who probably have little idea of what is going on at all. The bright ones took away the seeds of an idea on how to make their sales presentations better in their stores. The negative people probably still are probably very angry about how their world is changing in spite of their wish to the contrary. Those who don''t get it still have an opportunity to learn more. They have been encouraged to come to places such as Pricescope and become sharing participants. We can hope that some of them will find it worthwhile.

It was good to see Leonid on stage. It isn''t his usual, undercover venue. His buddies enjoyed seeing him getting some well deserved recognition.

 

[belle]

sounds like it went well! thanks for the update dave!

 

[hoorray]

Congratulatios Leonid! We all knew you''d do a great job, and it''s a terrific thing to have a packed house. It indicates how important this whole paridigm is to the industry.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Was there an opportunity for a question and answer period following? If so what kinds of questions were the audience posing? All in all, sounds as though Dr. L had the opportunity to disspel myths and misinformation, and help to raise and increase awareness of certain virtues of Internet marketing/shoppers. Since joining this forum, I for one have certainly felt this was an understudied area--and in great need of exploratory research.

cheers--Sharon

 

[icekid]

well said, Leonid! great job

and thanks for sharing, Dave

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 6/2/2005 5:28:24 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

Was there an opportunity for a question and answer period following? If so what kinds of questions were the audience posing? All in all, sounds as though Dr. L had the opportunity to disspel myths and misinformation, and help to raise and increase awareness of certain virtues of Internet marketing/shoppers. Since joining this forum, I for one have certainly felt this was an understudied area--and in great need of exploratory research.

cheers--Sharon

I wondered the same thing.

Thanks for the update. I''d love to read a transcript.

 

[Kaleigh]

Dave,
Thanks for the update!!! Sounds like Leonid made a great speech and hopefully many retailors will take this to heart!!! Good job Leonid, can't wait to hear more!!!!

 

[AGBF]

This is very exciting news, Dave. Leonid deserves fame and fortune. I hope it is coming his way! He has been a trailblazer.

Deb

 

[strmrdr]

Anyone tape it???

 

[oldminer]

There was plenty of time alloted for questions. Only a couple questions were asked. I think we are just at the beginning of a wave of increasing interest in what the Internet can do for retailers and their customers. Those of us who have already discovered Pricescope are still a long way ahead of many, the majority, of the general public and retail jewelers, in general.

Change can be painful and confusing, It can also be rewarding and invigorating. A great deal of what change feels like is dependent on the knowledge and attitude of the individual who is undergoing the change. Few of us like when the hot water in our shower suddenly goes cold. Most of us like our friends hiding in our home in order to give us a surprise birthday party. A surprise is a change, sometimes welcomed and sometimes unwelcomed. What we do know is that change is inevitable and unsettling for many consumers and business people. Thinking people want change to seem good, warm fuzzy and friendly. It is a whole lot easier to be pleasantly surprised than not.

One questioner did ask Leonid the hard question about if Pricescope was just a facilitator for diamond wholesalers who wanted to sell direct to the consumer. The answer is that this is the choice of the individual wholesaler, not Pricescope. It is a huge decision to shift from wholesale to retail. It is not just a casual choice. If there wasn't Pricescope, there would be other places to accomplish this business goal. Pricescope is a venue where the retailer can gain huge insight into the minds of their customers, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. If they choose to bury their heads in the sand, the fault is their own, not Pricescope's. Retailers need to make use of the opportunities presented to them. They have been given lemons, but it is up to them to try to learn how to create lemonade...... No one says being in business is easy. It isn't. Being out of business is not easy either, especially when you need to make a living. I think learning how to make the best of our changing world is the answer that just makes common sense, and that's why I went to support Leonid in front of what might have been a hostile audience. Fortunately, the audience was well mixed and not as hostile as it might have been. This is good news because their will be no payoff for those whose anger outweighs their business sense.

 

[Regular Guy]

Dave, thanks for posting, and -

Leonid...congrats on what sounds like a job well done.

 

[Kaleigh]

Can we get a transcript???

 

[hoorray]

I''d be very interested in seeing a transcript, as would many others, I assume.

 

[Maxine]

Thanks for sharing this. Can''t wait to hear more about the talk and the rest of the events of the week!!!! Have fun, and hope you all get to see each other!!!!

 

[Mara]

I know someone was going to try to tape it and I think Leonid is going to post the transcript...I hope we can see a video, I really want to see this!!

I am happy to hear it went well!! Kudos to Leonid and Irina and everyone who helped them get ready!!

 

[aljdewey]

I reviewed some of the PowerPoint presentation that he was going to use, and it was GREAT stuff.

Leonid......REMARKABLE job well done. I''m sure this opportunity came laced with a healthy dose of trepidation, but you rose to the challenge admirably.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is leonid relaxing before the presentation (listening to music)

 

[aljdewey]

VERY snappy, L! Nice tie!

yep - just another lazy-daisy day with a walk in the park.

LOL!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

crowd building before
(anyone spot someone beginning with B?)
A bit fuzzy - low light and no flash on

 

[valeria101]

Date: 6/2/2005 7:11:41 PM
Author: oldminer

One questioner did ask Leonid the hard question about if Pricescope was just a facilitator for diamond wholesalers who wanted to sell directly to the consumer. The answer is that this is the choice of the individual wholesaler, not Pricescope.

Sounds like a heated meeting ...

Congratulations Leonid !

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

And a shot after the event.

After a groupie lunch, Wink drove John Quiote Leonid and I out to hear Peter Yantzer make his cut presentation to a group of appraisers at the AGS office. We had missed it because they scheduled both Leonid and Peter at the same time.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Peter gave a wonderful presentation describing the intricacy''s of the new system and explained the complex hierachy system for placing most weight on certain of the 11 factors.

He explained that the system the lab will use and that members can use on a website is based on objective grading using 3D models (like Helium DiamCalc files, Sarin .srn and Ogi .stl) that does DiamCalc Gem adviser type calculations for Light Return, Dispersion, Leakage and Contrast, as well as analysis of many other factors like girdle thickness etc.

Later we are told there will be software for sale to perform this on members own computers.

For mounted stones, appraising and buying - selling etc there is 2 types of ASET tool available - a desk top that takes a camera and a hand held (as shown).

Peter explained the method of development of the system for rounds and Princess cuts and showed how they might use the method on some other shapes - once the board decides which shape to do next.

1. Generate an enormous number of ASET images of the likely range of proportions with DiamCalc
2. narrow down to the likely proportions to study in greater detail
3. Then test some real stones and import the DiamCalc models into their software.

I might add this is the exact route that I used with HCA some 5 years ago. ( www.diamond-cut.com.au )
Except that the 3D files and light return systems were not then available. I also made gilbertsonscope(tm) images which are very similar to the ASET principle.


After Peter''s presentation Leonid made a short presentation to the assembled appraisers, some of who are PS regulars. There was considerable discussion about a number of issues relating to Internet appraisals. John Quiote also spoke (very well) about some of the issues from a vendors side to do with appriasals, shipping and various issues - all in all everyone seemed to get a lot out of the discussions. There was a good feeling all round.

 

[Mara]

Leo sure looked snazzy and I agree, love the tie!!!

Garry did anyone video the thing??

I would love to be a fly on the wall at these discussions....

 

[websailor]

Oldminer,
Garry,

Thanks for the blurbs about the meetings and what was going on. It gives me a little feel for what the convention is like. I also appreciate the pictures. So nice to put faces and names together!

Hope you are all having fun in addition to the work!

 

[lostdog]

Nice to hear the word is getting out. (and also that the result was the audience going away thinking a bit, rather than just looking for the nearest stout tree and rope with a noose in it.)

Thanks for taking the time out of your schedules to tell us about it. Where does the world tour stop next?

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Sounds grand, words getting out...




"Nothing last for ever...

...But the certainty of change"

 

[pricescope]

David summarized it very well.

This is how JCK put it: Selling trust online. Not exactly what I meant but close.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/3/2005 4:35:30 AM
Author: Pricescope
This is how JCK put it: Selling trust online. Not exactly what I meant but close.

Very brave, Leonid. It is clear that while consumers are here consuming (information, if nothing else!), that there is a lot going on behind the scenes. We consumers only get brief glimpses of how diamond retailers react to you, but the negative part of the public reaction you received makes it clear how much hostility you must regularly face. There are retailers who want to shoot you, the messenger, for bringing the message.

When I first came here it was to see whether Pricescope could replace another diamond forum that had booted me out. Pricecope is not (and has not been for some time) second best to me, though. I truly believe that what you have done, trying to bring pricing information on everything to the consumer, is unlike anything done on any other diamond forum. I hope you reap the rewards (both intellectual and financial) of your work.

Deb

 

[Regular Guy]

Leonid, certainly I value the interactivity message; thanks!

AGBF and all...you know, I''ve tried to go to Diamond Talk a number of times...and actually find their formatting pretty irritating.

Garry, you know that AGS-light looks kinda familiar....

Thanks all, for sharing, and taking the time out to do so.

 

[Patty]

Good for you Leonid! I feel so lucky to have found Pricescope and I''m glad that people are aware of the service that you provide.