What is “experience marketing”? At a Thursday morning seminar, Wesche Conn of Wesche Jewelers said it is “to consciously work to create a specific type of experience for the customers in your store.”

Quoting marketing guru and best-selling author Jack Trout, Wesche Conn cautioned her audience, “Differentiate or die.”

The main components of experience marketing are the physical environment of your store (architecture, layout, decor, showcase presentation, amenities, maintenance, and cleanliness) and store personnel.

But first, Wesche Conn said, define your experience. Exclude universals of providing value and customer service, and focus on what makes you distinct.

Wesche Conn used Wesche Jewelers, founded by her parents Jim and June Wesche in 1977, to illustrate experience marketing.

Her goals are to “provide customers with feelings that they are in a luxury resort hotel with a Mediterranean flair”, “invite the customer to explore and discuss”, and “promote their company history, jewellery expertise, and reputation in the community.”

Wesche’s has a “hospitality mentality,” providing service and convenience, and anticipating customer needs. “It’s all the little things that add up to a big store experience,” Wesche Conn said.

Wesche suggests that jewellers,
* Decide on a theme or vision, and brainstorm specifics to create it;
* Articulate (continually) their vision;
* Make sure the physical environment and behavior of store personnel are consistent with the experience they wish to offer;
* Have multiple features and elements that support their vision;
* Make every feature the best they possibly could;
* Maintain consistency and attention to detail;
* Keep evaluating and look for new experiences.

Since experiences are sensory, keep in mind sight (general design and layout, showcase presentation, staff appearance, store cleanliness), sound (music choice, goldsmiths’ noise, phones/intercoms, staff chatter, external noise), smell (fresh flowers, aromatherapy, food odors, bathrooms, exterior odors), taste (food and beverage offerings), and touch (rich textures of materials).