Who Are You...In the Mind of Your Customer - Part 2

  Before I begin this week's article, I feel that I have to talk about sales activity that occurred during this past Thanksgiving weekend. So here are my thoughts.

Sales Results from Black Friday: There were some bright spots over the weekend. The actual results seem to vary depending on reporting services but there are some things that we can all learn from this weekend.

1. There is business out there to be had!
2. We must promote!
3. Don't give the store away. It's the promotable item that brings them in, the "Doorbuster"!
4. The goal is to bring them in the door.
5. Consumer confidence is definitely returning. Attitudes are changing.
6. The recovery is firmly in place but it won't be easy.

Now, back to our contest from last week to help Mason's Jewelers with their signature line/positioning statement.

Last week I offered prizes for the best signature line written for a jewelry store. The winning line would be the one that would help position the store in the most advantageous light in the mind of the customer.

They say we need to be careful what we ask for.

Well, you guys have just blown me away with some brilliant ideas! I feel bad that I didn't publish everyone. Many of the responses became repetitive so I had to pick the signature lines that were the most representative for the sake of space. I also had to eliminate many of the comments that people had shared. If not, this article would have been 40 pages long.

DO NOT look at this as just something for a jewelry store. This copy is pure GOLD. Use it. Message it. Adapt it and adopt it.

Near the end of this article I have featured the work of a brilliant copywriter that had some terrific ideas we can all use. Her name is Donerae Testa, from Ohio. Make sure you read her ideas. She is great!

But I have a problem. I received so many good ideas that I can't pick the winners. So I am going to ask you to vote on the top 12. The complete list will follow with the names of the people that entered them.

Vote for your favorites and again, thanks for everyone's participation. Just email your selections for first, second, and third place and any comments you might have to me at rick@ricksegel.com.

Mason's Jewelers:

1. Intensely Exquisite and Unpredictable
2. Dynamic jewelry for the dynamic woman in you.
3. Some women wear accessories. Our women wear statements.
4. Classically Impulsive/Uniquely Designed
5. Mason's Jewelry: Where style and success meet.
6. Exceptional designs for exceptional women!
7. Innovative looks for innovative lives
8. Imaginative looks for innovative women
9. Punctuate your life
10. For women who shape history!
11. Wear your accomplishments
12. For women who want it all...and more

Here is the compilation of the entries, with the duplicates removed. There is so much here that I just had to share it with you. I have also highlighted the top 12 responses in red.

• Mason's Jewelers
  1. Intensely Exquisite and Unpredictable
  From Daniel Hanson
• Mason's Jewelers
  Absolute Brilliance, Just For You
  From Ken Cavanaugh
• Mason's Jewelers
  Enjoy looking brilliant
  From Laura Firestone
• Mason's Jewelers
  Bright women, bright jewels.
  From Robbie Grady
• Mason's Jewelers
  Show your brilliance.
  From Robbie Grady
• Mason's Jewelers
  Brilliance Shows
  From Kay Alger
• Mason's Jewelers
  Designs to shine your light
  From Deb Matthews
• Fashion Forward Jewelry Designs
  For The Confident Woman
  From Sue Miller
• Mason's Jewelers:
  2. Dynamic jewelry for the dynamic woman in you.
  From Steven A. Diamond
• Mason's Jewelers:
  3.Some women wear accessories. Our women wear statements.
  From Steven A. Diamond
• "For your life's brilliant moments."
  From J J Ensley
• Design with Panache for the Stylish Woman
  From Deb Kneale
• Defining Your Success
  From Dirk Fecho
• Power Jewels for Powerful Women
  From Dirk Fech
• Let us help you complete your statement
  From Dirk Fecho
• Mason's Jewelers - "We want to share in your success"
  From Bill Horschel
• Mason Jewelers - Wear your success with brilliant jewelry designs
  From Kathy Steerman
• Be someone special--we will show you how!
  From Robert Saquet
• Fashion Forward ... Wrapped In Small Town Charm
  From Nita Bales
  (This is a good idea but this store is located in a big city. This can work for lots of other business very well.)
• 4. Classically Impulsive/Uniquely Designed
  From krwooden
• Catchy couture
  From Holly Collins
• Mason Jewelry:
  "You're the jewel that makes us shine..."
  From Bud Spoerl
• Rocks that Rock!!
  From Wendy Lavallee
• Unexpected Brilliance
  From Kirsten Seidl
• Masons - Designs with the Distinctive Woman in Mind
  From Cheryl Jordan
• Masons: Exquisite jewelry for the exceptional executive!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Masons Jewelry: Where brilliant gems meet brilliant women!
  From Anne Puthoff
• You've earned a trip to Mason's Jewelry!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Celebrate your success with a style from Mason's!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Mason's Jewelry:
  5. Where style and success meet.
  From Anne Puthoff
• Treat yourself brilliantly at Mason's Jewelry!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Brilliant Designs for a stunning you!
  From Anne Puthoff
• 6. Exceptional designs for exceptional women!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Mason's Jewelry:
  Brilliance for the Brilliant!
  From Anne Puthoff
• Serendipity in alpha jewelry
  From Greg Cross

The following collection were all created by Donerae Testa from the Place in Medina, Ohio. There are some absolutely terrific ideas here. Donerae must have been a copy writer in another life or has a burning desire to write creative copy. The reason why I love her work so much is because:

1. Most of her ideas are focused on the customer not just boosting about the business
2. These ideas inspire other ideas. She gets you thinking about other ways to make it better. Here is an example of what I mean:

Donerae wrote "Bling for the upwardly mobile" which misses the mark BUT inspired "Bling without the Bling" (by me). It says a lot with its symbolism. A winner? Not really, there are much better ones. BUT this could be used in some other copy or the fact she introduces an interesting word. That's the type of person you want when you are brainstorming.

Look at this list and ask yourself how you could use some of her concepts. These are more than just for jewelry. If anyone adopts any of these (there are no charges or royalties so don't get nervous!),I would love to pass it on to Donerea. We might have just discovered America's new Advertising Idol.

• Mason's Jewelers
  7.Innovative looks for innovative lives
  From Donerae Testa
• Mason's Jewelers
  8. Imaginative looks for innovative women
  From Donerae Testa
• 9. Punctuate your life
  From Donerae Testa
• 10. For women who shape history!
  From Donerae Testa
• Designs to shine your light
  From Donerae Testa
• They will notice (I also like; because they notice )
  From Donerae Testa
• Be noticed
  From Donerae Testa
• For the final touch
  From Donerae Testa
• 11.Wear your accomplishments
  From Donerae Testa
• Specializing in perfection
  From Donerae Testa
• 12. For women who want it all...and more
  From Donerae Testa
  (This is a powerhouse because it leaves so much to interpretation with a strong powerful "take no prisoners feel" with a slight sexual illusion.)
• Sassy, Sexy, Sensational
  From Donerae Testa
• Wear your attitude
  From Donerae Testa
• When the status quo isn't good enough
  From Donerae Testa
• Celebrate you!
  From Donerae Testa
• For the perfect accompaniment
  From Donerae Testa
• Producing wows for xx years
  From Donerae Testa
• Never ordinary
  From Donerae Testa

Remember, please send your votes to rick@ricksegel.com and let me know your first three choices from the Top 12. And again, thanks for your help and I hope that you can use some of these ideas in your businesses. What a way to learn!