CrimeDec 17, 2025
Man Pleads Not Guilty to Swallowing Fabergé PendantThe special-edition egg pendant ingested in a New Zealand jewelry store was recovered after a six-day wait.
IndependentsAug 27, 2019
Coach’s Corner: Calling All Managers
The Jewelry Coach Pat Henneberry shares a half-dozen tips for in-store sales training as the holiday season creeps closer.
Pat Henneberry is president of consulting and sales training company The Jewelry Coach. Reach her at 512-203-3414, via PatHenneberry.com or by emailing her.
It’s been awhile since I’ve focused on helping store managers in my column; sorry.
As we start to creep toward the holidays, you should start thinking about your store’s training sessions and getting your sales team warmed up for the selling season.
Here are some tips to help you do just that because, as with any talent, even naturally adept salespeople need to hone their skills through consistent sales training.
Here are a few tips for educating and developing your sales force.
1. Listen to Your Customers
My experience has been that the best salespeople aren’t the best talkers; they’re actually the most effective listeners.
An effective salesperson carefully listens to the customer’s needs to really identify with them. It’s important to remind your sales team it’s not always about telling the customer everything you know; it’s more about letting the customer tell you everything they know.
2. Use E-Learning to Educate
If your sales team doesn’t know your product front to back, even the best listeners will fall short in closing a sale.
Salespeople need to understand product details to boost their confidence when selling, especially new recruits. With sufficient product training, they can identify specific customer issues and understand product details well enough to position them as the perfect solution.
This is where e-learning comes in handy.
E-learning is available 24/7. It allows sales teams to brush up on their product knowledge on the go.
Through online videos and modules, you can also track progress to ensure that everyone has viewed the necessary materials. Ask your vendors that offer e-learning to give you training reports for your staff (it’s easy for them to do this.)
Make it a requirement for your team to refresh their product knowledge with different vendors. This is an easy way for you as a manager to keep your team fresh on knowledge and up-to-date on products. Have your sales team come to a meeting ready to give you a report on what they’ve learned.
In this day and age every vendor should, or be preparing to, offer e-learning. If not, have them call me … yes, this is a plug for me: PatHenneberry.com.
3. Keep Your Sales Meeting Short
Like many people, salespeople can’t retain a huge amount of information at one time. Keep training short and consistent with “sound bites” of information.
I love TED Talks, as they exhibit micro-learning at its finest. Various industry professionals
and thought leaders discuss a variety of topics to teach and inspire in digestible 15-minute increments.
Incorporating this method into training your salespeople will keep them engaged and help you deliver new information they’ll actually retain.
Remember: Your vendors have a lot of content for training available for you. Just ask them for it.
4. Reward, Reward, Reward
Salespeople are driven by goals, probably more so than other employees. Rewarding them can be simple.
An effective sales training technique is to tell your team members they are doing a good job.
Always use specifics to make these successes tangible and more meaningful. When you see something simple someone has done that is helpful, let them know.
It doesn’t have to always be about the end goal or number. Letting a salesperson know you appreciate something they’ve done, or a simple “good job,” can make all the difference in the world to someone.
Many times, that’s when you see a shift in attitude.
5. Feedback
Don’t forget to give feedback to your sales team.
The most effective feedback is when it’s just happened. Listen in on a customer sale and give feedback right after the customer leaves the store. It’s the most effective real-world training and coaching.
Feedback needs to be fresh and the salesperson can reflect on the experience.
6. Share Success Stories
According to the National Business Research Institute, employee attitude affects 40-80 percent of customer satisfaction, and the study of one retail giant revealed that a 1-point increase in employee engagement led to a $200,000 increase in monthly sales per store.
High employee engagement and morale has a direct impact on the bottom line. Sharing mutual successes also instills a sense of unity in your salespeople and encourages them to work harder and smarter.
When I was strictly in diamond sales I would do “the diamond dance.”
Once I sealed the deal on a sale I would look at my business partner, Mike Mojica, and say, “I am doing the diamond dance!” I’d get up and dance around the office. It was my celebration.
Make sure you celebrate all your sales! I will be in a lot of your stores this fourth quarter and expect to see some diamond dances.
And I bet National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff would love for you to send her some quick videos of your diamond dance at your stores. Let’s see who has the best moves; I’m totally serious about this!
Last Word
Providing reassurance to your sales team through recognition instills confidence and fosters natural skills in the sales arena. Couple that with frequent, flexible and manageable product education and short sales meetings, and you’ll take your team from great listeners to selling superstars.
See you in your stores!
Pat Henneberry is president of consulting and sales training company The Jewelry Coach and an advocate for natural diamonds. Reach her at 512-203-3414, via her website, or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Incorporating this method into training your salespeople will keep them engaged and help you deliver new information they’ll actually retain.
Remember: Your vendors have a lot of content for training available for you. Just ask them for it.
4. Reward, Reward, Reward
Salespeople are driven by goals, probably more so than other employees. Rewarding them can be simple.
An effective sales training technique is to tell your team members they are doing a good job.
Always use specifics to make these successes tangible and more meaningful. When you see something simple someone has done that is helpful, let them know.
It doesn’t have to always be about the end goal or number. Letting a salesperson know you appreciate something they’ve done, or a simple “good job,” can make all the difference in the world to someone.
Many times, that’s when you see a shift in attitude.
5. Feedback
Don’t forget to give feedback to your sales team.
The most effective feedback is when it’s just happened. Listen in on a customer sale and give feedback right after the customer leaves the store. It’s the most effective real-world training and coaching.
Feedback needs to be fresh and the salesperson can reflect on the experience.
6. Share Success Stories
According to the National Business Research Institute, employee attitude affects 40-80 percent of customer satisfaction, and the study of one retail giant revealed that a 1-point increase in employee engagement led to a $200,000 increase in monthly sales per store.
High employee engagement and morale has a direct impact on the bottom line. Sharing mutual successes also instills a sense of unity in your salespeople and encourages them to work harder and smarter.
When I was strictly in diamond sales I would do “the diamond dance.”
Once I sealed the deal on a sale I would look at my business partner, Mike Mojica, and say, “I am doing the diamond dance!” I’d get up and dance around the office. It was my celebration.
Make sure you celebrate all your sales! I will be in a lot of your stores this fourth quarter and expect to see some diamond dances.
And I bet National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff would love for you to send her some quick videos of your diamond dance at your stores. Let’s see who has the best moves; I’m totally serious about this!
Last Word
Providing reassurance to your sales team through recognition instills confidence and fosters natural skills in the sales arena. Couple that with frequent, flexible and manageable product education and short sales meetings, and you’ll take your team from great listeners to selling superstars.
See you in your stores!
Pat Henneberry is president of consulting and sales training company The Jewelry Coach and an advocate for natural diamonds. Reach her at 512-203-3414, via her website, or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
More on Independents
The Latest
EditorsDec 17, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: The Best Piece of the Week PicksAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco plays favorites with Piece of the Week, selecting a standout piece of jewelry from each month of 2025.
CollectionsDec 17, 2025
Lucy Hale Stars in Jacquie Aiche’s Holiday CampaignThe “Love and Desire” campaign is inspired by the magic that follows when one’s heart leads the way, said the brand.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
GradingDec 17, 2025
SSEF Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersTwo awardees will receive free tuition for an educational course at the Swiss lab, with flights and lodging included.
Weekly QuizDec 11, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsDec 16, 2025
Pandora’s New CEO Will Step Up EarlyBerta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.
AuctionsDec 16, 2025
Suzanne Belperron, JAR Shine in Sotheby’s First Auctions at New HQSotheby’s held its first two jewelry sales at the Breuer building last week, and they totaled nearly $44 million.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
TJS Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2026Winners will receive free registration and lodging for its fourth annual event in Detroit.
ColumnistsDec 16, 2025
Beyond Unboxing: Creative Reveals to Drive Reach and EngagementHere are six ideas for making more engaging content for Instagram Reels and TikTok, courtesy of Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
Diamonds Do Good Names 2026 Award RecipientsThe honorees include a notable jewelry brand, an industry veteran, and an independent retailer.
CrimeDec 15, 2025
Men Receive Life Sentences in Home Invasion Murder of Jeweler Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray.
Policies & IssuesDec 15, 2025
Sara Yood Named Co-Chair of RJC Standards CommitteeYood will serve alongside Eduard Stefanescu, the sustainability manager for C.Hafner, a precious metals refiner in Germany.
AuctionsDec 12, 2025
13.54-Carat Paraíba Tourmaline Sets Records at Christie’sSet in a Tiffany & Co. necklace, it sold for $4.2 million, the highest price and price per carat paid for a Paraíba tourmaline at auction.
MajorsDec 12, 2025
David Webb Reveals Ice-Cold Holiday Window DisplayThe jeweler’s “Deep Freeze” display showcases its iconic jewelry designs frozen in a vintage icebox.
CollectionsDec 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Oscar Heyman’s Sphene RingTake luxury gifting to new heights this holiday season with the jeweler’s showstopping 12-carat sphene ring.
Events & AwardsDec 12, 2025
IGI Jewelry Design Contest Now Accepting SubmissionsThis year's theme is “Unveiling the Depths of the Ocean.”
TrendsDec 11, 2025
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
GradingDec 11, 2025
GIA to Offer Origin Determination for 3 More GemstonesStarting Jan. 1, customers can request the service for opal, peridot, and demantoid garnet.
MajorsDec 11, 2025
Americas Gold Releases New Gold Chain CatalogThe new catalog features its most popular chains as well as new styles.
AuctionsDec 10, 2025
Francis Ford Coppola’s Watch Sells for $10.8MThe filmmaker’s personal F.P. Journe “FFC” prototype was the star of Phillips’ recent record-setting watch auction in New York.
WatchesDec 10, 2025
There’s A New Rolex Boutique in MiamiThe new location in the Design District pays homage to Miami’s Art Deco heritage and its connection to the ocean.
SurveysDec 10, 2025
Consumer Confidence Drops in November Inflations, tariffs, and politics—including the government shutdown—were among consumers’ top concerns last month.
SourcingDec 10, 2025
NAJA Announces Details for 2026 ‘Ace It’ Winter Conference“Longtime favorite” presenters, as well as first-time speakers, will lead talks and workshops at the annual event in Tucson next year.
Events & AwardsDec 10, 2025
MJSA Names 2025 Responsible Design Challenge WinnerSilas Smith of Meridian Metalworks won the challenge with his pendant that blends Australian and American landscapes.
AuctionsDec 09, 2025
‘Desert Rose’ Diamond Sells for $8.8M in Abu DhabiThe sale of the 31.68-carat, sunset-hued stone was part of Sotheby’s first series of events and auctions in Abu Dhabi.
ColumnistsDec 09, 2025
Holiday Sales Happen in December, Most Decisions Don’tMost customers who walk into your store this month have made up their minds. Your job is to validate their choice, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
