After attending the VNU Fine Jewelry CEO Summit held in Dallas in February, staff from the International Gemological Institute (IGI) said they were motivated by the central theme: a well-educated sales team leads to stronger sales and greater profits.

"IGI fully supports this message. We became conscious of the value of retail education 30 years ago when we opened IGI's School of Gemology," IGI President Jerry Ehrenwald said in a release. "A knowledgeable, informed sales team is invaluable in developing a loyal client base and combating a competitive retail marketplace, both of which will lead to higher profit margins."

The demand for IGI's independent sales training programs has increased over the past few years, according to Terry Buckham, director of education for IGI.

"The increase is a result of the availability of state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on learning methods," he said in the statement.

Buckham compiled a list of tips to better train and educate sales staff:

* Ask your suppliers for training manuals on their products and make sure your staff reads and understands the manual.
* Keep a binder with photocopies of all watch manuals and warranties, so staff can have information at their fingertips.
* Create a checklist and logbook for training new employees to ensure nothing is overlooked in the training process. This also creates a record of each staff member's abilities.
* Test your staff on product knowledge.