It was a banner day for blue gemstones, with another blue diamond topping $8 million and a 41-carat sapphire going for $2.3 million.
Decker, Ackerman Team Up for Boot Camp
Though there won’t be any burpees involved, there’s still bound to be some sweating as Shane Decker and Jim Ackerman put jewelers through their sales and marketing paces.

Monument, Colo.--Jewelry industry consultant and sales trainer Shane Decker and marketing coach Jim Ackerman are teaming up to offer two days of intensive sales and marketing training for independent jewelers this fall.
Called the Ultimate Jewelry Sales & Marketing Boot Camp, the event is scheduled to take place in Denver on Saturday, Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11.
Attendance is limited to 157 stores and the event is priced at $2,500 per chair, though early-bird enrollees can save up to 50 percent, depending upon how early they reserve a spot.
Those who attend will receive pre- and post-event assignments and follow-ups, to make sure boot camp time is most productive for every participant and that rapid, effective implementation is ensured for each store.
In addition, the two-day event will include a three-hour evening session specifically for jewelry store owners. It will address a variety of sales, marketing, management, merchandising, inventory, pricing, and promotional issues.
Further information about the event can be found on its website, UltimateJewelrySalesBootCamp.com.
According to Decker, “Application of specific selling techniques can make a dramatic impact on sales results. It’s not just about knowledge of these techniques; it’s about building skills and systems for their use. And that is almost impossible to do in the one and two-hour presentations I’m limited to in most of my speaking engagements. Having two intensive days to help attendees actually work on these things could geometrically improve the every-day results they get.”
Ackerman said the same of the marketing techniques he’ll be teaching.
“It’s tough to convey more than a few what-to-dos in seminars, books and audio training,” he said. “This two-day format will allow both of us to help jewelers install profit-proven sales and marketing methods.”
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