Talk of the Town

When your store becomes the place to be, everybody benefits.

Have you ever noticed how some businesses always seem to have a gathering of folks in them? Have you ever wondered why some businesses attract a strong support team of guests? So, just how does a business become the “talk of the town?” 

It begins with spirit. When the spirit is right in your operation, you will attract folks who want to bask in that special light. In our case, that spirit was a welcoming atmosphere where folks could experience the magic, camaraderie, and history of the shooting sports. From the very founding of our enterprise, it was all about growing the sport.

Let’s face it: back then, many gun stores were places that were intimidating for novice shooters. Ranges weren’t any better. We quickly discovered that a store that was inviting, clean, professional, and fun was the place to be. Being a part of that environment made the guests feel welcome, happy, and special. We respectfully answered tons of questions, to the point where our guests felt part of something larger, something that made their life better. It also provided an equally great mind set for our team members, who became teachers, mentors, and friends. 

We fell into this without realizing that we were doing it.  When Jayne and I first opened back in 1981 the store was, by design, created to deliver a far different retail experience than was standard practice in the shooting sports world. Our model? Shopping malls. Though malls have, for the most part, lost their panache, back then they provided an extraordinary shopping experience. People lingered, enjoying the atmosphere. And when people linger, they open their wallets. We wanted to emulate that, and we wanted to create an inclusive atmosphere that welcomed everyone.

We became so successful with this approach that we began to call our visitors “guests.” (After all, we did invite them in.) We also hosted events and special gatherings that made a trip to our operation special. Most importantly, we listened to the many suggestions and ideas that our guests gave us. As time progressed, we began to see our guests as family. There was always lots of laughter, storytelling, bragging, training, and mentoring going on, and all this spurred us on to greater heights of success.

Like any new endeavor, we poured resources into advertising. But we found that our guests were our biggest advertisers. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and our guests were telling their friends to join in the new adventure.  This helped grow our audience, and that, in turn, attracted a wider range of guests, all of whom helped cement our store as “the place to be.”

This gave us the opportunity to meet and spend time with musicians, actors, sports stars, and other national and international personalities. We never made a big scene out of their presence, and we think that is why their numbers grew over the years.

Sports stars were a rush for the staff who, despite their personal enthusiasm, followed our directions of not making a big deal of their visit so they could enjoy their time at the range. That wasn’t easy, as some, like basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, can stand out quite boldly. At the time he was coach for our minor league basketball team. In fact, they won the championship under his guidance. He was, and is, a member of SASS (Single Action Shooting Society), the governing body of Cowboy Action Shooting, and very much a kind gentleman.

Other special but equally important folks came to visit us, including the governor of Oklahoma, and over the years we hosted swearing-in ceremonies, marriage proposals, weddings, birthday parties, and the like. We were also visited by four generations of one family, and one family in which all the kids were named after gun companies.

None of this happened by accident. We worked diligently to create a special place that reflected our love of the shooting sports, and we learned that such spirit is so contagious that people want to share in it.

The Simple Truth is you and your operation are the frontline of the shooting sports world. I know this kind of spirit is alive in you. You, your store, and your guests can do much to grow the sport if you will simply focus on it and allow it to flower. I would love to hear your stories, too. Please email them to me (miles@hallnhall.com). Thank you so much.