Technological Marvels

Emerging technologies, no matter what they may be, seem to follow a similar path: early products are complicated, fussy, overly large, and come with user manuals that for someone without a Phd in advanced physics might as well have been written in Assyrian cuneiform. Many years ago I tested an early GPS unit made by a manufacturer that has now receded from view. The thick user manual was indecipherable, and in order to use the unit I needed to get a fix on three satellites. I stood out in my front yard one night long enough for a neighbor to call my wife and ask if I was all right. She opened the kitchen window and asked, “Have you seen the saucers, yet? Come in; you’re spooking the neighbors.”

I found the same to be true with early versions of night-vision and thermal optics, to the point where I simply gave up trying to figure out how to use them.

But as Brian McCombie recounts in his article on these devices (Selling the Night), a lot has changed. Initially, his early experiences with these products was much like my own, but he now says, “Every thermal scope I’ve used in the last couple years possesses what is basically a one-shot zeroing system. Meanwhile, menu controls have gone to turrets that are more intuitive than the hard-to-feel button pads of the past.

Simplification has also come to the other functions like changing to different reticles for the scope models to taking video and photos to adjusting image quality.”

That kind of progress means consumers are more willing to give these devices a fair trial. Selling these units, however, requires someone your staff to truly know the ins and outs of each product. If you can’t explain precisely how a thermal or night-vision optic works, there’s no way you can close the sale.

One manufacturer told McCombie: “It is not the price or technology that holds dealers back—it is the sales, marketing, and product knowledge. Geek out on the product, learn it, and you can sell it very effectively.”

Crucially, as McCombie notes, you and your staff need to understand the critical differences between a thermal optic and a night-vision optic. Often “night vision” and “thermal” are used interchangeably to describe units that can help people “see” in low- to no-light conditions. Yet, in fact, they represent two very different technologies.

Finally, there is one more compelling reason to get into this business—margins. Another manufacturer said, “There’s also the obvious benefit of the efficiency of selling one high-end thermal product to make the same profit as selling a dozen guns or cheaper optics. I know which one I'd hope to focus on as a dealer.”

I like the way he thinks. You should, too.