A Noble Cause

Shooting sports retailers are not part of the typical business world. We’re much bigger than that.

When Jayne and I started the business in 1981, like many of you we wanted to make a lot of money and live a good life. God, on the other hand, had a different plan. We became part of a “cause-based” business. That clarity of vision shifted us and the business into a wholly different way of thinking and operating. Our mission—should we choose to accept it—was to grow the shooting sports in ways that had not previously happened. This was a noble task, and it had to be faced in that same spirit.

This spirit is not what you would normally find in the “for profit” business world. The guests we were attracting right out of the chute were not part of the traditional shooting family fold. At first it was a bit confusing, but we quickly found people that had an exciting curiosity and eagerness to see and experience a new world. That led us to understand that everything we did—including how we looked, how we acted, how we showed respect, and how we answered questions—mattered. Everything in the store mattered as well, including overall cleanliness, presentation, signage, and even the look and feel of the restrooms. Our entire operation needed to be inviting, simple to navigate, and inclusive. And then—no small matter—we had to train the staff and get them to buy in to what we were doing. If we didn’t raise the bar here, we would be just another “old school” store. 

This new group of shoppers (what we referred to as “our guests”), which eventually totaled in the millions, were, and are, hungry to learn and be a part of our world. They expected, and deeply appreciated, respectful answers to questions, history, and uses of the many components that make up our industry. Many times, folks who haven’t grown up in the shooting sports will have questions that may seem odd to longtime industry folks. Oftentimes, many of the old school shops would have “duh” answers that only served to demoralize an inquisitive mind.

Here are some examples of those “odd” questions.
1) How is it that a .38 Special will work in a .357 revolver? Isn’t .38 is bigger than .357?

2) How can a .22 Long Rifle round fit into a handgun?

3) Can you explain the different names for 9mm: Luger, Kurz, Makarov?

4) Can I really shoot a .308 in a 7.62x51 gun?

5) Why does a .223 round look just like a 5.56 round?

That’s a starter list of questions. There were many more. As staffers, we would laugh at the crazy nomenclature that’s a rich part of our industry, but we never laughed at our guests for posing those questions. It was a sign of an inquiring mind, and we always felt lucky (and honored) to be asked. 

Along the way we discovered that this very process was viewed by our new guests as akin to finding out something secret and special. They felt more a part of the now growing family of shooters. We saw first-hand the fellowship that bloomed between them and other like-minded shooters.

This fellowship is a truly joyous experience to observe. Our guests, having been welcomed into our world with open arms, reciprocated in many ways. They celebrated life milestones, such as birthdays, engagements, marriages, swearing-in ceremonies, anniversaries, and remembrances, with us. But two of the most meaningful were watching a parent helping a young adult get their first firearm-safety lesson or helping a new guest buy their first gun. In other words, our business and their sport have become part of their normal everyday lives.     

As the years passed the stories those folks shared with their family and friends grew as well, and those stories became force multipliers helping to drive our business forward. Our success had another community benefit. As word got out about how we ran our business, other dealers began to adopt some of our methods, all to the benefit of new shooters. 

We are not in a normal line of work. The first visit for many of the folks who come and see us can be compared to a young child’s fear of going to a doctor. But a caring attitude and kind words help alleviate that fear, turning trepidation into confidence.

As our business grew I was frequently approached at the grocery store, restaurant, or mall by folks (many of whom had never entered our store) who wanted to tap my expertise on all aspects of the shooting sports. What an opportunity to spread the word about who we really are! No matter how busy I was, I took the time to answer all sorts of questions—in the process correcting wrong assumptions about our industry. 

The Simple Truth is that you, along with your staff, should nurture an attitude that will grow the shooting sports in a very healthy way. It’s a noble cause that you can do, and I’ll bet you can do it even better than we did. Thank you for allowing me to share this with you, and I would love to hear your stories and ideas, too.