Simple Ideas
Great products don’t have to be complicated; they just need to do the job.
The Five Minutes With…column in SHOT Business aims to give our readers a look into the thinking of key players in our industry. Over the years we’ve interviewed CEOs, CMOs, sales directors, and owners of small businesses. In every case, I learn something about the passion of the folks who inhabit this enterprising world, whether the person interviewed represents a manufacturer of firearms, optics, ammunition, or accessories.
This issue (see page TK) the focus is on Steve Minneman, the CEO of MTM Molded Products. Most of us are more familiar with the name on its shooting sports products—MTM Case-Gard. Established in 1968, and still family owned, the Ohio-based company began with a simple idea for storing ammo and now offers a broad range of products specifically designed for the shooting sportsman. Products in the company’s current lineup include ammo boxes, shooting rests, rifle and handgun cases, gear crates, gun-maintenance components, and rifles rests, among others.
Minneman is a plain-spoke Midwesterner, one who doesn’t mince words—and doesn’t waste them either. When I asked him how the company stays ahead of the competition he answered, “We stay ahead by making sure engineering is first. Marketing is second. We own our molds. We control our materials. We test our products the way they’re actually used—not in a lab, but on a bench, in a truck, and at the range. When you do that long enough, you get pretty good at it. And we don’t forget who we are. Family business. Ohio roots. No shortcuts.”
When asked how he meets the expectations of his customers, he answered in a similar vein: “By doing what we’ve always done: make it simple; make it tough; make it affordable; make it here. If something breaks, we fix it. If something doesn’t work, we redesign it. We don’t hide behind fine print. Customers expect honesty, and that’s what they get.” His products aren’t fancy or flashy, but they do the job. Nothing wrong with that.
I’d also like to draw attention to The Simple Truth (page TK). Miles Hall, who gained his retail experience the hard way—by owning and operating a retail and range operation in Oklahoma City for many years—tackles one of a salesman’s biggest issues: talking your way out of sale. You’ve all heard the old adage: “you have two ears and one mouth.” It may be a shop-worn phrase, but its truth still resonates today. Years ago I watched as a colleague won—and then lost—an argument with a difficult boss by ignoring the wisdom of this phrase. He had prevailed, but continued to talk, pressing his point beyond all reason. In a flash, he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
As Miles notes, “people love to buy; they hate to be sold.” Listen carefully, then provide the advice that helps the customer meets his individual needs. That way you both benefit.
