from the nssf
SHOT Show University Changes It Up
Customized retail education provides a unique twist
F
By Robert F. Staeger
or most of us, SHOT Show begins today. Not so for the attendees of SHOT Show University, a daylong series of educational seminars that occurs each year before the first day of the SHOT Show. The SHOT Show University education seminars are broken into tracks. “We want this to be a customizable experience,” says Patrick Shay, NSSF’s Director of Retail Development. “If a retailer is strong in social media but is worried about compliance, and would also like to pick up some tips about developing metrics for their business, he or she will be able to switch and kind of make the day their own.”
This year’s SHOT Show University had some particularly impressive classes. One of the highlights was the ATF compliance class, a SHOT Show U. mainstay. “One of the changes this year was that our attendees had requested that a retailer provide their experiences, so I worked with the ATF compliance team to identify some retailers who do an extraordinary job with their compliance,” says Shay. Two of those retailers presented how they approach compliance for a big store, with a thousand guns in inventory and selling the same. “I think it was a really
interesting twist, and something we hadn’t done before.” Another class was set in motion by the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the Affordable Care Act. FOX News contributor Gene Marks, who has written a number of books about small business, spoke to veteran retailers about the impact that the ACA will have on medium-size businesses. “Obviously it won’t affect the mom-and-pop stores, but if you’re a larger retailer who’s starting to hit the cap of 49 or 50 employees, this information is key,” says Shay. “I think it’s critical for retailers to
The ATF compliance class is a mainstay of SHOT U., but the diverse offerings this year included dealing with the Affordable Care Act and the value of partnering with a gunsmith to drive store traffic.
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understand how to work within the framework of the ACA, since it’s not going to go away.” Programming for new retailers included Mark Dye from Montgomery Community College giving a talk about how to add a gunsmith to a retail location. “I think this is a huge opportunity that most retailers overlook,” says Shay. Traditional retailers are fighting against online sellers and the big-box guys, and an excellent way to differentiate a business in the marketplace is to partner with a certified, trained gunsmith. “That can add a wealth of value and interaction to your customers. Simple stuff like if you buy a scope, the gunsmith will mount it for free, all the way to maybe re-barrelling, re-blueing a firearm, doing trigger work for you, bringing an old firearm up to shooting condition. It’s a great outreach to customers.” Randy Clark, NSSF Managing Director, Business Development, likens it to a video store. Streaming technology has made them all but extinct, but part of their business model was sound. “You have a customer that would walk in the door one day, and also has to come back to the store in 48 hours,” says Clark. “It’s a traffic driver, in addition to another income opportunity.” On the range development track, EPA/OSHA attorney Ethan Ware gave the lawyer’s perspective to range owners for what they need to be aware of regarding OSHA and EPA, as well as how to build a compliance program, what things they absolutely have to have, and some of the changes that are coming to OSHA and the EPA. “He’s probably one of the top EPA/ OSHA lawyers out there,” says Shay. “He’s actually defended a couple of our range members from really onerous OSHA fines.” In addition, there was an Undercover Shopper panel, based
on the popular column in SHOT Business. A team of four of the undercover shoppers was joined by moderator Slaton L. White, the magazine’s editor. The column highlights the good, the bad, and the ugly of retail experiences. “The goal was to share the techniques to make sure your store doesn’t fall into the bad or the ugly side of the equation,” says Shay. The SHOT Show University keynote presentation was delivered by Gene Marks, who not only covered healthcare, but also general small-business concerns. “What are 10 takeaways that small-business owners need to be aware of and capitalize on, and what things are on the horizon that could impact these business folks?” says Shay. “Though he tailored his speech to firearms retailers, the issues he discussed affect small-business owners throughout the country.” Closing out the SHOT Show University session was a speech by General Rebecca Halstead, the first female four-star general in the U.S. military. Last year, Shay saw her addressing a loss-prevention conference about being a change agent in their profession. “It’s a male-dominated profession, but probably a third of the room was female, which kind of mirrors the shooting sports industry currently. Her speech was so well received by the entire audience— but by the women especially— that they’ve got the power to change the industry.” Halstead related her story about how she changed attitudes within the Army, and provided some great leadership tips and tools that are applicable to anyone. To make sure you’re able to attend SHOT Show U. next year, start looking for midsummer registration announcements for the 2017 show. About 40 percent of attendees come year after year, and the event always fills up.