SHOOTING HUNTING OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 1979–2017 DAY 2, JAN UARY 18, 2 017
NEW PRODUCT REPORTS SHOT Daily zeroes in on the latest in optics P. 14, aims at what’s new in ammo P. 26, and covers outerwear offerings P. 36.
FEATURES
NEWS
Benelli’s new over/under is a break from the past. SEE PAGE 58
manage across generational lines? Very carefully. SEE PAGE 102
RINGING ENDORSEMENT
POD PEOPLE
RADICAL DEPARTURE
BRIDGING THE GAP How do you
Podcasts are an efficient and entertaining way to reach your audience. SEE PAGE 68
MGM Target provides steel targets for a steal. SEE PAGE 90
T H E DA I LY N E WS O F T H E 2 0 17 L AS V EGAS S H OT S H OW B ROUG H T TO YOU BY T H E B O N N I E R CO R P O RAT I O N A N D T H E N SS F
Figuring out just what customers want when they’re in your store can be tricky because what they say may not necessarily be what they mean.
Voice, Activated
Henry Ford once remarked, “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.” It’s a good example of how customers are much more in touch with their needs (in this case, more speed) than they are with practical solutions for their problems. Gerry Katz, vice chairman of Applied Marketing Science, explored this dichotomy during Monday’s inaugural NSSF Executive Management Seminar session “Voice of the Customer: The Most Misunderstood Term in All of Marketing.” In a nutshell, the voice of the customer is not about listening to customers’ demands for features or technical specs, and it’s not about following industry thought leaders or reacting to anecdotes from your sales staff or tech support. Instead, Katz described a methodical process in which one-on-one interviews are conducted with current and potential customers, which are then transcribed and culled for key phrases about things the customers need. Next, those needs are grouped into categories and prioritized by those customers. It’s important to have customers involved in each step. Our industry is full of enthusiasts, and Katz warns against mistaking our own voices for the voice of the customer. We may share values and need many of the same things as our customers, but we often prioritize those needs differently, and use the wrong words to describe them. Those words matter—they carry the emotional freight of the needs, and help ensure that the solutions you arrive at are the ones your customers are asking for. —Robert F. Staeger
Solving a Big Problem Law-enforcement agencies can be easily outgunned by those looking to do harm. Swiss firearms maker B&T has sought to swing the advantage back to the good guys with its 9x19mm Universal Service Weapon, which can fill the gap between a standard pistol, a submachine gun, and a police carbine. “The gun is meant for law-enforcement
WIN A FREE GUN! Crimson Trace will give away five guns to members of the media this afternoon at its booth. You can drop off a business card at any time during the day before the 4 p.m. drawing. Thirsty show attendees can stop by the booth and enjoy Happy Hour with a free beer at 4 p.m. Booth #16731. (crimson trace.com)
on the floor
officers who can only carry a pistol and do not have immediate access to a rifle or shotgun,” says Ralph Wilhelm, director of marketing at B&T AG. “The USW gives those officers a firearm the size of a pistol, but with the range and accuracy of a submachine gun.” Operators can engage targets out to 80 yards. Booth #3563. (bt-ag.ch) —Peter Suciu
SOUTHERN GRIND was founded by musician Zac Brown. One of the company’s most distinctive knife designs is the Jackal. To celebrate the company’s first year at SHOT, it is giving one away. Stop by Booth #3639 to enter the contest.
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1/17/17 4:04 PM