Protection and defense: This is serious stuff and one of the most significant reasons why shooting sports retailers exist in the first place.
As much as retailers have the right to sell guns and customers have the right to buy, own and use them, there are responsibilities that go along with these rights.
When discussing the purchase of protection and defense gear, it behooves the retailer to relay the reality that protective and defensive use can and likely will be life changing.
However, any of that kind of life change pales in comparison to being killed by an attacker, so it is a totally logical tradeoff. It may be trite, but the concept is that it is preferable to be judged by 12 than carried by six.
Protection and defense are the two most common drivers that bring most first-time and repeat gun buyers/owners to shooting sports retailers. Not only are they the dominant forces overall, but they are significant even among gun buyers who focus on other things like target shooting, plinking or hunting.
It’s easy to understand because firearms are, by definition, lethal implements. They can and routinely do stop attacks by criminals and other threats. In other words, firearms can and do save people’s lives. Often, the old saw applies that when seconds count, police are only minutes away.
Certainly, the industry offers every size, shape and configuration of firearm imaginable, which means that there’s a gun to fit the individual needs, abilities and budget of every customer who comes through your door.
A quick look at the bigger picture shows that the estimated 107 million gun owners in the United States have an estimated 500 million guns. The average number of guns owned by gun owners is between four and eight per owner. And between 2020 and 2024, there were an estimated 26.2 million first-time gun buyers. Overall, 72% of U.S. gun owners say protection is a major reason they own a gun.
Still, each customer is an individual, so it’s necessary to help him or her find the make, model and chambering that best suits their needs. For example, if it’s a handgun, then the size and strength of the customer’s hand is critical. Handguns can be too big or too small. It’s much like Goldilocks and the tree bears – the gun needs to be just right.
Semi-auto handguns require racking the slide, removing and inserting the magazine and that sort of thing. There are some makes and models that are harder to cycle, and that can be an issue.
Remember, it’s not simply necessary that the customer be able to rack the slide, but that they be able to do it deftly enough to cycle it under stress – like when they become ham-handed and lack the dexterity and sense of feel that they have in normal situations.
Because of this, sometimes a revolver makes more sense. There’s not as much handling involved in putting it in action. It can help to demonstrate both varieties so the customer can make a more informed decision.
The same concept holds true for long guns. Size, weight and loading/cycling all are critical. Although some gun buyers may think they know exactly what they want, they may not know what they actually need. So, it’s a good idea to expand the conversation. Often, there are options the customer didn’t consider that might serve him or her better than what he or she imagined would be best.
And once the firearm choice has been made, it’s time to upsell, cross-sell and generally outfit the customer properly. This is more than just selling. It’s a high form of customer service because the better equipped the customer is, the better he or she can accomplish their goal, whether it is defense, casual shooting fun or serious hunting.
There are seemingly limitless choices when it comes to accessories, gadgets and goodies, each of which may be valuable to an individual customer. And that’s in addition to ammunition to feed the firearm.
Here is where another across-the-counter discussion can be valuable to both the customer and the retailer. It’s important to suggest that the customer practice with the firearm once it has been purchased. It can be helpful to suggest that the customer purchase high-performance defense ammo, as well as some generic ammo.
The high-performance stuff is for serious times while the generic ammo is for more economical practice. The more affordable practice is, the better the chances are that the customer will practice more. And the more the customers practice, the better the shooters they’ll become and the more successful they will be.
In addition to ammo, there are things like gun cases, holsters and other items needed to store and carry firearms. Some customers may need specialized storage items if they have young children in the home and don’t want the gun to be accessed by unauthorized hands – things like that.
Some shooters prefer red-dot sights to get on target quickly and to help in low lighting. Matching the right sight to the firearm is another upsell opportunity that’s also a customer service.
The point is that whether the customer is a first-time gun buyer or a veteran gun owner, there is a wide variety of accessories that can help them be more successful with their firearms. Most retailers do not have the facilities to have customers live-fire their purchases on the premises, so it can be helpful to suggest where the customers can go to shoot their guns, familiarize themselves with the guns and practice to improve their proficiency.
The whole idea is to relay the concept that being a gun owner can and should be more than just buying a gun and letting it sit idly until there is an emergency that requires it to be used.
