1. Take Your Products/Services To Them.
“When gun stores and training companies ask me about diversifying their consumer base, the first thing I suggest is go where the people are. We too often think in narrow terms about attracting folks to us, but often it requires taking our products and services to them. It could be as simple as changing what radio station you advertise on, changing what neighborhoods you leave flyers in or changing what TV stations you run commercials on.
“In cyberspace, take your business page into online spheres where Black people (and other minorities) congregate. Join Black Facebook groups or reach out to gun club leadership teams and ask about partnership opportunities. Offer your classroom space or boardroom as a meeting spot for the local chapter of a gun club with a diverse membership. Better yet, join the club and send company reps to attend the meetings regularly.”
Defy Stereotypes To
Embrace Diversity
Increased diversity at competitions is the sign of a vibrant, growing industry — is your store
doing its part to welcome non-traditional customers?
You’ve probably heard (and experienced firsthand): The previous 15 months have resulted in record gun sales. A significant driver of this trend is a rise in gun ownership among minority groups. Purchases by African Americans increased by 56% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to figures provided by NSSF.
Black shooters I know have repeatedly told me many in their community are leery of the “gun culture,” perceiving it as “whites only.” This is true of matriarchal families in the inner cities — ironically, the most vulnerable to crime and those who stand to benefit the most from being armed citizens. They’ve come to associate guns with drugs and gangs, things they know disproportionately endanger their children, and it leads many to be anti-gun and to raise their children accordingly.
Pro-Gun Black Voices Rising
Contrary to what the mass media wants the public to believe, the industry has welcomed the rise of Black spokespersons to the Second Amendment cause. The list of pro-gun Black voices is long, and growing.
Colion Noir comes immediately to mind; consider running a loop of his many hard-hitting pro-gun comments on a monitor in your shop.
Kenn Blanchard’s book Black Man With A Gun: Reloaded (which should sell well in your store) and podcast of the same name have done much to expose the racist origins of “gun control.”
Maj Toure founded Black Guns Matter, an outspoken group that has been a particularly strong voice in the inner cities.
Rick Ector of Legally Armed in Detroit has trained thousands of African American women in armed self-defense.
Dispelling “The Narrative”
I’ve discussed this topic with my friend Kevin, an ace competitor, 25-year cop and firearms/deadly force instructor for a large city police department.
“I do see some difference,” he began. “City people seem to be more reluctant toward guns, and Blacks more so than whites — though the city versus rural thing is true to some extent across the color lines. It’s not just about race. I have fewer female than male officers who regularly carry guns off duty, but distinctly fewer Black female officers than white qualify with anything but the required issue weapons.”
“ We too often think in narrow terms about attracting folks to us, but often it requires taking our products and services to them.”
Tiffany Johnson, Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
Kevin is an award-winning competitor in IDPA and USPSA shooting, and eminently qualified to address this angle — his personal and professional experiences lend an insightful perspective.
He tells SI, “I grew up in the South, and guns were always my thing. Over the past 10–15 years, I’ve seen more Black people get involved than ever before. Not just conservative gun owners, but also those on the other side of the political spectrum. There are more Black gun commentators on YouTube than ever, and more Black competitors at shooting matches. I used to be a rarity; now, not so much. The ‘guns are evil’ narrative has a lot to do with it. Narratives tend to dictate beliefs.”
Suggestions for dealers?
Kevin replied, “At the risk of sounding self-serving, offer CCW classes with a Black instructor. The student can identify in some measure with the instructor and the person with whom they’re dealing. I’ve been successful in developing minority and female instructors. In the store itself, posters or pictures depicting Black shooters help.”
4 Suggestions To Welcome Diversity
Tiffany Johnson is one of today’s most influential voices in the firearms training community, especially among African Americans. A Black attorney who is a prime mover with the Rangemaster training group and their annual Rangemaster Tactical Conference, Tiffany offers a lot of insight on her blog (frontsightpress.com), and teaches around the country with her colleague Aqil Qadir. I asked her to advise our readers on the topic of reaching out to the African American community. Her suggestions follow.
2. Change Things Up.
“Once you do get more diverse arrays of consumers trickling into the store, don’t run them off. Few people do this intentionally, but many people do it inadvertently. What kind of music is playing in your store? Is it all bluegrass or country or heavy metal all day long? Why not throw in some R&B or Motown? Change things up frequently.
“Do you have photos of Chuck Norris and John Wayne adorning your walls? Great. But why not add a photo of Otis McDonald or Bass Reeves or Vera Koo? Do you sell books by Jeff Cooper and Tom Givens? Excellent! Consider also selling books by Nicholas Johnson, or some of the work by David Kopel or Stephen Halbrook on racism and guns.”
3. Prioritizing Politics Or Sales?
“Perhaps most importantly, avoid politics. If your goal is to promote political stances, then accept it will cost you a certain amount of your customer base. But if your primary goal is to sell guns (or sell training) to people of all walks of life, then you’ll have to leave politics out. Otherwise, you’re inevitably going to alienate people.
Tiffany Johnson and Aqil Qadir during a Rangemaster Tactical Conference. To be successful in
the effort to boost diversity, Johnson advises dealers should expend effort to connect with them
where they are — either through new advertising mediums or joining Facebook groups.
“So, take down those Republican Party posters. Don’t leave the television set tuned to Fox News all day. Stop the witty partisan quips and derogation of liberals, urbanites, academics and other demographics (or at least don’t do it within earshot of customers). Just focus on guns and safety. This way, when new customers do come in, they can focus on your products/services and not be distracted wondering if they’re truly welcome in your store.”
4. Diversify Yourself.
“If you want to diversify your customer base, diversify yourself. Look for ways to defy stereotypes and be something other than the gun store right out of central casting.
“Consider what most people see in their heads when they close their eyes and picture a standard gun store. Then brainstorm creative (but honest and authentic) ways to venture outside of that cubbyhole. The more your business actively and genuinely embraces difference, the more you’ll find humanity’s endless, interesting variations walking through your door.”
Embrace The Melting Pot
Well done, Tiffany. The bottom line here? This country is supposed to be The Melting Pot. Divisive negative forces have typecast gun owners as an all-white (and mostly all-male — a topic for another time) enclave that does not welcome those who don’t look like them.
Let every element of your customer base know you recognize them and are there to serve their needs in lawfully protecting themselves and their loved ones.
