Learn From Your Customers & Connect
No one knows everything. It’s impossible! Be the first to admit what you do and don’t know, and be willing to learn. I compete in very niche types of competition and while I am accomplished on the range, I am not the most mechanically minded person in the world. I know how to shoot safely and accurately and a lot about a few specific guns, but not as much about most other firearms. I know what loads shoot best in a .223 service rifle, but haven’t shot very much with plinking ammo.
My experiences certainly don’t mirror every other woman’s, or every other person’s, but they illustrate a point. Take the time to learn about, and from, your customers. What types of shooting do they enjoy? What do they do? Why are they there? Even if you don’t sell anything, exchange knowledge — it can help you with the next customer. This is a great approach to take when customers come in looking for something specific or don’t need any help. It is an entry into conversation and into establishing a lasting relationship.
It’s exciting to share an interest. Though you may not sell a gun, you will gain a customer for life. For example, I don’t need a National Match AR-15, I already have one. I smiled when Tim Ostrander, president of Summit Armory in Akron, Ohio, mentioned they had an A2 in stock. I was eager to see it. No, I didn’t buy it, but I did tell some people I knew about it and fixed the sling so it was properly configured for the type of competition it is meant for.
Feeling heard and listened to is important, and is a tenet of customer service at Summit Armory. “We handle every customer differently,” Ostrander said. “Whether a competitive shooter or a first timer, everybody’s different. We’re the first people to admit we don’t know everything.”
He and his employees are willing to listen, learn and help customers research what they do not know. Inclusivity is also important.
“We have such an enormous crowd of ethnicities, men, women, age groups … we’ve actually had a few people who were really comfortable by the time they left, and then friends would come with them the next time.”
It’s this sense of connection and being respected that keeps people coming back.