Cordially Invited: Host Women’s Events

In the January 2021 issue, Shooting Industry kicked off its useful Best Practices column with an excellent article by Doug VanderWoude titled “Best Practices: On The Range.” In it he wrote, “Many of these first-time gun owners may have purchased a Modern Sporting Rifle, so a beginner AR-15 class is an awesome way to go. The latest statistics show — more than ever before — these new owners are likely to be minorities and female. In 2003, only 13% of women identified as gun owners; in 2020 this number went to nearly 25%.”

VanderWoude urged gun dealers, “Look at the last six months of your social media posts and general advertising — do you have minorities and females represented? Or is it still all stale, pale and male?”

There’s no better portal into the thinking of this demographic than the Gun Culture 2.0 blog created by sociology professor David Yamane: (gunculture2point0.wordpress.com).

In January, Professor Yamane discussed his long-running analysis of female-oriented advertising by gun-related manufacturers (“A Woman’s Place in Gun Advertisements – New Study Posted”). He wrote: “Reflecting gun culture itself, gun advertising as a whole is largely the domain of men, though the gap in gender representation is shrinking, especially from the 1980s forward. … Moreover, when women do appear in gun advertising … some of the worst stereotypical gender displays we find in the world of print advertising more broadly are more muted or absent altogether.”

Let’s look at some ways you can draw in more female clientele.

Associate With Associations

Suppose you could become affiliated with an already organized group of women who are interested in guns, self-defense and the shooting sports. “One hand washes the other” mutual support is a tenet of many businesses, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t work for you in this respect.

Off the top of my head, I can think of four such organizations, all of which would benefit their members as much by working with your business as you would benefit from working with them. Each was founded by armed women, for armed women — a strong base to work from, obviously, with this customer demographic. In no particular order, they include the following:

• A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) promises, “All AG & AG events are supervised by certified firearms instructors. All facilitators are women who can ‘speak girl’ and provide techniques and tips for female shooters. Our goal is to empower, educate, and have fun at the range. AG & AG events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women.”
AG & AG promotes local and regional training events, with nationally famous instructors available such as Tatiana Whitlock. Billed as a women’s shooting league, some chapters offer competitions as well as training programs and seminars.

• The Well Armed Woman (TWAW) motto is “Educate, Equip, Empower.” Founder Carrie Lightfoot explains on her website, “Why did I create TWAW as a resource for women gun owners? Following my divorce, I found myself in what turned out to be a very abusive and violent relationship …” Suffice to say, she understands a woman’s drive to protect herself and her loved ones. TWAW has chapters all over the country, and there’s a good chance your store could become the center of another.

• Babes with Bullets was founded in 2004 by a trio of famous female shooters: Kay Clark Miculek, Deb Ferns and Lisa Munson. They are the most competition-oriented women’s shooting group, and it’s possible to sponsor one of their events on your home turf. These events garner lots of publicity, not just for Babes with Bullets, but for their hosts, hint, hint …

• NRA’s Women On Target seems geared to a more basic level than, say, Babes With Bullets. Their programs are particularly suitable for the totally new shooter who doesn’t yet own a gun or may even have never fired one. If your shop is already doing NRA training and is already “in the system,” it can be a natural fit for your operation.

Whether you’re selling to a man or woman, every new gun owner starts with (at least) one gun.

That said, though, if you’re reaching out to potential female customers, I’d strongly suggest a female speaker. A few decades ago, the chief of a neighboring police department asked me to give a talk to his female residents about armed self-defense. I arrived after a day shift with my own department, still in uniform.

When we went into Q&A, one of the first people in the audience to raise her hand was a woman who said almost accusingly, “You stand there with your mustache and your deep voice and your leather jacket and your .45 ACP, and you don’t begin to understand my fears!”

I’d like to think — then and now — she was wrong, but I’ve never forgotten that moment because, as the saying goes, “The perception is the reality.”

Ideally, there’s a woman who works in your establishment who can be a spokesperson to female customers. If not, there is almost certainly at least one confident, articulate female among your regular customers who would be happy to give a talk on behalf of your business on the importance of being armed and capable of protecting oneself and loved ones. Let someone like this be the face of your business to share safety and empowerment with the women of the community you serve.

I expect you will be rewarded with their patronage.

More resources are available at the following:
agirlandagun.org
babeswithbullets.com
thewellarmedwoman.com
wot.nra.org

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