One of main focuses of National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) at the upcoming 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas is to provide educational tools for independent retailers. Thus, NSSF, owner and sponsor of the SHOT Show, is offering a schedule of information-packed classes from ATF compliance to range operations to maximizing your sales per square foot. These classes were designed to meet the needs of the new retailer while providing information and an opportunity to network for the veteran firearms merchant. Here are some highlights.
MONDAY, JAN. 13
SHOT SHOW UNIVERSITY
- On the day before the exhibit floor opens, NSSF hosts the premier education seminar for the firearms retailer. This day-long event starts with a keynote delivered by Dan Mann, founder of the Mann Group. He’ll address “Strategies that Grow Revenue (and Profit) Even During Lean Times,” which will identify proven sales processes that maximize both revenue and the potential of each customer once he or she is in the store. Ann Baldwin will deliver a presentation on “Media and Crisis Training,” preparing retailers and range owners for any emergency that might arise that would cause the media to come calling. Then we will be offering four different educational tracks: ATF Compliance; Retail Operations; Marketing; and Range Operations. Each track will offer five courses that cover various aspects of the main topic. The seminar will close with an address by Dr. Chip Bell entitled “Strategies for Creating Growth and Bottom Line Impact,” which will draw upon Dr. Bell’s decades of work helping leading brands stay ahead of the competition by maintaining world-class customer-experience strategies.
The learning doesn’t stop with the start of the SHOT Show; NSSF has classes planned throughout the show.
TUESDAY, JAN. 14
RETAILER SEMINARS, ATF COMPLIANCE SESSIONS
- The following day, NSSF will be hosting classes on “Grass Roots Political Organizing” so our retailers can learn how to protect their rights and their industry by organizing at the state and local level. The next session will cover “Building a Gunsmith,” presented by instructors from Montgomery Community College. They will discuss the training that they provide the modern gun-smith, and how, as a retailer, you can take advantage of their skill set to build your business. The next class is “New Customers: How to Attract, Engage, and Retain Them,” which covers the techniques that two of the top independent retailers have used to meet the needs of the younger and more diverse customer base with which firearms retailers are dealing today. Two ATF compliance courses round out the day. “NFA Compliance” will review how to legally sell one of the hottest commodities in the firearms industry, and we will close the day with our NSSF FFL Compliance Consultant panel, hosted by two former ATF executives. They will conduct an open discussion on any ATF-related compliance questions.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
INCREASING SALES, AND MARKETING TO WOMEN
- The SHOT Show continues its formal educational program with a presentation on “Increasing Your Sales per Square Foot and Inventory Turns.” This program will be presented by two of the nation’s top independent retailers and will cover their strategies to maximize store space and inventory while meeting their customers’ needs. The next session is a panel discussion with seven of the top women in the firearms industry covering the do’s and don’ts of marketing to women.
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
FOUR DIVERSE, VALUABLE CLASSES
- The formal educational programs at SHOT Show will wrap up with an exciting and diverse lineup of sessions, beginning with “What Business Structure Is Right for My Business?” presented by two partners from the Renzulli Law Firm. “Loss-Prevention Strategies” are covered in the next session to help ensure the longevity of your business. The next seminar, “Store Layout,” will cover techniques used by two world-class retailers that can help you provide the best customer experience while maximizing your return on investment. The day will wrap up with “Hiring and Retaining Employees,” which will cover best practices to retain your most valuable asset— your personnel.
A goal for NSSF at the SHOT Show is to provide a world-class educational experience so retailers can maximize profits while meeting the needs of their customers. For more information about these programs, please visit shotshow .org/education.