Tag: shot show university

Speaker Spotlight: Dan Mann

Is SHOT Show University on your calendar yet? Meet speaker Dan Mann, whose strategies will help retailers to adjust with this ever-changing market and remain profitable. Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University features a day of seminars, designed to address the needs of those in the firearm retail business. Attendees will benefit from strategic sessions, providing each firearms store owner/manager with advice about operating their businesses more effectively.

The 2014 SHOT Show University, with a theme of Aiming for Excellence, is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13. If you haven’t already done so, grab your seats today before this opportunity sells out!

Speaker Spotlight: Dan Mann

Dan_MannJoin us from 8:15 – 9:15 a.m. for “Strategies that grow revenue (and profit) even during lean times,” presented by Dan Mann. Mann will focus on responding to customers and the challenge of meeting their demands for inventory, and locating revenue and profit without counting on foot traffic.This seminar will identify a proven sales process that will maximize revenue; provide strategic insight on how to manage key areas that customers notice while running low on inventory or experiencing an economic slowdown; give an overview of the key financial indicators and setting targets; and demonstrate strategies for reducing expenses without sacrificing the customer experience.

About Dan Mann:
Dan Mann founded The Mann Group (TMG) in 2003. With a successful track record in specialty retail, he has developed a vision to do it better. Thus, Mann Group aims to inspire leaders, influence change and impact profits. Today, The Mann Group is a nationally known leader in getting results for specialty sports retailers.

Dan has spoken across the U.S. and Canada for events, such as Outdoor Retailer, Outdoor Rendezvous, Interbike, Expocycle, The Bicycle Leadership Conference, The Running Event, The Footwear Event, MAGIC, etc. He has developed a cutting edge sales management program (GEAR) that is used by retailers in the outdoor industry, cycling, running, snow sports, motorsports, optics, footwear and apparel. More than 600 specialty sports retailers are using TMG’s programs today. On average, these stores rave about a 17% increase in top line sales.

Patrick Shay is Director of Retailer Development for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The Sense of Innovative Service

Join us Mon., Jan. 13 for 2014 SHOT Show University. With a theme of Aiming for Excellence, this day of seminars provides unparalleled training and insights for operating businesses more effectively. If you haven’t already done so, apply today. Speaker Chip Bell hails from 20-plus years of working with top leaders from the world’s leading brands and helping them stay ahead of the competition by maintaining world-class customer-experience strategies. We’re pleased to share a blog post by Chip that provides a closer look at service innovations that can set your business apart from your competitor’s.

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Imagine a hotel proposing that the housekeeper put a goldfish in your guest room in a basketball-sized bowl filled with colorful rocks.  All they ask is that you give it a name so you can have “your” fish join you again on your next stay. Visualize the bathrobe in the closet being zebra or leopard-colored, and not the boring white; or, the turn-down item left on your pillow being something completely unexpected–a foreign coin, a flower, even a lottery ticket–instead of the proverbial mint.  Welcome to the Hotel Monaco!

Hotel Monaco is my favorite hotel.  Not only because of its over-the-top service, but also because it provides a clever cacophony of sensory stimulation.  Your colorful guest room radiantly greets you with garden-fresh flowers, peaceful fragrances, unusual artwork, and restful music.  Bathroom amenities range from scented soap to your very own rubber ducky!  As a super pet-friendly hotel, the Monaco provides a turn-down bone and nature videos for guests’ furry roommates, and every property has a dog concierge in its lobby.  Their complimentary late afternoon wine party in the lobby might include a handwriting psychic quietly reading palms for a small fee.

Customers love innovative service that awakens their senses.  Famous bars have been transformed into light shows; bakeries pump tantalizing aroma from their kitchen onto the sidewalk, and modern hospital lobbies provide a babbling fountain with tranquil music, not glaring TV soap operas.  Walk into the lobby of any Westin Hotel, and your nose will notice the scent suddenly shifts from the “smell of the street” to a signature fragrance called “White Tea.”  An antique and memorabilia shop in Memphis plays oldies music; an upscale jewelry shop in Chicago has all employees wear formal evening attire angle.

Customers today are bored with ho-hum, pretty good, nothing-special service.  They want their service experience to have a cherry on top!  As customers, we like rich stimulation; we ignore plain vanilla bland.  And, finding innovative ways to make your service experience different from others can be the key to building loyalty!  When realtors suggest baking an apple pie before holding an open house and when upscale retail stores put a pianist at a baby grand on the sales floor, they are using their best sense.

Conduct a sense audit–what should your service experience smell like–sound like–feel like–look like–taste like, if you wanted to excite the customer’s memory with an enchanting experience?  What messages are being sent by the color, font, tone, images, or language used on your website? What does your parking lot, lobby, waiting area telegraph about your attentiveness to your customer’s experience? Examine your customer’s experience through the lens of organizations, known for a sensory-driven innovative experience–Disney World, Ringling Bros., Cirque du Soleil, or a great museum. Innovative service is memory-making; make yours extraordinary.

Chip R. Bell is a customer loyalty consultant and the author or coauthor of several best-selling books including Take Their Breath Away, Service Magic, Managing Knock Your Socks off Service.  His newest book is The 91/2 Principles of Innovative Service.  He will be a keynote speaker at the 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.. He can be reached at www.chipbell.com.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

SHOT Show University: Aiming for Excellence

Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University is a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business. This year’s lineup of classes will bring a new level of education and interaction for attendees. Keynote addresses coupled with strategic sessions will provide each firearms store owner/manager with unparalleled training and insights to operate their businesses more effectively.

The 2014 SHOT Show University, with a theme of Aiming for Excellence, is set for Mon., Jan. 13. If you haven’t already done so, apply today. Special thanks to Platinum Sponsor Smith & Wesson and to Gold Sponsors Black Rain Ordnance, Outdoor Business Network for their generous support.

Speaker Spotlight: Chip Bell

Join us from 5:10 – 6:10 p.m. for “Strategies for Creating Growth and Bottom Line Impact,” presented by Chip Bell. Based upon his best-selling book Take Their Breath Away, this lively and proactive session draws on Dr. Chip Bell’s 20-plus years working with top leaders from the world’s leading brands to help them stay ahead of the competition by maintaining world-class customer-experience strategies. Attendees will be given the tools and techniques to reinvent and reignite the service experience that they create for their customers.  Furthermore, Dr. Bell’s sessions will provide business leaders insight and wisdom in ways to add creativity to their strategies and ingenuity to their culture.

About Chip Bell:
Chip R. Bell is founder and senior partner with The Chip Bell Group, a consulting firm focusing on helping organizations create a culture that supports long-term customer loyalty and service innovation. He was a highly decorated infantry unit commander in Viet Nam with the elite 82nd Airborne. Dr. Bell is the author of several national best-selling books including Take Their Breath Away, Wired and Dangerous, Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service and his newest book, The 9½ Principles of Innovative Service. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN, ABC, Fox Business Network and Bloomberg TV. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes USA Today, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, and Business Week. He has served as a consultant or trainer to such major brands as Cabela’s, USAA, Cadillac, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Macy’s, Marriott, Caterpillar, Harley-Davidson, Lockheed-Martin and Victoria’s Secret.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

SHOT Show University Line-up Announced

Sign up now for the 2014 edition of SHOT Show University, held the day before the SHOT Show exhibit hall opens. This year’s theme is “Aiming for Excellence” and includes a keynote speaker, interactive sessions and a lineup of classes offer unparalleled training and education to operate businesses more effectively. Specialty tracks allow attendees to quickly identify sessions they want to attend: ATF Compliance, Marketing, Retail Operations and Range Operations.

On Monday, Jan. 13, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF) hosts THE premier educational series of seminars for firearms retailers and range operators. This daylong event features an incredible lineup of notable experts delivering information to take back to your operation and glean money-saving, business-building tips.

Retailers slow on the trigger have missed out before when trying to register for this perennial sell-out. Don’t wait. View the schedule of speakers and topics, then register and claim one of the still-available seats.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Smith & Wesson Is Platinum Level Education Sponsor for SHOT Show University

Smith & Wesson® returns as the top-tier sponsor of SHOT Show® UniversitySM, the education seminar for firearms retailers that will take place in conjunction with the 2014 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show).

We greatly appreciate Smith & Wesson’s generous support as the Platinum Level Education Sponsor for industry’s largest professional development opportunity for firearms retailers—SHOT Show University.

More than 300 firearms retailers will attend the 2014 SHOT Show University at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 13, the day prior to the beginning of the four-day SHOT Show. Expert speakers and strategic breakout sessions will provide firearms retailers and their staffs with training and education that will help them operate their businesses and service their customers more effectively.

Educational tracks include ATF Compliance, marketing, retail operations and range operations.

Learn more about course lineups, scheduling and registration at SHOT Show University.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack.

Retailers have questions. SHOT Show University has answers.

Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, SHOT Show University is a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business. This year’s lineup of classes will bring a new level to attendees for education and interaction. Keynote addresses coupled with strategic sessions will leave each firearms store owner/manager with unparalleled training and education to operate their businesses more effectively.

The 2013 SHOT Show University, with a theme of “The Retailer’s Playbook,” is set for Monday, Jan. 14. If you haven’t already done so, get registered today.

Here is one retailer’s take on the value of SHOT Show University and NSSF membership, as published in SHOT Business magazine:

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By Joe Keffer, owner, The Sportsman’s Shop, New Holland, Pa.

SHOT Show U. Is a Must

A gold mine of guidance is delivered in one day

Today’s retailer faces a multitude of factors that constantly affect his or her business. Retail has always been a fast-paced, everchanging endeavor — the retail environment can turn on a dime and leave nine cents change. Stores that are on the cutting edge are the survivors; stores that don’t keep up with the rapid pace of change are soon left behind and forgotten.

Firearms retailers are not immune to these challenges. Granted, the industry has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past few years, but the landscape for the firearms retailer continues to evolve at a blinding speed. Customers are more educated than ever before about their purchasing decisions. Thanks to the Internet, the information that’s available to consumers has reached unheard-of levels. Retailers are constantly trying to stay in the lead on this information highway. And the availability of this information has changed the shopping habits of consumers, as well.

Customers obviously drive sales, and are the top priority in any retail business, but other complexities face firearms dealers. Competition is fierce from many different sources. Other firearms retailers, be they small independent stores, gigantic mega-stores, or even online sellers operating without a physical storefront, all are trying to get a larger piece of the pie.

Retail businesses constantly face new challenges in day-to-day operations. Obviously, financial performance is critical to the health of a business. Being able to control and understand the complex issues of profit-and-loss statements, cash flow statements, and the like is crucial to a firearms store owner’s continued success. To remain competitive and on the customers’ radar, a retailer’s understanding of how to market his or her business is a top priority. Meanwhile, other areas of operations can never be neglected. Compliance with the requirements of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the resulting paperwork, for example, must be adhered to and strictly monitored and controlled.

Firearms retailers often ask themselves, “How can we learn to stay on top of the changes and challenges that we face today? Where can we get the education to meet our specific needs?”

The answer is SHOT Show University.

SHOT Show University is a daylong event held the day before the SHOT Show officially opens; for 2013, it takes place on Monday, January 14. I’ve attended SHOT Show University for the past several years, and it has been extremely rewarding, helping me run my business more efficiently and effectively. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) works very hard to bring such a quality experience to firearms retailers, and I know that for past several years, SHOT Show University has been sold out.

SHOT Show University hosts 300 retailers from all walks of life for this event. NSSF brings in presenters at the top of their fields, covering a variety of subjects, including marketing, advertising, financials, media training, merchandising, compliance training, and social media, to name a few. (The list often reflects what retailers requested via the surveys administered at the previous SHOT Show U.) The subjects are always timely, well thought out, and presented in layman’s terms so retailers can grasp the concepts and immediately implement the ideas and techniques in their stores.

To further complete this experience, NSSF provides a lunch and a reception for all attendees. The lunch break and the reception provide opportunities to network with other retailers. In addition, all of the presenters are available to have one-on-one time with anyone who may have further questions.

I’ve always come away from SHOT Show University energized and ready to implement new ideas and changes to my business. I can’t wait for SHOT 2013 to see what new, valuable information NSSF and the Shot Show University presenters will deliver. You can register for SHOT Show University when you register for the SHOT Show, at shotshow.org.

School’s in Session: SHOT Show University Draws Sell-Out Crowd

For 300 firearms retailers, today is a school day.

A sold-out SHOT Show University is in session at the 2012 SHOT Show. There really is no event out there like it. It’s a full day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business.

From what I’ve heard from attendees so far, it’s been another stellar year with a top-notch lineup of speakers and the day has been packed with a ton of information for their businesses.

NSSF would like to thank five industry sponsors that helped support this year’s SHOT Show University. They are North American Hunter, Mil-Comm Products Co. Inc., National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), Winchester Ammunition and Gun Club of America (GCA).

With their support, all of these retailers are being treated to day of classes they won’t find anywhere else.

One Retailer’s Take on SHOT Show University

It’s a fact: There is no event out there for firearms retailers like SHOT Show University. Offered each year on the day before the SHOT Show opens, it’s a day of seminars specifically tailored to the needs of those in the firearm retail business.

The 2012 SHOT Show University, with a theme of “Retail Is Detail,” is set for Monday, Jan. 16. If you haven’t already done so, get registered today.

Here is one retailer’s take on the value of SHOT Show University and NSSF membership, as published in SHOT Business magazine:

NSSF Member: Joe Keffer, owner

Organization: The Sportsman’s Shop, New Holland, Pa.

Description of Organization: “Our store was started in 1954, and we purchased it from that founding family in 1992. At that time it was primarily a hunting and fishing shop, but we have transitioned our 5,000-square-foot facility into a full-line shooting shop with an offering as a Class III dealer that is probably about 40 percent hunting and 60 percent personal defense and tactical. We have a full-time gunsmith on the premises, and we are exploring the idea of building a range.”

Experience with SHOT Show University: “I’ve probably been attending SHOT Show University for a half dozen years, and I will continue to go back. The content has always been timely and relevant to the firearms retailer’s activities and needs. The sessions are often put on by progressive dealers, and hearing from people that actually are out there doing what I’m doing adds credibility to the sessions. These ‘real-life presenters’ have been very approachable after the sessions, whether it was at meals, the reception or even after I got back to my store. SHOT Show University gives me a much broader view of the marketplace and what we can do that’s new. To get all that information in a day cannot be duplicated anywhere.”

Value of NSSF Membership: “Through my involvement in the NSSF, we have also become involved in our state firearms retailer association, for which I now serve as president. With the support of the NSSF, we have been able to resolve many of our state issues. Furthermore, a number of resources–such as the Custom Market Report, other literature and manuals, and the ‘Don’t Lie for the Other Guy’ retailer kit–have all been invaluable in running and expanding our business.”

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Learn more about NSSF membership and join today at nssfmembership.com.

SHOT Show University Nearly Full; Get Registered Today

NSSF encourages all firearms retailers to register today for the 2011 SHOT Show University, set for Jan. 17, the day before the SHOT Show officially opens.

Seating is limited, so don’t hesitate any longer.

SHOT Show University is the only event of its kind where firearms retailers can get up to speed on everything they need to know to ensure their businesses remain successful.

Check out the complete lineup for the 2011 SHOT Show University and get registered today.

Retailers: Are You Registered for SHOT Show University?

SHOT Show University is filling up fast. Act quickly to reserve your spot at this one-day (Jan. 17) event where firearms retailers can get up to speed on everything they need to know to ensure their businesses remain successful.

Former ATF executive Wally Nelson will deliver this year's keynote address at SHOT Show University.

Join us as some of the most respected names in the business provide their insights on many important topics.

Learn More | Register Today

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