cyclopsshooter
Member
^^^^
Opening a gun shop -- UPDATE: Two Years In!
- Thread starter Pilotperk
- Start date
- Status
I think you meant past
1) Phone orders. I'm not sure how feasible this is for a LGS, but one of the reasons I went with the more-expensive franchise over the local LGS options on my last order is that nobody had the gun I wanted in stock, and the franchise was the only option for a phone order. Everyone else wanted me to go down to make the order in person.
2) Gunsmithing Services. If you have which services you provide listed in front already, that's a bonus. You could even offer a small discount on services for products bought at your store (one local shop I go to has $35 price to put sights on a pistol, $25 if you buy sights from the shop).
3) Decent Website. Some local shops have a site which only includes a list of brands they carry; no models, no prices, etc. Another site has a current inventory with pictures of each individual gun and the price. If I see that one store potentially carries Springfield products, and the other store has the exact model of XDm I want in stock, guess which store I'm going to first?
4) Good customer service. If I say without any hesitation "I want a Glock 19", sell me a Glock 19 without telling me how aweful a decision you think I'm making. If I say "I'm looking for something 9mm, what would you recommend?" then give me suggestions.
5) I kind of mentioned this above - but list what services you offer and what your prices are, on multiple signs throughout the store and on your website. That way, customers don't feel awkward when trying to figure out what you have. If you don't offer a specific service, be prepared to let your customer know who will. For example, a local gun shop does some gunsmithing, but they gave me the card of someone who can do more custom work than they can. They're not losing any business by giving this other gunsmith my business for custom work, but they are gaining business by showing me they are part of a strong network.
I kind of touched on what I don't like, but basically:
1) I don't like the salesman assuming he is right. Your primary job is to sell me what I want. That means if I don't know what I want, you can help me figure it out, but if I know what I want, then that's what I want.
2) I don't like the shop being able to wiggle around poorly written store policies. Have them clear for the customer to see and understand.
3) I don't like being lied to. When I bought my couch it was supposed to be delivered in 6 weeks or less. It took over 3 months. If you promise the customer something, do your best to deliver. Also be honest with your limitations so you don't disappoint customers.
Swing
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Five, eh? Lets see ...
Anywho, good luck with your new endeavour.
1.) Friendly, helpful, competent staff. Not cranky old grouches, know-it-all buffoons, slovenly goobers, or anyone who looks down on women customers. Remember, every customer contact is an opportunity cement the business relationship.
2.) If a phone message or email is left, respond. I've literally lost count how many times I've gone with Company B over Company A only because the former would take three minutes to answer a question or provide a quote.
3.) Reasonable prices. Not necessarily the lowest and there is certainly no way of matching Wally World, but still reasonable. An example: the weekend before last I was in a new-ish gun shop in which most of the inventory was 2-4 times the going rate elsewhere. I walked out after a few minutes as most semi-informed customers likely would.
4.) Remember the axiom the customer is always right. Plenty of time I've come into shops looking for X and have had the dealer try to sell me the wildly different Y. There's plenty-a places to buy these days, so no reason to make the sale any more complicated than it need be.
5.) Having a gunsmith onsite is a great addition. By gunsmith I mean someone actually can do 'smithing work, not just a parts changer.
2.) If a phone message or email is left, respond. I've literally lost count how many times I've gone with Company B over Company A only because the former would take three minutes to answer a question or provide a quote.
3.) Reasonable prices. Not necessarily the lowest and there is certainly no way of matching Wally World, but still reasonable. An example: the weekend before last I was in a new-ish gun shop in which most of the inventory was 2-4 times the going rate elsewhere. I walked out after a few minutes as most semi-informed customers likely would.
4.) Remember the axiom the customer is always right. Plenty of time I've come into shops looking for X and have had the dealer try to sell me the wildly different Y. There's plenty-a places to buy these days, so no reason to make the sale any more complicated than it need be.
5.) Having a gunsmith onsite is a great addition. By gunsmith I mean someone actually can do 'smithing work, not just a parts changer.
Anywho, good luck with your new endeavour.
45_auto
Member
drsfmd said:
You need to learn how to do the paperwork. I make about $15 pure profit off every $20 transfer, taking paperwork time into account. I wish my guys could do transfers full time all day, I'd be making about about $100/hour and could quit worrying about inventory and turnover!
content
Member
drsfnd---Bang your head all you want if that helps.
I get calls or texts from several shop owners when something I'm interested in pops up and I appreciate it. They always thank me for my business too.
Might help you make a few more bucks out of your used gun museum.
I get calls or texts from several shop owners when something I'm interested in pops up and I appreciate it. They always thank me for my business too.
Might help you make a few more bucks out of your used gun museum.
larryh1108
Member
I've been in retail management for 40 years and have opened many stores in new markets. Most of the suggestions above are important. Many things are needed for any business to succeed, not just a new gunshop. Experience has taught me that in order to survive and then thrive you need:
1. A clean, organized and well lit store.
2. Knowlegable staff and like so many have mentioned, it's ok to not know an answer but have the resources to find it.
3. You have to have a niche. Very few companies can do all things for everybody. Find what your area is lacking and make that your specialty. If it was me, not knowing your area, I would specilize in reloading equipment and supplies. Reloading will only get bigger as the ammo makers get targeted by the anti-gun crowd. Have a display of each reloading setup so a new guy to the hobby can touch, see and understand the process. It would also help to have someone proficient in relaoding working that section as well. Also offer a huge selection of cleaning/maintenance supplies. Realize that you don't make your money on the new guns but it's more in the accessories, ammo and supplies.
4. Be the go-to guy for used firearms. Post signs, run ads about paying top dollar for used firearms. Nothing brings in people on a regular basis more than seeing what 'new' used firearms are in your shop. Encourage trade-ins and consignment. Trade-ins sell a 'new' gun and when someone sells something on consignment he'll more than likely take his new found cash and buy a gun from you. Once you realize you make more money on a used firearm than a new one you will give more space to the used section. New car dealers make spit on new cars. They rake in the profit on selling used cars. Same with firearms. Become a specialist in used firearms. If you are on the ball, you will see when a shipment of used firearms hits the market. Recently, Israel mil-surp Browning Hi Powers hit the market. Contact the guy and see if he'd sell you 20 at a good discount. He may just do it. Find and sell the popular mil-surps like CZ, Makarov, etc. If you do your homework you will see when they ht the market. Become the guy who also sells them and once it's known you'll have a steady stream of buyers looking for these hot items.
5. Treat every customer like they are your father, mother, sister, brother, etc. I don't believe in 'dickering". Clearly marked prices without discounting may cost you the sale of someone who won't pay 'retail' but nothing hurts your image more than selling a guy an LCP for $299 and his buddy goes in and 'dickers' and gets it for $279. The majority of people won't ask for a discount. They are shy, timid or afraid of rejection. It prevents people from getting upset because they paid more than their buddy and it keeps people from getting upset because you refused their offer. You also avoid marking up the items to allow for the 'dickering' which will scare away the shopper who looks at your prices, doesn't say a word and just leaves because you are priced too high. Price fair and stick with it. Offer fair market for a trade in. Don't try to steal it because most times the guy knows what it is worth and you just piss him off with a low ball figure. Don't be known as the guy who 'stole' the widow's late husband's Colt because she had no idea it was worth so much. "Well, she said she'd take $200 for it" doesn't cut it. Sure, you pulled one over her but when she tells her friend how much you gave her you just lost a handful of potential customers. A bad reputation can kill you and a good reputation is the cheapest advertising you can get.
I don't understand retail stores that close at 6pm and are closed Sundays and have short Saturday hours. If you don't want to work till 9pm and/or on Sundays and holidays then don't go into retail. You have to be there when everybody else is off from work. We like to get home, eat dinner, change and take care of something needed before we can go out. Close at 6pm and you lose these people. They will come on Saturday between 10-4 and you will have more customers than help and you will have many people just walk away because you can't help them. Be there when we are available, not when it works for you.
Being successful means long hours and hard work. Remember that the person in front of you is more important than the person on the phone. The guy in your shop is already there. If you need someone to just answer the phones then they need to be knowlegable and be able to get them in the door with the right answers and by being courteous. The owners can't do it all and succeed. You can't sell the guy in front of you, answer the questions of the guy on the phone, check in the delivery of handguns and make sure it's right and maintaining the web site. Try that and you will piss off everybody. Be prepared to lose money for the first few years because your payroll and advertising are killing you but you don't have many choices. A 2 man shop will end up with enough customers to keep 2 men busy. The rest will walk away and go somewhere else. We want to spend our money in your shop. All you need to do is give us a reason to.
1. A clean, organized and well lit store.
2. Knowlegable staff and like so many have mentioned, it's ok to not know an answer but have the resources to find it.
3. You have to have a niche. Very few companies can do all things for everybody. Find what your area is lacking and make that your specialty. If it was me, not knowing your area, I would specilize in reloading equipment and supplies. Reloading will only get bigger as the ammo makers get targeted by the anti-gun crowd. Have a display of each reloading setup so a new guy to the hobby can touch, see and understand the process. It would also help to have someone proficient in relaoding working that section as well. Also offer a huge selection of cleaning/maintenance supplies. Realize that you don't make your money on the new guns but it's more in the accessories, ammo and supplies.
4. Be the go-to guy for used firearms. Post signs, run ads about paying top dollar for used firearms. Nothing brings in people on a regular basis more than seeing what 'new' used firearms are in your shop. Encourage trade-ins and consignment. Trade-ins sell a 'new' gun and when someone sells something on consignment he'll more than likely take his new found cash and buy a gun from you. Once you realize you make more money on a used firearm than a new one you will give more space to the used section. New car dealers make spit on new cars. They rake in the profit on selling used cars. Same with firearms. Become a specialist in used firearms. If you are on the ball, you will see when a shipment of used firearms hits the market. Recently, Israel mil-surp Browning Hi Powers hit the market. Contact the guy and see if he'd sell you 20 at a good discount. He may just do it. Find and sell the popular mil-surps like CZ, Makarov, etc. If you do your homework you will see when they ht the market. Become the guy who also sells them and once it's known you'll have a steady stream of buyers looking for these hot items.
5. Treat every customer like they are your father, mother, sister, brother, etc. I don't believe in 'dickering". Clearly marked prices without discounting may cost you the sale of someone who won't pay 'retail' but nothing hurts your image more than selling a guy an LCP for $299 and his buddy goes in and 'dickers' and gets it for $279. The majority of people won't ask for a discount. They are shy, timid or afraid of rejection. It prevents people from getting upset because they paid more than their buddy and it keeps people from getting upset because you refused their offer. You also avoid marking up the items to allow for the 'dickering' which will scare away the shopper who looks at your prices, doesn't say a word and just leaves because you are priced too high. Price fair and stick with it. Offer fair market for a trade in. Don't try to steal it because most times the guy knows what it is worth and you just piss him off with a low ball figure. Don't be known as the guy who 'stole' the widow's late husband's Colt because she had no idea it was worth so much. "Well, she said she'd take $200 for it" doesn't cut it. Sure, you pulled one over her but when she tells her friend how much you gave her you just lost a handful of potential customers. A bad reputation can kill you and a good reputation is the cheapest advertising you can get.
I don't understand retail stores that close at 6pm and are closed Sundays and have short Saturday hours. If you don't want to work till 9pm and/or on Sundays and holidays then don't go into retail. You have to be there when everybody else is off from work. We like to get home, eat dinner, change and take care of something needed before we can go out. Close at 6pm and you lose these people. They will come on Saturday between 10-4 and you will have more customers than help and you will have many people just walk away because you can't help them. Be there when we are available, not when it works for you.
Being successful means long hours and hard work. Remember that the person in front of you is more important than the person on the phone. The guy in your shop is already there. If you need someone to just answer the phones then they need to be knowlegable and be able to get them in the door with the right answers and by being courteous. The owners can't do it all and succeed. You can't sell the guy in front of you, answer the questions of the guy on the phone, check in the delivery of handguns and make sure it's right and maintaining the web site. Try that and you will piss off everybody. Be prepared to lose money for the first few years because your payroll and advertising are killing you but you don't have many choices. A 2 man shop will end up with enough customers to keep 2 men busy. The rest will walk away and go somewhere else. We want to spend our money in your shop. All you need to do is give us a reason to.
Might help you make a few more bucks out of your used gun museum.
A good shop will do several million in gross sales every year. That's far from a gun museum.
If you're only clearing $100 an hour, you're doing it wrong. Besides a full time bookkeeper costs money. If they aren't booking in and out 3-4 times what they cost, they aren't worth it. For $20 a transfer, there's simply no money to be made when the same gun would net (for example) a $50 or $75 profit for the shop.
See my earlier comment about busy shops. Phone shoppers are the absolute worst. The customer at the counter is far more important than some guy trying to get a phone quote. If you can't be bothered to come down to the shop, you're going to have to wait until we aren't busy for your call back. In the busy season, you're going to wait a long time. Understand that a good shop has people lined up waiting to come in when you unlock the door and still have people there that you have to shoo out an hour past closing time. A good shop is simply too busy with real customers to deal with phone shoppers.
DefiantDad
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So, finally a question I can maybe give some real input into, instead of being the guy on the other side asking the question.
I run a small business myself now, after having been in the business of sales and marketing for decades, and being paid to help companies market themselves. I am just saying this to give a bit of background where I am coming from.
It seems like you got the funding part sorted out, which is the key issue in all enterprises; cash flow is critical. You outta cash, you outta oxygen. This is probably the key learning I had from my decades of working in this field and observing how companies fail (to underscore this point, even if the managers are total idiots, if they continue to have cash from sales or funding, they won't go out of business). I am not sure business schools teach this or drill it into the heads of people but I have observed this as the key make or break factor. If you have sufficient funding, you may in fact be able to outlast the competition and/or (temporarily) bad decisions by the management team or employees, and turn around into profitability and gain back all your losses.
Having said that, I see a huge opportunity for the right kind of LGS in the market environment right now. There has been, and continues to be, a huge "doomsday" kind of mentality in the market and I confess I subscribe somewhat to that view of a potential SHTF scenario (let's not get into the details of that; it's not the primary subject of this thread, and my view is more regarding financial disruption than things like Mayan calendars or asteroids or whatever).
So there is a huge market out there of people who are just starting to explore firearms. If you can market to them, you may be able to garner substantial customer loyalty, to be able to sell the entire "value chain" to them, or a fancy way of saying all the bells and whistles associated with a physical gun (all the ammo, all the training, accessories, aftermarket support, etc.) which goes way beyond just the physical product, PLUS all the referrals and "halo effect" of a happy customer writing positive comments on the Web, telling friends, etc. (the OPPOSITE of this can also happen if you piss off a customer who happens to be highly connected online or offline).
So in my mind, there are two GENERALIZED customer types. The experienced gun person who will be pissed off at know-it-all-kids and wants the best bang for the buck, and the totally inexperienced person who will also be pissed off if they realize someone is trying to rip them off and taking advantage of their (temporary) ignorance.
From a business standpoint (i.e., market potential) I would say the inexperienced SHTF prepper is the best customer to win over in today's market, while keeping the experienced customer also happy as they may be the source of referrals of newbies.
You may already know this or intuitively know this, but I just though I'd offer this nutshell analysis of the market opportunity. Lots of ideas can go to support this thesis, such as making a good website of your LGS business tailored to give information to newbies, making them feel you care about them, answering FAQs on your website and then inviting them to visit your physical store, etc. You need to strike a balance of course between offering free information (and using your time) versus actually bringing in dollars, but I would say it is by necessity a long term strategy so do not expect too much to get short term revenue if the objective is to grow a long term loyal customer base.
Hope this helps and sorry if it sounded like I am rattling on. I just wanted to cover all the ideas.
I run a small business myself now, after having been in the business of sales and marketing for decades, and being paid to help companies market themselves. I am just saying this to give a bit of background where I am coming from.
It seems like you got the funding part sorted out, which is the key issue in all enterprises; cash flow is critical. You outta cash, you outta oxygen. This is probably the key learning I had from my decades of working in this field and observing how companies fail (to underscore this point, even if the managers are total idiots, if they continue to have cash from sales or funding, they won't go out of business). I am not sure business schools teach this or drill it into the heads of people but I have observed this as the key make or break factor. If you have sufficient funding, you may in fact be able to outlast the competition and/or (temporarily) bad decisions by the management team or employees, and turn around into profitability and gain back all your losses.
Having said that, I see a huge opportunity for the right kind of LGS in the market environment right now. There has been, and continues to be, a huge "doomsday" kind of mentality in the market and I confess I subscribe somewhat to that view of a potential SHTF scenario (let's not get into the details of that; it's not the primary subject of this thread, and my view is more regarding financial disruption than things like Mayan calendars or asteroids or whatever).
So there is a huge market out there of people who are just starting to explore firearms. If you can market to them, you may be able to garner substantial customer loyalty, to be able to sell the entire "value chain" to them, or a fancy way of saying all the bells and whistles associated with a physical gun (all the ammo, all the training, accessories, aftermarket support, etc.) which goes way beyond just the physical product, PLUS all the referrals and "halo effect" of a happy customer writing positive comments on the Web, telling friends, etc. (the OPPOSITE of this can also happen if you piss off a customer who happens to be highly connected online or offline).
So in my mind, there are two GENERALIZED customer types. The experienced gun person who will be pissed off at know-it-all-kids and wants the best bang for the buck, and the totally inexperienced person who will also be pissed off if they realize someone is trying to rip them off and taking advantage of their (temporary) ignorance.
From a business standpoint (i.e., market potential) I would say the inexperienced SHTF prepper is the best customer to win over in today's market, while keeping the experienced customer also happy as they may be the source of referrals of newbies.
You may already know this or intuitively know this, but I just though I'd offer this nutshell analysis of the market opportunity. Lots of ideas can go to support this thesis, such as making a good website of your LGS business tailored to give information to newbies, making them feel you care about them, answering FAQs on your website and then inviting them to visit your physical store, etc. You need to strike a balance of course between offering free information (and using your time) versus actually bringing in dollars, but I would say it is by necessity a long term strategy so do not expect too much to get short term revenue if the objective is to grow a long term loyal customer base.
Hope this helps and sorry if it sounded like I am rattling on. I just wanted to cover all the ideas.
My favorite gun shop has everything I could ever want except a range. It's the Virginia Arms Company in Manassas, VA. It's by far the best gun shop I've ever been to and I've bought nearly a dozen firearms from them over my gun buying lifetime. They are well stocked in both hardware and accessories and their prices are reasonable.
What sets Virginia Arms apart from every other gun store I've ever been to is the level of customer services. The staff is knowledgable, helpful and extremely polite. The owner (Bernie) is always on the floor greeting and helping customers out. It's nice to be on a first name basis with the staff but it's even better when they pay attention to your buying trends.
For example, (I've told this story a few times when similar subjects came up) my wife decided to surprise me with a gun for our anniversary not to long ago. Not knowing where to start, she went over to Virginia Arms and asked Bernie for some advice. He had recalled how the last few times I'd been handling a Vaquero and trying to justify the purchase. She ended up getting me the Vaquero in the configuration and finish I wanted.
So, while quantity and price will play a big role in your success, it's the personal touches that will earn you a repeat and loyal customer base.
Where is your shop going to be?
Good luck with your business.
What sets Virginia Arms apart from every other gun store I've ever been to is the level of customer services. The staff is knowledgable, helpful and extremely polite. The owner (Bernie) is always on the floor greeting and helping customers out. It's nice to be on a first name basis with the staff but it's even better when they pay attention to your buying trends.
For example, (I've told this story a few times when similar subjects came up) my wife decided to surprise me with a gun for our anniversary not to long ago. Not knowing where to start, she went over to Virginia Arms and asked Bernie for some advice. He had recalled how the last few times I'd been handling a Vaquero and trying to justify the purchase. She ended up getting me the Vaquero in the configuration and finish I wanted.
So, while quantity and price will play a big role in your success, it's the personal touches that will earn you a repeat and loyal customer base.
Where is your shop going to be?
Good luck with your business.
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Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
LOL! Of course you don't. You're a guy. The traditional demographic of gun shops everywhere. Nobody is going way out of their way to get your business because there are a million customers just like you and they already cater to that set.
BINGO! We've got a winner!
And that's something we're all working on changing -- and something that is ALREADY changing. The shops that are catching on that wave are -- and will continue to -- reap great rewards.
But it isn't just for the ladies. There is something very wholesome and welcoming about having a diverse staff. The more aware/in-touch guys will notice it, but every customer who comes in that door will benefit from the atmosphere shift that comes from a staff that doesn't all look, talk, and act the same -- and the same as you do. In 2012, the gun shop is no longer the dank, dingy domain of Henry P. Grogan and his ilk. It is no longer the "men's room" where a bunch of retirees sit in a haze of smoke around the old stove all day and give the evil eye -- or la sagesse de leurs ânes -- to anyone who braves their enclave. That's exclusive and you must be inclusive.
We can pretend that men and women (old/young, different races, etc.) are exactly the same and that a salesperson of one type is interchangeable with a salesperson of another type, but it isn't so and the money is there to be made by the shop which can recognize that and act on it.
Well...um, yes. Obviously. My point is, look for and pursue for hire any women you can find who are qualified to discuss guns, and have the other qualities needed for salesmanship. It will pay off over hiring just another guy, as good a salesman as he may be.
A sales job is all about personality and making relationships, however briefly. If you think that's gender neutral, you're not paying very close attention to the way the world works. Heck, even telephone sales is not gender neutral, by a LONG shot. Shoot, even PRINT ADS that just give you a web address to go to are not gender neutral.
Even if you are absolutely convinced that you are completely impervious to any change in habit, or demeanor, or purchasing decisions regardless of the sales staffer you're speaking with, fine. (No, you aren't...but for the sake of the discussion...ok.) The rest of the world is FAR from it. They can be turned off by a salesman who just doesn't connect with them or intimidates them, or bores them, or is too ugly (... sorry, it's true... or who is too attractive!) or who dresses poorly, or just looks at them funny. They can be very much energized and engaged by a sales person who really connects with them, who shares commonalities with them, and who helps them relate to the various products they are considering buying.
Give them the opportunity to approach a sales person they feel most comfortable talking with. All the guns aren't the same -- all the sales people shouldn't be either!
Women feel far more comfortable, quite often, discussing their needs, worries, hangups, interests, and goals with another woman than they would with almost any guy. (There's an angle there, but the forum isn't ready for it.) The double-whammy is, though, that GUYS react almost MORE positively to engaging and knowledgeable female sales staff. And it isn't just "sex sells." The reasons are probably too involved to get into here, but it just IS so.
Your salesmen and saleswomen represent your store and make the connections with the public that sell guns or don't sell guns. Having a really great lady or two on your sales staff will pay off HUGE.
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DefiantDad
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I totally agree women can (generally) feel more empathy with a woman gun salesperson, but after a few minutes of chatting, if the salesperson does not know what he or she is talking about, it can be disastrous for that particular sale, and subsequent reputation.
If the store is not busy, I would say a guy and girl partnering up to talk to a customer would be a great idea, but being careful not to come across as trying to double-team to get the sale, but just as a shared moment giving good advice to someone who has a problem to solve (ultimately involving the purchase of a firearm). Salespeople should be problem solvers, not problem makers.
If the store is not busy, I would say a guy and girl partnering up to talk to a customer would be a great idea, but being careful not to come across as trying to double-team to get the sale, but just as a shared moment giving good advice to someone who has a problem to solve (ultimately involving the purchase of a firearm). Salespeople should be problem solvers, not problem makers.
harrygunner
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A number of holsters set aside for "fit testing".
I've never seen a store do that, so can't say if it'd work. But, we all have a box of holsters we bought that didn't fit either us or the gun. Would have been nice to see, touch and try on before buying.
Advertising that feature could increase traffic.
I've never seen a store do that, so can't say if it'd work. But, we all have a box of holsters we bought that didn't fit either us or the gun. Would have been nice to see, touch and try on before buying.
Advertising that feature could increase traffic.
DefiantDad
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Did someone mention this already? I confess I did not read the entire thread in close detail:
A SENSE OF HUMOR IS CRUCIAL in my opinion. For owners and staff.
(Of course, it depends on the customer, but that is a general observation).
A SENSE OF HUMOR IS CRUCIAL in my opinion. For owners and staff.
(Of course, it depends on the customer, but that is a general observation).
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
That's an interesting idea. We did have a thread where we kicked it around viorously: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=621893
I must admit I didn't then (and really still don't) believe there's a safe and sane and profitable way to do that that really serves the gun buying public's needs.
However, I would actually be very happy to be proved wrong.
Pilotperk, that thread is worth a read. The idea is at least worth pondering. I sure wouldn't spend half the budget trying to make it work, but if you could pull it off, you'd have something pretty unique!
Swing
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drsfmd said:
Swing said:
I never said I'd expect to get a person on the line right way nor that it might take some time. I was talking about those companies that simple don't respond at all.
A drive to the LGS is almost a half-hour, both directions. I, like many in this area, aren't doing nearly an hour round trip for only a quote. I understand shops get busy or are closed and that's why we have voice mail and email. However, if a return call is too much to ask when its not so busy, there are plenty of other outfits that can get the sale.
fallout mike
Member
Drsfmd, what is the name of your gunshop? I have a friend that lives in Albany, NY and is looking for a better lgs. The ones he frequents now has nowhere close to $1,000,000 of gun inventory. He will be excited when I tell him about your place.
soonerfan85
Member
Our local Triumph dealer used to host rides on Saturdays to drive traffic into the store. If you do put in a range, maybe you could host informal shooting events for your new gun owners to help them feel more comfortable in the store and encourage them to shoot more. Maybe give an hour of free range time with each gun purchase? Make sure you have plenty of ammo in common calibers in stock at all times. Wal-Mart may be the devil but they have good prices on ammo; however, I'd rather pay $1 more a box at the LGS than have to shop at WM.
larryh1108
Member
fallout mike, if your buddy will drive 2 hours, Hoffman's near Hartford, CT is worth a trip. It's a WOW kind of store when you walk in.
http://www.hoffgun.com/
http://www.hoffgun.com/
leadcounsel
member
This is where I disagree.
How is it cutting your throat to accept $20 for just processing a few minutes worth of routine paperwork? What was he gonna make on that Glock anyway, $25? No inventory investments. No extra overhead to carry for 6 months...
I've heard this argument before, but when I've been in gun shops there are always hourly employees standing around not being busy. True they could be doing something, and that something could be entering FFL transfers. If you had an hourly employee that made $10 an hour and entered 5 FFL transfers every hour all day every day at $20 a piece, you'd spend $10 an hour and earn $90 and hour.
I realize you can't expect to maintain that, but you get the point. Even if you did only 1 per hour, or 8 per day, you'd pay for that employee just on your transfers and still make money.
When the margin on a handgun is only 5% as it is, $20 for a transfer is fair when you consider there's nearly no overhead behond what you already have. No inventory. No investment. You just receive it during business hours, log it, and then run the check on the buyer and log it out. You could do 50 of those every day and make a comfortable living with minimal investment. What gun shop would turn away $1000 a day just to process some paperwork, with no additional capital investments?
That was the baloney that I got from that FFL. Guess what. I took my money to the FFL down the street and he was tickled to get my business.
larryh1108
Member
I agree with leadcounsel but with a different angle. If I come in to pick up my transfer, I now have a gun I've been waiting for. I inspect it and now need some accessories. I'm in your shop, I see some holsters, extra mags, bore snake, ammo, etc and I'm already there and in the mood to accessorize. I now spend money on your most profitable stuff. IMO, only a fool would turn down someone handing me $20 to walk into my store to pick up an item that needs all kinds of stuff I have displayed for impulse sales. Usually you have to pay to get people into your shop and here they are, paying you for that pleasure. I just don't get it, I guess. What am I missing? You don't want a gun owner, with a new to him gun, in your shop with money in his pocket and a new mouth to feed? Please tell me how that makes sense.
Kynoch
member
Please do:
1.) Be genuinely friendly, positive and nice to customers. This might be challenging at times but it's a must.
2.) Be a good student, do your homework and don't pass on erroneous information.
3.) Offer convenience services like gun-cleaning/servicing that are not only appreciated, but they can be lucrative as well.
4.) Be good to the kids -- they are the future. Maybe offer a bare-bones single shot .22 at near cost to obvious newbies? Offer to buy it back at 50% of the sales price if the buyer keeps it in good condition and purchases their next gun from you. Encourage NRA membership.
5.) Be known as the shop that has ammo for just about anything.
Please do not:
1.) Be rude, ignorant or bigoted. I've had my fill of gun shops being "run" by ignorant and sometimes rude and bigoted people.
2.) Don't obsess about the negative aspects of gov't and gun control.
3.) Don't price gouge.
1.) Be genuinely friendly, positive and nice to customers. This might be challenging at times but it's a must.
2.) Be a good student, do your homework and don't pass on erroneous information.
3.) Offer convenience services like gun-cleaning/servicing that are not only appreciated, but they can be lucrative as well.
4.) Be good to the kids -- they are the future. Maybe offer a bare-bones single shot .22 at near cost to obvious newbies? Offer to buy it back at 50% of the sales price if the buyer keeps it in good condition and purchases their next gun from you. Encourage NRA membership.
5.) Be known as the shop that has ammo for just about anything.
Please do not:
1.) Be rude, ignorant or bigoted. I've had my fill of gun shops being "run" by ignorant and sometimes rude and bigoted people.
2.) Don't obsess about the negative aspects of gov't and gun control.
3.) Don't price gouge.
threefortyduster
Member
I just have one to throw up there, please stay open late one or two nights a week. Most of the LGS around me close at 5 and the one that is open late I refuse to deal with due to their yuppie attitude and prices to match. Unfortunately, that means for my late evening fix, I go and fondle at big box stores (I still buy at the LGS though, even if it means paying through the nose, which I've done more than once).
bikerdoc
Moderator In Memoriam
Transfers and consignment sales are a good profit center.
Ammo is the repeat sale. One local guy runs a sale every month on a different caliber.
do web sales.
Special orders, with money down
90 day layaway
Old timers behind the counter Preferably retired guys like me looking to make a little $ having fun
Carry extra mags for the guns you sell.
Good luck.
Ammo is the repeat sale. One local guy runs a sale every month on a different caliber.
do web sales.
Special orders, with money down
90 day layaway
Old timers behind the counter Preferably retired guys like me looking to make a little $ having fun
Carry extra mags for the guns you sell.
Good luck.
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