Vol. 14 No. 6

June 17, 2014 

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Upcoming Events:

   

Shooting Industry Masters

July 17-19, 2014

Sebastian, FL


October 14-17, 2014

Little Rock, AR

 

NSSF Import/Export Conference

August 5-6, 2014

Washington, DC

 

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, 25th Annual Banquet & Auction 

September 10, 2014

Washington, DC

 

SHOT Show

January 20-23, 2015 

Las Vegas, NV

 

NRA 144th Annual Convention 

April 10-12,2015

Nashville, TN 

New Members:

   

Challenge Targets

Manufacturer/Importer 

 

CrossBreed Holsters

Manufacturer/Importer 

 

Mil-Comm Products

Manufacturer/Importer 

 

Pierce Munitions, LLC

Manufacturer/Importer 

 

PolyCase Ammunition

Manufacturer/Importer 

 

SIONICS Weapon Systems

Manufacturer/Importer

Services & Benefits:

 

 

Power of A
ChildSafe

Chairman's Commentary: June 2014

I've noticed with increasing frequency that the trade press and individuals mentioning the "new norm," "new normal" and "we are going to have to sell again." That means a whole lot of things for all of us. 

 

Whether is be a retailer, distributor or manufacturer, we probably should pay more attention to our business operations especially in the area of margin erosion.

 

Click here to read more 

President's Message: June 2014 

NASGW has launched a new logo and theme for its Annual Meeting and Expo scheduled for October 14-17, 2014 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, AR. As 2014 represents its 41st annual event, NASGW has established itself as the trade show for wholesale distributors and their industry supporters and providers.

 

Click here to read more 

How would you rate your company's ability to differentiate your products or services?

That's one of the questions passed to participants in NASGW's recent webinar on the topic, "3.5 Ways to Differentiate Your Products and Sell More" To see the results, click here.

In Memoriam

Nina Irene Baumler, W.L. Baumler Company, Lorain, Ohio. Contributions can be made in Irene's name to the Nina Irene Baumler Memorial Scholarship Fund, Lorain County Community College Foundation, 1005 North Abbe Rd., Elyria, Ohio 44035.

Registration is Open for the 2014 NASGW Expo & Annual Meeting

Exhibitors: The key contact for each exhibiting company should have received an email with the link to the Exhibitor Registration Portal, which included the username and password for your company. If you did not receive this information, please call NASGW Customer Service at (630) 596-9006.

 

Attendees: A valid email address is required. Be sure the email address entered matches the email address of the individual you are registering. Detailed instructions are provided on the first page of the registration site. Keep in mind you can return to the site at any time to update attendee names on your order.

 

Click here to read more

NASGW Donates to Industry Organizations

The NASGW Board of Directors, recently took several actions in support of industry organizations and causes including the approval of three donations on behalf of our member firms. 

 

A $25,000 donation has been made to the US Olympic Shooting Team, a $30,000 donation to NSSF's Project ChildSafe education program and a $50,000 donation to the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action).

 

Click here to read more

Congratulations to NASGW Members...
  • Team Remington's Shane Naylor on his win at the State Sporting Clays Title in Madison, NC
  • Team Hornady� Champions Doug Koenig and Jessie Duff on their wins at the 2014 World Action Pistol Championship, at Rockcastle Shooting Center, Park City, Ky.
  • Team Taurus Alex Larche and Jessie Duff at the Arkansas Section Handgun Championship near Little Rock, AR.
  • Taurus� Team Captain, Jessie Duff's first place finish at the 2014 World Action Pistol Championship, in Park City, Kentucky.
  • Sellmark Corporation recognized as a finalist for Innovation and Commitment for the 2014 Ernst & Young� Entrepreneur of the Year Southwest Region award.
  • Team Remington� Win at the 2014 Eastern Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Games, Honors Grand Senior Competitor Hendricks in Creedmoor, NC
  • Team Leupold� at the 2014 NRA World Action Pistol Championship with wins in the Men's, and Women's Divisions, and as a member of the world champion women's team at Trigger Time Gun Club in Fort Morgan, Colo. 
Do you have an announcement you'd like to share? Send them to [email protected].
If You Pull a Gun, Don't Be Afraid to Shoot - Recruitment of Sales Personnel and Retention

Two of the biggest issues facing the industry today are recruitment of sales personnel and retention. Problems in this area may not be due to bad hires or low unemployment rates. If they are related to bad hires then it means you don't fire well. You are not holding people accountable. If that's the case, it only stands to reason that you are probably overpaying a sizable portion of your sales force, as they are not performing as "A" players.

Click here to read more

Register, Stay Informed and GUNVOTE

On Election Day, every gun owner, hunter, and Second Amendment supporter must cast an informed ballot that prioritizes the protection of our rights. And the first step is making sure you are properly registered to vote. That's why we are providing this easy-to-use tool to fill out your application online, then simply print it out and put it in the mail. It's that easy. 

 

Don't risk your rights. REGISTER TO VOTE today. Keep yourself informed. And on Election Day -- GUNVOTE. Courtesy of NSSF

Articles of Interest
Here are this month's picks for articles of interest in best practices, sales & marketing and management:
 
Business Leader
  • How to rediscover your appetite for risk
    Too many companies get comfortable as they grow, writes Drew Marshall.
  • Do you know when to think outside the box?
    Most businesses try to solve problems with "default thinking" -- a systematic, rational approach that can work wonderfully when you're dealing with fixed, predictable situations, writes Shane Parrish. 
  • Why the best leaders forgive after being disappointed
    People will inevitably disappoint each other, but leaders must learn to forgive, writes Dan Rockwell. 
  • How to be a terrible leader
    There are plenty of examples of high-level leadership meltdowns, such as Topman brand director David Shepherd's description of his customers as "hooligans or whatever." Still, it doesn't take big public statements to ruin your credibility as a leader, argues Gary Sheard. 

Sales & Marketing

Operations & Technology
By the Numbers 
200
million

The estimated number of data records that were stolen during the first quarter of 2014, according to a new survey-a surge of 233 percent over the same period a year earlier.

 

Did you know...
  • Over $110 Billion-That's how much America's hunter and target shooters help fuel the US economy each year. Combined state, Local and federal taxes total over $15 billion. That annual figure is enough to pay 336,269 Firefighters.  
  • Gallup Oct 2011 "23% of all women own a gun" & "47% of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or elsewhere on their property"
  • Gallup Nov 2005 "13% of all women own a gun"

Courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

NAW Publications of the Month
Here are our picks for some helpful resources from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). NASGW members receive a discount off all NAW Publications.
What value do your customers provide to you?

"Customer Stratification: Best Practices for Boosting Profitability" is a first-of-its-kind study that provides groundbreaking research, best practices from 68 real wholesaler-distributors, and 20 practical action steps ready to implement. Rather than focus on sales force communication, this cutting-edge research focuses on customer relationships and the value customers provide to distributors. It looks at four customer stratification dimensions: buying power, customer loyalty, profitability, and cost-to-serve.

Order Brent Grover's bestseller: "In Search of the Perfect Customer"

"In Search of the Perfect Customer: Cost-to-Serve for Distributors," by Brent Grover, is available as a Kindle edition, a NOOK book, or iBooks edition. Or order a softcover edition from NAW. Wholesaler-distributors must protect their most profitable, high-growth potential customers and avoid squandering precious resources. If your company is overlooking opportunities to make money and stop profit leakage, read this book.

11 steps to creating and executing a winning strategy

Creating and executing a successful business strategy is every distribution leader's No. 1 job. Order best-selling Strategic Planning for Distributors: Execution Isn't Everything -- It's the Only Thing! It provides 11 proven best-practice strategy steps to apply to your business in this rapidly changing, competitive environment. It draws on more than two decades of distribution research with strategy execution secrets of successful wholesaler-distributors.

"Accurately gauging how people "feel" about an emotional topic is one of the toughest challenges for a reporter. It's one reason why I started following financial angles decades ago. Reporting on dollars and cents topics wasn't something I was equipped to do. But I found the simplest way to find answers to tough questions was easy: follow the money."

 

-- Jim Shepherd, Outdoor Wire, May 6, 2014

NASGW

NASGW is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, and independent sales reps - both national and international - all of whom are primarily involved with hunting and shooting sports equipment and accessories. For more information, visit www.nasgw.org

The articles that appear in InSight are chosen from a variety of sources to reflect media coverage in the publishing industry. An article's inclusion in InSight does not imply that NASGW endorses, supports, or verifies its contents or expressed opinions. Factual errors are the responsibility of the listed publication. 

 

COPYRIGHT � 2014 by National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). and the individual authors of the materials contributed or referenced in InSight. Permission is granted for the broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, websites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, of NASGW copyrighted material herein if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged.

 

Permission to use third party copyrighted material must be obtained separately from the individual authors. The "National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers", "NASGW", InSight and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are the sole property of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers and may not be used without the Association's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.