Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Simple Tech, Simple Sales I first met Bob Perry of Shooting Sports Pro Shops in Saint Augustine, Fla., while researching sales of laser sights. Perry was having difficulty selling internal guide rod laser sights by LaserMax, though he trusted and used them himself. He found that when it’s in the pistol, it’s not visible, and customers expressed negative feelings about a product they couldn’t see working. Then LaserMax produced an X-ray photo of their product in a pistol, clearly showing its position and function. Perry obtained the digital image and had it made into posters and into a weatherproof banner for use at gun shows. The X-ray attracted buyers’ attention and made it easy for Perry and his staff to explain. He identified four key features and benefits to highlight, and then four simple “talking points” to cover with potential buyers. Sales soared. Perry is now applying the same principles to two other tech products: SPOT Satellite Messenger and the SteriPEN UV (Ultra-Violet) water purifier. If you’re going to successfully sell tech products, Perry says, you need a structured approach. “You have to grab the customer’s attention, focus his interest without confusing him, and deliver an enthusiastic demonstration,” Perry said. SPOT Satellite Messenger is a palmsized device that pinpoints your location like a GPS, then transmits it to multiple parties, and even downloads waypoints along your route to Google Maps. Additionally, SPOT allows users to send messages via satellite to tell friends or family their exact location and “I’m okay,” “I need help,” or “Alert 911.” The customer purchases the unit, activates it online, and selects levels of services for a contracted period, similar to cellphone service. Perry calls this product “invaluable” to hunters, hikers, boaters, campers or just people who travel a lot. “Being able to tell your family exactly where you are and that you’re okay provides tremendous peace of mind,” Perry said. Perry has a distinct sale strategy for SPOT. “First, I place the display where every incoming customer can see it. Second, although SPOT displays are eyecatching and colorful, I print out copies of the global coverage map and a sample tracking map with several waypoints flagged. For my own display, I highwww.shootingindustry.com S The size of a fat cell phone, SPOT is a multi-function high-tech device that’s a hot seller! This X-ray image of a LaserMax internal laser sight prompted dealer Bob Perry to develop a structured and enthusiastic approach to selling tech products. Partners George Cavenas (left) and Bob Perry use a “structured approach” to selling high-tech products. SEPTEMBER 2008 35