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. light four selling points, like ‘Easier to use than GPS!’ ‘Works where there’s no cellphone service!’ ‘Pinpoint your position anywhere, anytime!’ and ‘Send ‘I’m right here and I’m okay’ messages to friends and family!’” Perry also has four talking points he goes over with customers. “First, go over the four function buttons — on/off, check okay, non-emergency help needed, and emergency 911. Second, battery replacement and conserving power; third, how to activate SPOT on- line, and fourth, the levels of services you can purchase,” Perry said. Perry says the SPOT user’s manual is simply written and is an excellent reference. Visit www.findmespot.com for more information. Perry employs the same strategy for selling SteriPEN, a compact, lightweight water purifier that uses ultraviolet radiation. He places a SteriPEN on the counter with a Nalgene water bottle. A Sure Sale New this summer, the SteriPEN Protector has passed several military test protocols and may soon become “issue gear” for U.S. troops. “Right away,” Perry said, “the SteriPEN and the half-full Nalgene bottle stimulate curiosity. Customers wonder what it’s about.” Perry calls the SteriPEN “a huge breakthrough in water purification.” He finds that it appeals to the same broad consumer base SPOT does, plus it appeals to people who store water for emergencies. It’s important to place tech items like this where they’ll get immediate attention, according to Perry. “Customers can have the demo in their hands while reading the packaging. SteriPEN not only has eye-catching packaging, but they’ve already highlighted four marketing points right on the front — ‘Fast, Light, Easy and Effective’ — with a short statement explaining each one. Then, the back of the package covers literally everything you and the customer need to know about the product,” Perry said. All that’s left for Perry to do is a demonstration. Press one button, and 48 seconds later, you have 16 ounces of purified water. Perry calls it “easy” — and a sure sale! Perry says the best thing about tech items is, they don’t compete with other products you stock. “If someone comes in to buy a firearm or ammunition, they won’t buy a tech product instead; they’ll just add something like SPOT or SteriPEN to their purchase,” Perry said. Visit www.steripen.com for more information. No Tech Too Complex To Sell! W hile SPOT and SteriPEN are excellent examples of high-tech products that are simple and low cost, night-vision devices (NVDs) can be extraordinarily complicated and have prices ranging up to several thousand dollars. Despite this, many skilled users of NVDs understand very little of the electronics and physics involved. According to Steve Roe, owner of Optics Plus in Fort Dodge, Iowa, therein lies a message for dealers: You don’t have to know all the science and theory to sell them successfully. Roe is also one of the biggest distributors of ATN — American Technologies Network — night-vision devices. He says you don’t have to carry a lot of expensive stock. “Most of the smaller retail dealers I supply keep only a few selected models on display. I help them identify the right product to meet the customer’s needs, and often drop-ship direct to the buyer. The SEPTEMBER 2008 dealer makes his profit, and time and money is saved all around. It’s that simple,” Roe said. Dealers can easily get lost in the details of NVDs, Roe said, but some aspects can be simplified. “For example, the differences between generations (Gen-1 through Gen-4) can seem very complex,” Roe said. “Just think of them in terms of range — how far you can see effectively in the dark. Gen-1 gear usually goes out to 50 yards, and so on, with Gen-4 giving you the greatest clarity at the longest distance.” A basic education can be gained online. Visit Roe’s Web site at www.opticsplus. net and click on “Learn More About Night Vision.” ATN’s Web site at www.atncorp. com is also a good resource for terminology and other valuable information. Bushnell’s ONIX 350 GPS, with a 3.5" color LCD screen, has the ability to download high-resolution digital satellite photography and topo maps. www.shootingindustry.com 36