With the rise of social media and digital marketing, content development has increased dramatically. A whole lot of content, actually. So, with all of this content, how do you make yourself stand out in the crowd? How do you rise above the noise to make yourself heard and earn yourself loyal customers? You produce good, helpful, and educational digital content that is both useful to your customers and establishes yourself as the go-to source for potential customers. People want to feel good about their purchases and know they are buying from someone they can trust and relate to. Providing helpful content is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and initiate that relationship before they walk through your door or make that online purchase.

Our NASGW member wholesalers are an integral part of the shooting sports supply chain. They act as a buyer from manufacturers and a supplier for retailers, but their impact extends a lot further. They are a resource for both ends of the distribution channel and a true partner in the business. They keep product moving and play a huge role in financing. We want to make sure you, as a dealer, are leveraging your partnerships, therefore, here are a few questions that you should be asking your NASGW wholesalers. Some of these you may already know the answers to, and some you may have never considered. 

2018 has seen a steady stream of legislation passed in individual states that continues to further reduce products available for sale and purchase by firearms owners.  This summer, two more states have prohibited not only bump stocks, trigger cranks, and the like, but also binary triggers as well which have been widely distributed to date. 

As August winds down and we move into September there are some big changes on the horizon; kids are going back to school, football season is kicking off, temperatures start to cool and hunting seasons are right around the corner.  I always look forward to this time of year as the fall business cycle swings into gear with dealers stocking up and consumers gearing up for fall.  Of course, the NASGW Expo is only a few weeks away as well and the NASGW team is busy putting together the final details for the Expo.  I’m sure your calendars are already filling up for meetings at the Expo but there are a few things we don’t want you to forget about.

On August 9, members of the Delaware and Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucuses gathered with state officials and conservation partners for a regional policy forum and suppressor/air rifle demonstration at Schrader's Outdoors in Henderson, Maryland.

Other attendees included officials from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; staff from the Pennsylvania Game Commission as well as Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; conservation partners; and secretaries from Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Governor John Carney’s (DE) cabinet for a policy forum and demonstration on firearm suppressors and air rifles.

I had the exceptional privilege recently to pay a visit to some of America’s greatest landmarks, parks and forests. We are truly blessed to have had leaders with the foresight and understanding that some of these rare and wild places needed protecting.

At the NASGW, we foster some of the strongest relationships between wholesalers and manufacturers. The relationships formed grow and continue to grow as our members add value for each other. These relationships are absolutely critical to keep the shooting sports industry moving forward. Hear what some of our manufacturers have to say about the relationships they have formed with our wholesaler members and what these relationships mean to them. 

Each year our team at NASGW walks the show floor to meet new exhibitors and check in with long time exhibitors. We really try to listen and understand how their year is going but more specifically, how their time at the Expo is going. Manufacturers who have been attending the show for years and have established relationships with NASGW wholesalers are usually pretty busy with sales meetings yet the newer manufacturer members are anxious to connect with as many wholesalers as possible. Over the years we've identified a few things that will help exhibitors have a more productive Expo.

Wow, the end of July. Can you believe it? The “dog days of summer” are upon us and in Texas, that means hot temperatures, which we’ve had no shortage of in recent weeks. The other day as I was driving back to Waco on another triple-digit day with the AC blasting I passed a billboard that said: “Opportunity Awaits.” It probably said more but that was the part that caught my eye. My immediate thought was an opportunity for a cold front, or even rain would be welcomed right now, but something about that billboard stuck in my head. What opportunity were they referring to and what were they advertising? How would I know when I encounter “the opportunity?” Regardless of what this billboard was selling, it was definitely thought-provoking.