December 3, 2019

VIDEO: Concealed Carry Sales – Go Beyond the Gun

By Shari LeGate, FMG Publications

There’s more to conceal carry than just the firearm, so be prepared to go beyond the gun, particularly with the first time concealed carry customer.

Must-read articles:

https://www.nssf.org/focus-on-first-time-ccw-customers/

https://www.nssf.org/self-defense-sales-beyond-the-gun/

A Growing Market

In 2018, the number of concealed carry permits soared to over 17.25 million. An increase of 275% since 2007, with 7.14% of American adults owning permits. Add to that the 14 states who have instituted constitutional carry and those numbers increase substantially.

This is a segment of the market that keeps growing and growing and for the retailer, those are customers who are easy to find and easy to reach because the conceal carry customer is your everyday citizen. It’s the person who wants to protect themselves and their families.

Understand Your Customer

There’s more to conceal carry than just the firearm, so be prepared to go beyond the gun, particularly with the first time concealed carry customer. Listen to what your customer has to say, find out what their needs are and understand their reason for wanting to carry.

The main criteria for selecting the proper handgun is its intended use and when the intended use is for personal defense, the selection process is just beginning. The new conceal carry customers will have many questions and understanding their requirements will lead to sales of more than just the gun.

Show Customers their Options

As a retailer, you have an opportunity to provide education, information and sales of accessories that will benefit the personal defense customer. Whether it’s concealed or open carry, have holsters ready to recommend, even if the holster is only used at the range. Have a good representative group of Inside the Waistband or Outside the Waistband holsters ready for them to try.

Reinforce the importance of safety. Even when the firearm purchased is for conceal carry, there will be times when the gun will not be on their person and they’ll need a place to securely store it.

Explain the difference between a large home gun safe as a central location for all guns and a smaller sized safe that holds one to two handguns that can be kept at the side of the bed or in an office. And don’t overlook secure storage for inside a vehicle.

Ammo and Accessories

For ammunition, the caliber will be clear, but advancements over the last few years have increased ballistic performance and manageable recoil. Find out the experience of your customer, explaining the differences in ammunition and present all the options.

Be sure to let your customers know of all the accessories available to them. Don’t miss an opportunity to provide spare magazines, night sights, replacement grips, magazine extensions and flashlights for those who don’t like lasers mounted on their handgun and remember to explain about cleaning supplies and proper range gear.

Offer non-lethal options as well, such as pepper sprays, keychain alarms, blinding personal lights, and earsplitting whistles. These all have a place in the personal defense arsenal of products.

Adding to your conceal carry sales is easy when you’re prepared to go beyond the gun. Instead of focusing on promoting products, position your store as an educational resource through the quality of the instruction and knowledge of best practices when it comes to carrying concealed.

For information on selling concealed carry and much more, visit nssf.org/retailers.