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Dealers: How to Get Involved and Promote Archery Locally
 In
the 1970's a sticker was prominent in the archery business that said, "Fred
Bear showed me how". Today's archery retailers can take notes from
Bear, after all he was a master of getting archery in the media and in
front of people from all walks of life. He wanted everyone pulling
a string.
In order to keep archery growing we must increase our efforts aimed
at getting young people involved. The new ARCHERY IN SCHOOLS program
is one great step in turning the tide and bringing more young people into
the sport.
If you want to see your business grow you must first help archery grow.
My father built his retail archery business on this principle. In
the 1970's I can remember Pop taking time to do shooting exhibitions at
local schools, 4-H camps, and scout activities.
These type of shows can be done without much cost and basically you
have your time and the gas to get to the venue. You don't have to
be a master at public speaking either, just keep it simple and let your
shooting speak for itself.
Safety is a must---never ever take risks or shoot anything off
anyone's head. If the event is outdoors be sure and make certain
the area is safe and that there is plenty of room for an archery demonstration.
If it is indoors I advise shooting low poundage and using a net system
that will stop the arrows if a nok breaks.
You can pop balloons---kids love that. Another good shot
is to place an arrow in the target, tie a tennis ball to a string and hang
it from the nok end of that arrow. Swing the ball and shoot at it.
You can also use a Lifesaver for this shot to close the demo. Pop
used to take a blow dryer, place it on its base and then shoot a ping pong
ball off the air current. These are a few shots that are fairly simple
but look great in front of a crowd. They will be impressed that you
can hit the items but don't worry if you get nervous and miss a shot or
two. That happens to the best of us. Trust me on this one.
You can also take along a few Mathews GENESIS bows to help the kids
try archery after your demo. This is a great tool to help them get
hands on experience. Use balloons though rather than a flat bulls
eye target---kids like a 3-D style target and love to hear the balloon
"pop". I seldom use a flat bullseye targets with new shooters.
They can focus easier on a balloon plus it build confidence.
When Pop was doing his demonstrations in the 1970's he did not use any
store banners or signs. The shop name was on his shirt and he had
business cards to hand out if they asked. He knew that if the kids
took up archery sooner or later they would find their way into his shop.
If archery grew his store would grow.
Keep your demo simple and brief. Don't let it drag on-young people
have a short attention span. If the media shows up chances are they
will want a few seconds of shooting and maybe a brief interview.
Another good rule of thumb is to keep your language clean. You want
to present archery in its best form. If you chew tobacco or smoke, do it
after the show when you are away from the venue. Fred Bear always
kept his hunting videos pretty clean. After all, you want to attract
people into the sport, not drive them away. Another note, if you
take along hunting photos make sure they are done with taste and class.
I've carried water in buckets a long way to clean up game for a good photo.
In addition to schools you can also be a big help at 4-H, scout and
church camps. You can do a demo and also help teach an archery class.
These camps are usually in the early summer months before the archery business
gets going so time isn't a problem.
If you like to speak you can also volunteer to speak at Rotary Club,
Lion's Club and other related luncheons. These types of organizations
are always looking for good lunch speakers. Remember to put archery's
best foot forward and emphasis the total outdoor experience---not just
the harvest of a trophy animal. Focus on the scent of a warm campfire,
beauty of an autumn morning from your favorite treestand, etc. You
get the general idea. Remember this is a lunch meeting.
When dealing with the media always remember that archery is a year round
family sport. There are 3-D tournaments, indoor target shooting,
bowhunting, and shooting for fun in the back yard. You will enjoy
more media coverage if you do not try and make it a commercial ad for your
pro shop.
As stated earlier, if archery grows we all grow!
Promote archery and in the long run it will pay off. Fred Bear
and my dad showed me how, and 33 years later I am still shooting!
Until next time, God Bless...
Frank Addington, Jr.
www.frankaddingtonjr.com
Drop me a line at Aspirinbuster@aol.com
and I'll email you back.
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SEND ME YOUR INDUSTRY NEWS, LATEST ADVENTURES, OR JUST A QUICK NOTE.
AMANDA AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! Email: Aspirinbuster@aol.com
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