Optics smart: focus on education and generate sales!

Shooting Industry, June, 2007 by Carolee Anita Boyles

In optics sales, what you don't know will hurt your business. Optics have a high mystery factor. What makes one model work better than another? Which reticle is best? What is phase-correction? Can you explain parallax? Why the often drastic difference in selling prices?

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"If the sales person behind the counter doesn't really understand the optics category, he has a tendency to grab for the least expensive item first," said Sven Harms, vice president of sales and marketing for Steiner Binoculars. "That really keeps revenue dollars out of the dealer's cash register that he could have gotten."

Tim Faust, national sales manager for Carson Optical, says optics often look alike on the outside, but they can be really different on the inside, whether the difference is coating, magnification or objective lens size. Add all the different ways outdoorsmen use optics and it becomes even more complicated.

"For example, in the Northeast where I live, a lot of us hunt with 8x binoculars because we're not looking great distances," Faust said. "However, if you're out in Wyoming or Montana, you may be using 10x or even 12x binoculars because you're hunting over very long distances."

And, customers expect you to be an expert.

"It's important that you really know what you're talking about so you can meet the needs of the consumer," said Frank Devlin, national sales manager for Steiner.

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Meeting that need is profitable.

"Margins on optics generally range from the 15-percent range up to around the 22-percent range," Devlin said. "At Steiner we target our margins up in the 30-percent range."

Optics knowledge also gives a dealer an edge, regardless of the economics of a market area.

"Even a small dealer can draw in affluent customers if he has expertise," Harms said. "Once a retailer is educated about optics, and the word gets out--that's what brings people through the door."

Leupold Celebrates 100 Years

This year, Leupold & Stevens celebrates its 100th anniversary.

"Ultimately, we could not have reached this centennial without the entire Leupold family--the employees who provide the inspiration and dedication to building what many consider the best sporting optics in the world," said Tom Fruechtel, Leupold president and CEO. "I know the founders would be pleased with the success we have worked so hard to achieve."

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To celebrate its 100th year, Leupold has introduced Gold Ring Binoculars, with Switch/Power Technology; VX-7 Riflescopes, with Xtended Twilight Lens System and SpeeDial adjustments; and Boone and Crockett Edition Rangefinders and Binoculars.

Happy anniversary, Leupold! Visit www.leupold.com.

Optics Education On The Web

Many optics companies provide valuable training and assistance to help dealers increase sales. In addition, they offer excellent--and immediate--educational materials on their Web sites.

If you want to increase your optics sales today, sign onto the Web sites of the optics companies whose products you carry. Examine--study--the information, and print it for distribution to your sales forces. You and your team will gain confidence and, more important, sales.

Here is a sampling of Internet sites where you can gain an Optics PhD.

Alpen Outdoor Corp: www.alpenoutdoor.com -- On home page, click "Terminology."

Barska: www.barska.com -- On home page, click "Support" for downloadable resources, including a terminology dictionary.

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Burris Co: www.burriscompany.com -- On home page, click "Ballistic Plex, Ballistic Mil-Dot and Lighted Reticles" for an explanation of how the reticles work. Or, scroll down and click "Dealers Resources" for a password-protected section with information for dealers.

Bushnell: www.bushnell.com -- On each product page, click the "Tech Talk" tab.

Carson Optical: www.carson-optical.com -- On home page, click "FAQs." Also, click "Binocular Report Results from Independent Laboratory Test."

CenterPoint Precision Optics: www.centerpointoptics.com -- On home page, click "Terminology."

Horus Vision: www.horusvision.com -- On home page, click "Demos" or "Manuals."

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Kahles North America: www.kahlesoptik.com -- On home page, click "EnglishNorthAmerica," then "Support."

Kowa Optimed: www.kowa-usa.com -- On home page, scroll down and click "Document Download Center."

Leica Sport Optics: www.leicacamera.com -- On home page, click "English," "USA," then "Downloads."

Leupold & Stevens: www.leupold.com -- On home page, scroll to the bottom and click "Resources."

Meopta USA: www.meopta.com -- On home page, scroll to the bottom and click "Downloads."

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Minox USA: www.minox.com -- On home page, click "Hunting Optics," then a product category.

Nikon: www.nikonsportoptics.com -- On home page, scroll down and click "Optics from A to Z."

Redfield Optics: www.redfieldoptics.com -- On home page, click "Technology."

Sightron: www.sightron.com -- On home page, click "ExacTrack." Also click on "Subscribe to our Newsletters."