Success in the sale of firearms and ammunition comes when you can demonstrate expertise about your products, work to make compliance and safety your highest priorities and create a marketing model that attracts a robust stream of customers. But exactly how do you go about understanding your audience so that you can cater to them? If you want to increase profits and pave the way toward a dynamic and flourishing company, one way to gauge consumers is to understand whether you are a “tribetailer” or a niche retailer.

Tribetailing explained.

As the name implies, this term refers to selling products or services to a certain group of people, all of whom are connected to each other, to a leader, and to a specific set of ideas. These tribes even have their own unique jargons and ways of communicating, and their unified set of desires and priorities make marketing to them easy.

As a firearms merchant, you would be a tribetailer if you are making sales to a hunting party with a stated purpose and a recognized authority figure, for instance. Most likely, your product offerings would be narrow, but you would be able to count on a steady stream of profits from this type of loyal customer cohort once they felt comfortable with your brand and sales practices.

Niche retailing explained.

Niche marketing involves selling products to audiences that are small, specific, and well-defined. Unlike tribes, these consumers do not necessarily espouse the same ideology or have a single leader. Companies wishing to adopt niche retailing need to understand the niche or subset of firearms consumers they want to attract, taking their needs, desires, and shopping behaviors into careful consideration.

Niches can be defined by numerous factors, including geographic location, interests, or values, demographic data, quality level (premium, medium, low-end), or price. In the firearms sector, for instance, you could market your products to niche consumers such as women seeking self-defense training, young target-shooters, or people wanting to buy or sell antique guns and accessories.

Setting up your firearms store for success.

After analyzing your potential customer base, you probably have a good idea of whether they represent a tribe or a niche. With this knowledge under your belt, you can begin to curate your products and services to fit with your prospective clients’ profiles.

If you haven’t thought about payment processing yet, this is another vital element that you need to lock down before you can make your first sale. Because you are in the firearms sector, you will need to apply for a high-risk merchant account, ideally from a provider with expertise in your industry.

There are a few realities to understand as you select your high-risk payment processor from numerous competitors. For one thing, expect the application process to take more time. The vendor will likely also ask you for additional documentation before approving you. Additionally, accept that you will pay larger per-transaction costs and may be subject to other fees and requirements throughout your relationship with the company.

Before cementing any agreements, be sure the company does the following.

• Has demonstrated connections in the firearms industry, including with friendly banks.
• Is transparent in its pricing and descriptions of your obligations.
• Allows for multiple ways for customers to pay.
• Makes security and regulatory compliance a priority.
• Has prompt, available and reliable customer service.

Now that you know who your customers are, what they want and how to market to them and have decided upon a merchant account provider, it’s time to take the next steps. Carefully plan strategies to market to your desired client base, and establish your credibility on social media through strong content and compelling product demos. Ultimately, this careful planning will give you the building blocks upon which you can build a profitable firearms business.