Success Stories

Premium Partner Success Story: Backdoor Angler in Delta, Utah

From Baits to Bullets

Many retailers lose sleep when business isn’t good. LeeAnne Massa and her husband, Rob, have been losing sleep, too, but it’s not because business is bad. In fact, it’s double-digit growth that is causing them to depend a little more on coffee.

Long-distance commerce is one of the reasons the store is doing well, Massa said. Along with drawing customers from nearby states, the Angler is able to market product over the Internet. “It’s important to link up with the right manufacturer be it an ATK or Browning,” Massa says. For example, Backdoor Angler is the top listing for Browning retailers in Utah.

On the site, there is a link to the Backdoor Angler Web site plus an e-mail address. “We’re real good at responding quickly to e-mail and can ship off product within 24 hours,” Massa said.

“Our number one piece of advice (to other dealers) is to maintain a strong relationship with the manufacturers,” Massa said. If a retailer does a good job of representing the manufacturer’s products to consumers then the manufacturer will do as much as possible to help them sell more merchandise.

Also, call the tech support departments from the various manufacturers so you can provide your customers with the most accurate and up-to-date information, Massa recommended.

This information will help you in your never-ending struggle of staying one step ahead of the competition. Massa said she is continually trying to educate her six employees so that they can provide better service to customers. “It is important to stay up on the new stuff,” she said. “Read the information your customers are reading and more.”

Keeping in contact with the technicians at the manufacturers is important because many customers are often misinformed about a product’s performance. They may hear something wrong or read something somewhere that they misinterpret. Then they will come into the store with questions. The better informed your staff is the better job they will do correcting this misinformation, she said.

“We ask for a lot of input from customers,” Massa noted, saying that the store always tries to follow through with requests. “If they ask us for something, we’ll try to get it.”

It boils down to giving the customer what he or she wants. That’s why the store puts an emphasis on changing its displays seasonally. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, archery or paintball season, they will decorate and promote accordingly. That way customers can come in and find what they want quickly and be on their way.

And, finally, when it comes to service remember the Golden Rule, Massa said. Treat others are you’d like to be treated. With that you can keep them coming back instead of checking out the competition. And you, too, can grow your business by double digits – even in a down economy.