Archery Business Jan-Feb 2012
KNIGHT HALE 40TH ANNIVERSARY So You Want Call A fter reading our feature on Harold Knight and David Hale you likely picked up some valuable insight into becoming a successful call maker Or did you Answer these True or False statements as you believe Knight and Hale would Answers below QUESTIONS answer True or False 1_____ Its important to take an academic rather than a practical approach to hunting Simply reading up on what motivates deer and turkeys saves valuable time acquiring proper in the eld experience today takes way too long 2_____ It doesnt matter what works in the woods Whats important is what works at the sales counter After all its hunters not game animals who buy your product 3_____ How a call sounds is not as important as how it looks Flashy is better than functional Great packaging trumps consistently realistic animal sounds every time 4_____ Do what it takes Business is a last man standing or end justi es the means game If your partner screws up take the money and run Its the American way 5_____ There aint no such thing as a free lunch Life is a zero sum game Dont give anything away If you give it away you cant sell it valu To Be A Maker ANSWERS 1 False Harold Knight and David Hale grew up hunting in rural Kentucky They continue to hunt avidly and have made sure that their families are sensitive to the outdoor lifestyle Reading is an excellent way to stay abreast of research but nothing beats hands on experience in a ground blind or on a treestand 2 False Sure you sell to hunters but deer and turkeys ducks and elk purchase a call in a very direct manner by responding to it While technique is important and some would say vital a poor quality game K H Hands Free Soft Grunter call or one that only sounds ne over the sales counter will always produce inferior results 3 False Good packaging and good product design certainly help sell game calls but if a call is defective or produces poor quality sound brand loyalty drops like a rock Even though they sold their company to Pradco in 1996 Harold and David remain intimately involved in product development and testing 4 False This may be the Wall Street Way but it was not the way Harold and David structured their lives in Kentucky After 40 years working and hunting together Harold still refers to David as a best friend Sales Manager Jim Strelec says the company was built on trust among the principals and that relationship has been fundamental to their success 5 False Jim Strelec says they didnt sell calls within about 50 miles of home in Cadiz Kentucky believing that generosity spreads in good will Both Harold and David recognize that jockeying for position with the chain stores is a chess match but they maintain that the Golden Rule guides their business decisions
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
