Archery Business: University 2011
Archery University 2011 archeryBUSINESS 55 she knew left the store, remembered one last question, and stepped back inside without the worker noticing her. She was hurt and shocked to hear the things he was telling customers about her, and women in general.What About Bill?In many ways, though, an antagonistic worker is easier to handle than male customers who want their girlfriend, wife or daughters to shoot or bowhunt with them, but lack the patience or understanding to help while they learn. Butler said this is tricky, because no store should want an "Us vs. Them" atmosphere, and she certainly doesn't want to do that in her Shoot Like a Girl programs. "You walk a \037 ne line, be- cause many women who want to try archery wouldn't be in the store or at our event if their father or male companion hadn't brought them," she said. "Men are a large reason why female participation is growing. We didn't get here by ourselves. In most cases, someone was pulling us along. That's why we want to make male cus- tomers feel important, and a necessary part of the store and our program."However...Butler also said men sometimes try too hard and move too fast when dealing with \036 edgling archers and bowhunters in their families. Some-WHEN KAREN BUTLER AND HER CREW work with women at Shoot Like a Girl's "Test Flight" events, they try to help women decide which bow is right for them. They work one-on-one with each shooter to carefully check their likes and dislikes in three key areas for each bow. What are those three key items? The \037 rst thing is the grip. "It's just a quick, easy place to start," Butler said. "Sure, on most bows they can always change the grip later, but why buy something you have to change? We encourage them to get something that's right for them, right from the start." The second thing is the bow's draw cycle. "How does it feel when they pull it back?" Butler said. "There are some bows out there that are set for lighter draw weights than my hunting bows, but when I draw them, it's like, 'Holy Toledo, I can't pull this bow back.' Every bow feels like it has a different draw cycle, so we make sure they pull it back a few times." The third thing is the bow's physical weight and how it feels when they hold it out with their bow arm. "We ask them how it feels out there and how it feels at full draw, and then we start going back through all three things again; rechecking each step and making comparisons. By the end of it, we're asking what they liked about each bow and what didn't they like, and then we start eliminating bows from their consideration. We eventually get to the point where there isn't anything they disliked about a bow. They liked everything. That's the bow we recommend they buy."WHAT WOMEN LIKE IN A BOW times girls and women need a place where they can develop their archery skills without help from their "signi\037 cant male." "I don't let boyfriends or husbands come into the 'Test Flight' area during our events," Butler said. "They can be intimidating without realizing it, and our intent is to give women the con\037 dence to make their own decision and get the bow they want. "Archers can also be very product-loyal. Be-fore we even start, guys will say they want her to try Brand X or Model Y, even if Brand X or Model Y isn't right for her. That's when I have to talk to them and ask why they're here and what's their goal. Do they want her to have an activity she can do with them the rest of your lives, or is their goal simply to get more logo-\037 lled apparel for them- selves? Of course, they deny that, so then she and I start going through the process."Ladies' NightWhen women \037 rst start shooting archery, they might also enjoy the experience more if they're shooting alone or with other women. Many of them aren't interested in competitive leagues, and they have too many other commitments to shoot on a \037 xed schedule. Jen MacBride, who owns and manages The Archer's Edge archery store in Oakdale, Pennsyl- vania, with her husband, Steve, said she tries to limit the number of men on the range during La-dies' Night, especially if they're "signi\037 cant others." "I like to shoot with the girls, and if any of them asks for help, I'm happy to give it," she said. "That's why I'm there. We don't want their boyfriends or husbands hanging around that night, be-cause they tend to quickly jump in when they see their wives doing something wrong or different. They might have the ability and education to pass along their knowledge, but so many guys don't have the patience to teach their wives. That can intimidate them. The girls don't feel intimidated when I work with them." MacBride agrees with Butler, however, that men are usually the bridge that brings women into archery and bowhunting. "I think it helps having me in the store because I'll be shooting, and guys often ask, 'If I bring in my wife, will you teach her to shoot?' I always say yes, and I do my best to accommodate their schedule." MacBride also \037 nds that many women would rather shoot on "Ladies' Night" than in a "Women's League," even though they're the same thing. "Time after time, when we asked women if BROWNING Full Curl Pant for Her Jen MacBride 050-057_women.indd 55 5/19/11 4:11:45 PM
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