A Perfect Fit for National Shooting Sports Month
by Philip Massaro
In the midst of the Des Moines metro area, the CrossRoads Shooting Sports gun shop and range allows many people to learn, practice, train and shop for the latest and greatest firearms and associated gear. At the helm of CrossRoads is Tom Hudson, a man who is much more than just a salesman, a man who takes a modern, open-minded approach to his store in order to best serve his wide variety of customers.
CrossRoads Shooting Sports has a contemporary 17-lane shooting bay, expansive retail store and offers a variety of gunsmithing services. A well-developed class curriculum is backed by a staff of instructors who can handle all levels of shooters.
“We absolutely love to embrace the community, listening to the needs of the customer rather than simply pushing what we enjoy,” Hudson said. “And with a store the size of ours—we have over 17,000 square feet—we have a lot to offer.” That sentiment extends particularly to its class offerings, he told me, saying, “Our instructional team focuses on CCW classes and home-defense situations, and with the 35,000-plus people we’ve had through the shop, I’m proud of our curriculum.”
A Perfect Fit for National Shooting Sports Month
Hudson takes a variety of approaches to bringing shooters into the store, and some are rather innovative.
“We started a Friday night ‘date night,’ where couples come in to enjoy shooting together, and it has worked out very well,” Hudson related. “We also routinely host family and corporate events centered around shooting.”
It was those functions that made CrossRoads a perfect fit for the NSSF’s® National Shooting Sports Month®. “We completely appreciate the NSSF, for both its gigantic presence and organizational skills. The organization is a valuable asset for shooters across the country.”
To help get that message out, last year Hudson launched his ‘Christmas in August,’ with a holiday shopping feel added to the CrossRoads shop.
“To help celebrate National Shooting Sports Month, we offered attractive discounts on certain items, as well as incentives on our gift cards and reduced-price lessons. Customers who would help with the social media push—such as hashtags and tagged photos to help promote National Shooting Sports Month—received further discounts. It made a huge difference in our social media presence.”
Social Media Returns Dividends
Hudson went on to explain that his already large social media following grew considerably as a result of pairing with NSSF for the month-long event.
“We saw a definite difference in the response to our other fall events,” he said.
Hudson keeps a close eye on his company’s image, as well as its presence in the social media world.
“I come from a background in analytics, so while not all responses to a social media push may be immediately evident, I can tell when the effects of exposure translate to customers through the door and seats filled in the classroom,” Hudson stated. “We love reaching people, as well as seeing more and more new faces wanting to learn firearms safety.”
Hudson went onto explain that CrossRoads Shooting Sports, being the first major shooting range in the Des Moines metro area, does all it can to maintain a positive presence among the Iowa State Legislature on the political end of things, as well as doing public events that highlights the fun and excitement of the shooting sports to the community at large.
“We work with a local radio station, WHO AM1040, where Ronald Reagan was once a broadcaster back in the 1930s, for events like a machine gun shoot, an we’ll use radio celebrities, anything to reach out to the community. CrossRoads is a Christian company, and our goal is to reach others in a positive way,” Hudson explained.
NSSF is Central to Outreach
He also credits NSSF for its outreach, especially with events like National Shooting Sports Month that get new people involved and lax shooters participating again, as well as its leadership in firearms safety.
“NSSF is a fantastic for reaching people, it’s just what they do, and I am happy to have CrossRoads Shooting Sports affiliated with it. Between National Shooting Sports Month and its other big programs like Project ChildSafe®, I am proud to have CrossRoads Shooting Sports affiliated with such a prestigious organization. I am most definitely looking forward to August 2019, when we can get into the spirit of National Shooting Sports Month again. I’m not sure what Crossroads will do for this year, but we definitely are going to be involved,” Hudson emphatically stated.