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Dear Outdoor Companies - Your "Agency" May Be Costing You a LOT of Money...

Dear shooting, hunting and outdoor related companies… Your marketing agency may be costing you money. 

Lots of it. 

 Dear agencies that operate in the shooting hunting and outdoor industry… You are losing a ton of money for you and your clients… 

 You know, just when I think I can't be more surprised about something, something happens that brings me another paradigm shift. 

 

We are several weeks out from the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade show (the SHOT Show)  where I personally met with hundreds of people representing numerous businesses, agencies, manufacturers, and other related professionals. 

 Many people know that I work as a freelance marketing consultant, but what many are not aware of is that I regularly refer clients to marketing agencies and am often referred to an agency by a prospective client. 

 Last year those referrals from me were worth somewhere in the $200,000-$300,000 range. 

 I don't know about you, but to me that's a fair amount of money. 

 Imagine my surprise, then, when emails and messages to multiple agencies have not been returned despite numerous attempts to contact. 

 I also find that the "crossover" agencies ( The ones that are mainly in the "green" space but cross over to "hook and bullet") are often the biggest violators to this protocol.  

 Now, the particular agency in this example is not one of those types, and is one that I have known and that certainly knows me. 

 I never intentionally try and get anybody into trouble, but there comes a point where my due diligence in contacting you has been done. 

 I'll always do my best to never waste anyone's time- therefore, I expect the same in return. 

My last message to agencies that don't answer several contacts are similar to, "I reached out to you several times as a professional courtesy. If this is not the proper protocol, I can go back to dealing direct with XYZ company."

 Another huge mistake agencies make is being threatened by anyone or anything that comes to speak with their clients. 

In the few situations where I work as a marketing consultant with a company or I work with a private client, I owe it to them to perform due diligence on any opportunities they have to make money. I have a rule of thumb – I never, ever recommend to stop doing something that makes money or to not to do something that will make money. 

That is regardless of whether I another entity provides it. 

That's keeping my clients best interests always in mind. 

 

I recently, at the request of the client, sent some information to an agency regarding some newsletter and blog products that I represent.  I also copied the client so that he knew I had done as asked.  

Now, even I get ahead of myself sometimes and make errors – and in this case switched two numbers around- Page views, and unique viewers. (and in my defense, I was simply repeating what I was told over the phone but it is ultimately my responsibility.) 

 This marketing agency representative replied to me within 15 minutes with an email basically "calling me out" on my numbers – asking for validity because he couldn't find that kind of traffic and that the actual traffic was XXX… And he also copied the client. 

I guess we both know he considers me a threat, even though I'm not. 

Now, being in the marketing and advertising world, everybody knows that it is extremely simple to check the estimated traffic numbers on any website- therefore, we all use the actual numbers. The numbers for this product or actually quite impressive. 

 

I responded to this representative that he was correct, I had mixed the numbers, and that the portion that we were speaking of was "bonus" traffic, anyway, as we did not price nor calculate our cost per thousand based on the blogs. 

 I received no response to that message that day. 

Nor did I receive a response the next day. 

Or the day after that – or to the message I just sent today, one week later, to ask if something had perhaps happened to him. 

Now, it's obvious that this person is either 1. Threatened by me speaking with his client (and if that's the case, then he probably should be.) or, 2.  Doesn't like to make money.

You see, and I have no problem paying referral fees for people that bring me business. That's just smart business. 

 I have another situation that also sounds fairly ridiculous when it's brought into the open. I met a company that the try and Buy show prior to SHOT Show that wanted to set up a meeting with me  to discuss some of the content marketing options I have. 

 As a courtesy, I reached out to their agency via email with an introduction and let them know that I had met with one of their clients and that I wanted to get on the phone with them because I work with numerous agencies in referring them business. 

 I actually sent two emails – one to each founding partner of the company. 

 Three days later I made a phone call and left a message for each of them. 

 

Nothing but crickets since then. 

 In the meantime, there are potentially thousands of dollars waiting for them and their clients to just go and get because they simply want to pick up the phone or return a courteous message. 

I learned long ago from several different business mentors that simply picking up my phone, returning phone calls, and replying to emails even if I didn't think I needed what was offered for my or my client's business was an easy path to success. 

What do you think about the protocol of "response in kind?"

Do you always return phone calls and emails? 

 

Are you open to new ways for your clients to make money, even if it doesn't always benefit you directly? 

 I do, and I am, and it has always served me well. 

Will 2018 Be the Year You "Embrace the Hate?"

“The only thing more frustrating than slanderers is those foolish enough to listen to them.”                                      -Criss Jami
“People will always have their opinion on you despite who you are and what your capable of.”  -Ana Chable

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.                                 -Winston Churchill

I absolutely love haters. 

 Love them. 

You see, if I am receiving mail from "haters" it means my message is most definitely reaching  my audience and MORE! 

Whenever I send something out and I get nasty responses back by a few people, it gives me a little warm feeling in my heart to know that I must be absolutely motivating them to take action and that, based on the laws of statistics and large numbers that for everyone there is like that there are about 50 to 100  that  have received a tremendous value from what I have sent, posted, or sold. 

 Several of the top sales "gurus" that I follow are of the same way. 

"If they say you're sending too much, double what you're sending."

"If they say stop, you might want to stop to them (or not) and double your efforts sending to everyone else! " 

 No matter what you do, there will always be people that don't agree with you, but feel it there place to give you advice, or, just folks that are, generally, negative people that would complain no matter what you said or did. 

One of the best things you can do when you are engaging with these people is to let them know that you  appreciate their feedback, but that you are a "positive" person who believes in taking MASSIVE action rather than sitting by the sidelines waiting for something to happen. That is a very difficult line of thought to respond negatively to. 

I'll give you an example that happened to me recently...

I sent out a release to a bunch of Outdoor and gun writers about a new contest that I am helping to promote. 

I received a scathing response from one, what I would call, "Lower-mid-level" writer. 

He writes for some local and regional publications and is an occasional "guest" on some television shows. 

"UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS LIST!" 

Not so bad, really. 

But...

Right now I have an "auto response" for anyone that sends me an email. 

I want them to know that I received it, but am so busy with show season that  I may not respond right away, but I still want to talk. 

This is where it gets a little UGLY. 

"I SUBMITTED AN UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST!!!! THIS IS A VIOLATION OF CAN/SPAM!!! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW AND CAN BE PROSECUTED FOR HARASSMENT!!! 

Dude...

Chill out.

Needless to say, I sent confirmation that he was "unsubscribed" from my list- With a nice note to make sure he takes his blood pressure pills. 

I learned several things from this. 

One- that my emails went out and were delivered. 

Two- that the message resonated with the audience. 

Three- that I learned of one worthless member of my list that shouldn't be on it.  

Now, I am subscribed to HUNDREDS of email lists. Many become useless/worthless over time, but I still learn a TON from them- Things like this must be a compelling headline- I opened it- and what are the typical things beoing pushed in the info-marketing world. Also, what is valuable and how long does it remain so. 

Here are the questions that he, and you, should have asked before "unsubscribing" from my emails. 

1. Do I want to not have the opportunity to learn something from this person/company/list? 

2. Is this one thing of lesser value worth eliminating the possibility of hundreds of their more valuable things? 

3. What can I take from this person/company/list that I can easily "re-purpose" to my own business? (Secret- I steal good headline ideas from my own subscribed lists all the time) 

 2017 is the past now. 2018 is the future. Are you going to take control of your destiny, take control of your business, control the conversation about you and what you do, or will you react to what happens – being constantly behind the curve? 

 That's a question that everyone will need to answer in this "new outdoor economy."

Your Competition LOVES You....

Your competition LOVES YOU...

If you are a typical player in the marketplace that thinks you "get all your business from 'word of mouth' and referrals," or you "do facebook ads" or "Advertise on outdoor television shows and in XYZ publications...They love you even MORE.
You see, they IMMEDIATELY KNOW that they can OWN all of the customers that actually look for WHAT YOU DO WHERE YOU DO IT.

I offered this to several of my groups 3 months ago- and some VERY SMART BUSINESS OWNERS took advantage.
Some of the results are in this video.

I'm absolutely SHOCKED at how many people in the outdoor industry will not/do not/can't/won't invest in the absolute NUMBER ONE, MOST EFFECTIVE way of ensuring that when people search for WHAT THEY DO rather than WHO THEY ARE, they show up PROMINENTLY in that search rather than their competition.

Check out this video- and the absolute DOMINATION of the search results.
It doesn't matter WHAT you do. It has an ABSOLUTE, MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE and you can CANCEL IT ANY TIME.
Some of the phrases available NOW:
Best African Safari Company
Best Concealed Carry Holster
Best Rifle Scope
Best Binoculars
AR-15 Parts
Glock Parts
...and MORE.

This works for ANY business- regardless of what you do, are doing, have done, will/might do- you get the picture.
I have personally worked with physicians, car dealers, gun shops, plumbers, HVAC- and, yes, even ATTORNEYS- and if you know any attorneys- tell them that the best phrase in the country was JUST SOLD... "Mesothelioma Attorney" - with Pay per click rates >$1000 PER CLICK- to Sokolov Law Office.
Now they can't have it.

If we can do THAT for THEM, what do you suppose we can do FOR YOU???
Get in touch with me ASAP.

What Would YOU Rather Make - Excuses, or Money? (And, Yes, That IS a Penis)

As my good friend and business mentor, Steve Sipress, is fond of saying, "You can make excuses or you can make money – but not both!"

 And, yes, that is a picture of a penis in a business related blog post. 

 It means something and will prove an excellent point, I promise. 

 The firearm and outdoor industry is in a tizzy right now. 

Gun company stocks dropped the day Donald Trump was elected president. Millions of dollars of firearms orders were canceled within the Weeks after SHOT Show and the presidential election. 

Gun Stocks Aren't doing so hot...

 Everywhere you turn you hear the same thing… "Our budget is already allocated."  Or "we love what we hear- come back and talk to us in October." 

Or, my favorite excuse making phrase, "The industry is changing. Sales are down. We need to cut our marketing budget in order to SAVE money."

 Long term agencies are being cut by their clients. 

 Long-term advertising partners are being reduced and eliminated. 

… And it's all completely ridiculous.

 I know – that's a bold statement. 

 I'm a bold guy.

If you want to "save money," turn off every other light in your building. Turn your thermostat a few degrees up in the summer and down in the winter. 

Don't over water your grass or run the faucet while you brush your teeth. 

If you want to MAKE MONEY, you need to MARKET EFFECTIVELY. 

Remember – you can make EXCUSES or you can make MONEY… But you can't make BOTH. 

Every phrase above is an excuse. 

 Really. Look at each one. 

Think about it. 

Now...

 Remember the movie that came out last year titled, "Greater?"

It's a great movie. 

"Greater" is the story of Arkansas Razorback football player Brandon Burlsworth.  Brandon was "A Division I football player in a Division III  body."

Anyway, it's a great story about someone who "accepts every excuse," never lifts weights, hardly does a running drill, really doesn't do much of anything, and "waits to see what happens" - and, miraculously, makes it as a starter for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team and becomes an all-star player....

What's that? 

That's not what happened? 

Wait… 

He didn't "cut back on his exercise regimen" so he could "save energy" and improve? 

When he received one low-level school scholarship, he didn't "sit back and wait and see what the college football market was going to do?"

 I'M  ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED! 

 If you seen the movie,(and, if not, I highly recommend you do so-and then watch "Rudy" and "Hoosiers" and "Remember The Titans", "Ali," "Rocky I,II,III, IV, V, and Rocky Balboa"-and every single other "Overcome extreme hardship/Obstacle/Work/Challenge to reach glory movie)  you know that Brandon became the  EPITOME  of work ethic – getting up in the dark to run and do drills. Spending extra time in the weight room. Losing the weight he had to and improving his speed and endurance by leaps and bounds… 

...And it follows the exact same story line of just about every success story ever told or ever experienced. 

Isn't that what you really want for your business or company? 

Are you making your decisions more like the first scenario or the actual movie? 

What would you choose??

 Now… About this penis picture....

 This is the story of success from my own life – when a complete disaster was entirely averted in my very first "grown-up" sales job – selling pharmaceuticals in a rural and very, very large geography. 

I had a product that was worth approximately 20% of my  sales "quota."

 The product was called "Caverject," and it was dosed by taking a hypodermic needle and injecting it directly into the corpus cavernosum of the male penile organ.  I  was given this drug to sell the year that Viagra was launched – a pill that a man could take two, hypothetically, give the exact same effect  as my injectable product. 

 There was mass hysteria in the salesforce. 

 Almost everybody "Wrote off"  20% of their commission and focused on trying to INCREASE their other products to compensate. 

 I sat down and analyze the situation. 

I knew that my company would not reduce their expectation on me because of a market change (note-one of the biggest curses in sales – companies will take all the glory for your performance, but when there are circumstances outside of your control, they will be the first to blame you. If it's YOUR company – don't be "that guy.")

 I knew that the biggest obstacle to treating man with erectile problems with getting them to talk about it in the first place. I knew that Pfizer would make sure that everybody was talking about it. 

I then changed my message so that it HELPED my customer.

 You see, my product had a less than 5% failure rate. Viagra's was almost 26%.  I simply went around telling my doctor clients the truth – that no man would want to try my product first, but once they got their hopes up and FAILED, that would be a great time to bring up Caverject. 

Needless to say, I was number two in the entire Midwest division that year, thanks in no small part to a product that everyone else had written off.

What do you suppose would have happened if I had "cut back" my sales efforts and "waited to see what the market was going to do?" 

Instead, I simply changed my marketing to better reflect the new market. 

Remember- Money doesn't "disappear." 

It moves. 

Stop making "excuses" that do nothing but get in the way of you making MONEY!

How Not To Be "Average."

 If you want to be better than average, you have to give better than AVERAGE. 

 Quick – name the most AVERAGE baseball player in the major leagues today. 

 Who wins the title for the MOST AVERAGE basketball player in the NBA playoffs? 

Who is the MOST AVERAGE  hockey player to ever play the game?

 Do you find it hard to come up with those names? You should. 

Which one do you want to be? 

You know, Children are a great reflection upon society. They are, for the most part, pure innocence and pure, uncorrupted emotion. 

Watch your child playing in the sand experiencing pure joy. You could sit in that same stand and be bored. Or aggravated. 

You could become unmotivated and lie down.

...But if you watch the child digging in the sand – he or she is usually fascinated. They're fascinated by the texture. The feeling. The fact that they can mold and shape to their will. That brings them joy. 

 I bring this up for a very good reason. 

 Think back-- for some of you way, way, way back… To what you wanted and dreamed as a child. 

 When you were a child did you want to be "average"? 

 When you were five or six years old, did you look at the world and say, "when I grow up, I want to sit in a cubicle punching keys all day, work for a mediocre boss, At a mediocre company, doing the same thing, every single day of my entire life?"

                                                   If you did, you were the odd one. 

 Most likely you wanted to be a superhero. 

Perhaps as you got older he wanted to "be like mike (Michael Jordan),  you wanted to be the quarterback of your favorite football team, or some other superstar. 

 If you want better than "average", you have to give better than "average."

 One of MJ's most famous commercials was highlights of him sinking winning shots, winning big games, etc., but the background was Michael Jordan speaking 

 "I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I've been trusted To take the game-winning shot… And missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Michael Jordan used to practice his shooting technique – not just his shot – but his actual "technique" for 2 to 3 hours per day. 

 Tiger Woods hit hundreds of golf balls every single day. 

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. He has won 19 gold medals-  and as impressive as that is, his training routine is even more so. 

 He swims 50 miles per week – an average of 8 miles per training day. 

Plus dry land workouts.

He works so hard and so long that he needs to consume 12,000 calories per day just to maintain his body mass. 

 If a training day falls on Christmas, he swims in my house. If it falls on New Year's – 8 miles. Nothing gets in the way of his training. 

Even me, an- I hate to even say it- “average” guy- competed nationally in Olympic Taekwondo.

I trained 3 hours a day, PLUS my regular team and sparring practices.

I never lost because the other guy outlasted me and set a record for most knockouts.

I still work out every day.

I read a book a week and write at least one content piece, published or not, twice a week.

 The important question is, what are you willing to give THIS YEAR  in order to get? 

 One of my most recent articles talked about the state of the outdoor industry – how the gun economy has definitely changed.

How many companies out there are going to look for "average" results this year? 

 How many companies in the gun world are going to, rather than put in their "8 miles" of training – "cut their expenses" (which I've always found ridiculous, as marketing should never, ever be put under your ledger as an "expense)  

Instead of working harder, smarter, and doing MORE, many honestly believe that they will get by with doing LESS.

If you were on any type of sports team, when you really wanted to get BETTER and WIN MORE, did your coach ever say to you, or did you ever say to yourself, “You know what? We need to do LESS! We’re going to NOT WORK AS HARD in order to get BETTER and WIN MORE!”

I didn’t think so.

 The next year will separate a lot of "average" from many new and up-and-comer's that will become "exceptional."

 Which camp will you be in? 

These Times, They Are A Changing...

Last week, I was fortunate to, once again, attend the NRA Annual Meetings, held this year in Atlanta, GA. 

While there was quite a bit of apprehension in the opening few days of SHOT Show this year, there was a palpable sense of relief in the convention hall, the press room, and various other places where people were gathered. 

 Donald Trump  became the first president since 1983 to address the membership. His speech was full of enthusiasm and shined a light of hope after eight years of  apprehension and fear. 

... which brings me to my next point. 

 The industry has changed. 

No longer do we have a "fear-based market."

 As recently as a year ago and excellent deal on an AR 15 platform might be in the $700 range. Today, there a half a dozen for under $400. 

Several manufacturers lamented canceled firearm orders-  One that was in the millions of dollars. 

Yet, NICS Checks for March 2017 are up more than 5%. 

SOMEBODY is clearly buying SOMETHING... 

From Breitbart:

"In a press release sent to Breitbart News, NSSF reports the number of NICS checks for March 2017 was 2,422,749. But after adjusting checks–eliminating those that were not the result of sales–the figure was 1,356,929. The number of NSSF-adjusted NICS checks for March 2016 was 1,289,670. This means the number of checks actually connected to gun sales increased 5.2 percent in March 2017.

The number of NICS checks–including NSSF-adjusted checks–is not a precise indicator of the number of guns sold, as checks are conducted on buyers rather than guns bought. Moreover, each buyer may legally purchase multiple guns after passing a background check, which means an adjusted figure of 1,36,929 checks may not even come close to representing the number of guns sold."

When markets change, businesses must change with them. 

While many tactical based manufacturers are seeing lower sales, some custom manufacturers in the same space are seeing an uptick in their sales. 

Optics manufacturers are having a banner year. Companies that make accessories for AR 15's (and other weapons) are off to a great 2017. 

 Hunting rifle and high end shot gun sales are up. 

 This, of course, makes perfect sense when you realize that people are no longer afraid that they have to have 10,000 rounds of ammunition, a tactical weapon or two, and a pile of high-capacity magazines before they are banned.

 That budget can now go back "into the system" to purchase things like accessories,  as well as hunting and sporting weapons. 

What this also means is that many small and medium size businesses in the industry have an unprecedented opportunity. 

That opportunity is to take market share from some of the "big players" who, foolishly, will look at the economy and surmise that they have to "cut their budgets" for marketing and advertising. 

You see, many large companies both in and out of the firearm industry, are run by "boards of directors" and CEOs that are accountable to "shareholders."

 All those shareholders care about is the bottom line.

 They will take that short term increase to the bottom line, completely ignoring the long-term consequence to the overall business. 

 Quite frankly, they can afford it. 

If you are a small or medium size business, you can't.  

Or at least you shouldn't.  

Obviously, you can't afford to waste a single penny– especially in the "new gun economy."

Even BIG companies shouldn't waste marketing dollars, yet many do. 

The outdoor industry is approximately ten years behind in most marketing methods. 

I'm hearing from more than a few companies that they are "pulling more out of print" and "putting more into digital." 

Some are "wowed" by Facebook. 

That's all good- but the MOST important thing to know is DOES IT WORK? 

The truth is, it does. 

Yes, even print (though for how much longer is uncertain) works and can give great ROI. 

The important thing is that you can TRACK it. 

So, what SHOULD you do? 

I'm glad you asked!

You can take a portion of those dollars you would spend on "traditional" marketing (Magazines, TV shows, etc.) and put them in front of over 3 million PROVEN BUYERS of Outdoor, Firearm, Hunting and Fishing products. 

100% Trackable, and in whatever amounts or frequencies you like. 

If that interests you, reach out or comment below. 

Regardless of what you do, remember- 

"Keep it the same" should not be an option this year. 

"Good" is the ENEMY of "Great."

Photo Courtesy of N2 Growth Blog

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” 

One of my favorite books on business and success is "Good to Great," by business researcher and author Jim Collins.

It is a must read for anyone in business today.

One of the major lessons from it is how "hubris" in a company or by the officers of the company are often one of the main reasons for lack of performance, a not-as-good-performance, and/or failure.


An article by Jim Shepard, of "The Outdoor Wire," recently reminded me of how prevalent this "disease" is in the outdoor world.

Quick-
Name three "Great" retailers...

Right.
Many average, many good- but darn few "great."


The irrefutable rule of business is "adapt or Die." However, too many businesses in the retail and, more specifically, the outdoor world, have failed to "adapt."
Many have taken their customers and retail clients for granted.

I can't tell you how many companies I've spoken with in (and, to be fair, out of) the outdoor world that  have tales of woe and, quite frankly, not the nicest of business dealings with large scale retailers.
 Forced to jump through hoops, demeaning attitudes towards their products and business, and, basically, making new and even rather innovative brands grovel and beg (or even pay) to be placed on their shelves.

 Can you blame them for jumping to the online bandwagon?

Even I, with numerous connections on both sides of the issue, sometimes need clarification as to just what the difference can be to a business.

One source who shall not be named said it to me very plainly.
"Ace, I can sell  1/3 to 1/2 less and make as much or as much as 25% more by not dealing with them at all and going directly to the consumer."
                Wow.
Now, what happens most often is that the "brick and mortar" companies or stores tell a "tale of woe" like the one below- blaming technology and the internet rather than looking into the mirror.
What if we had "regulated" the automobile because farriers and stables were going under?
How about preventing cellular companies from selling their wares because "old time" telephone companies were losing money?

It sounds rather silly, doesn't it?

 I can't say that I should be surprised, as what that boils down to is just more proof of a gross lack of "marketing savvy."

As a matter fact, there are very, very few business problems that cannot be solved by "effective" marketing.

 What do I mean by "effective?"
Marketing that does more than just "put your name out" or is something that is done "because you've always done it this way" needs to be put aside.

I deal and interact a great deal with companies that say things like "Our budget is full" or "come back to us in six months."
That then turns into ANOTHER 6 months. Then ANOTHER. Then, well... then, if they aren't in great shape they expect a "miracle in a box" or "magic wand."

The economy and business- REGARDLESS of your business-  is like a river.

You can swim, paddle, row, or motor, but the SECOND you stop, you will be swept downstream.

When you have Hubris (and there are several LARGE, clear examples of this in recent years) you are "staring into the boat" - unaware and blind to the movement of the water.

Want to see a great example of a company that is on the "front edge" of TODAY'S Economy?
Check out this video from a company I met called OUTDOOR VITALS- a company that has more than doubled every year they've been in business.

P.S.- Your CUSTOMERS are dictating what they want- rather than fight it, don't you think it would be better to give them what they want?


The following is the article from Jim Shepherd of "The Outdoor Wire."
You can reach them at www.theoutdoorwire.com.

"Last week, I heard some scary advice from a bankruptcy attorney for retailers: "find another line of work." 

Hugh Ray of McCool Smith wasn't joking. 

The lineup of failed companies in bricks-and-mortar retailing looks like a lineup of former blue-chippers who have "lost a step" in sports parlance. 

Even discounters aren't being spared. Payless Shoes, I'm told, will file for Chapter 11 protection "any day". That's after closing 1,000 stores.

Sears Holding Corporation has (finally) admitted that it is "essentially no longer a going concern" despite belt tightening and the closure of 150 locations. Radio Shack owner General Wireless Operations is already in bankruptcy, as is HHGregg. Others, from J.Crew to Ascena (the company that owns Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Lofts) have suffered two mortal wounds: dropping sales and/or plummeting share price. 

Add in the problems for Macy's, Staples, Office Depot, Kohls, and CVS, and it seems there will be plenty of storefronts available in 2017 -especially across rural America. Small-town stores are normally the first casualties.

Outdoor retailer Gander Mountain has already sought bankruptcy protection. It's not the only outdoor group teetering on the edge today.

Online retailers like Amazon are draining traditional storefront operations dry. 

Only those destination-type retailers are hanging tough - and their operations aren't thriving, despite what you might hear.

Last week, I was writing an undated obituary for the Bass Pro Shop/Cabela's deal- until a last minute decision by Georgia-based Synovus Financial Corporation to buy the Cabela's credit-card business seems to have pulled the deal out of the proverbial fire.

Most people forget the mega-merger of outdoor retailers Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's was really an intertwined two-part sale: BPS would take the retail business, and Capital One would buy the credit card business. 

The second part of the deal ran into trouble because of money-laundering allegations (and an ongoing investigation) at Capital One. Their timetable had slipped to the point the deal seemed in serious trouble. 

Now Georgia-based Synovus Financial Corporation has stepped in to buy the credit card portion. It's one of those deals I'd like to make: Synovus buys the Cabela's credit card business, then turns around and re-sells it to Capital One. That avoids a more in-depth review of the deal by regulators. 

In exchange, Synovus keeps around $1 billion (yes, billion) in deposits held by the Cabela's bank - and grows from a $30 billion dollar bank to a $31 billon dollar depository- three plus percent growth on a single business turn is nothing to sneeze at.

At that point, Johnny Morris and BPS takes over Cabela's -and the $3.6 billion in business Cabela's generated last year. If/when that happens, count on a brief period of stability, followed by the inevitable "combination of operational areas" - and another glut of available retail space.  

Unfortunately, there are no white knights riding to the rescue of independent retailers. 

They're under nearly unbearable price pressures, and facing the realization consumers are coming to them for their expertise- then using their newfound knowledge to search for the best price- usually online.

Last weekend, I watched a shopper question a knowledgeable salesperson about compound bows. The salesperson was both courteous and knowledgeable, answering the shopper's questions while showing the different bow sight options on demo mounts. 

After several minutes of questions, the shopper and the salesperson decided a particular three-pin sight would be the best choice for this customer.

Instead of asking the price, the customer whipped out his smartphone, took a picture of a packaged sight, thanked the salesman, and left. I was flabbergasted.

The salesman shrugged and explained: "happens pretty often. We have the knowledge, but not the online price." 

Curious about the price difference, I went online -at the counter- to see how cheaply I could find that particular bow sight online.

The difference? Seven bucks- not including shipping ($3.95). 

For less than three bucks, the "smart" shopper essentially helping put their go-to source for help and expert advice out of business.

This exchange summarizes where outdoor retailers, regardless of their size, find themselves. I've seen it happen before. 

As a beginning photographer, most of my early knowledge came from local camera stores. Local shooters freely shared their experiences and expertise. Today are very few of camera stores. Instead, innumerable online videos from online sellers quickly help me through any technical issue I have with my digital gear.

The same's true for a lot of the technical aspects of the outdoors. But there's still no substitute for "local knowledge" in the outdoors. What works in Bozeman usually doesn't apply in Birmingham.  

As a business observer, it's tough to watch people who love their business and readily share that "local knowledge" increasingly forced to "find another line of work". 

But I've seen it happen frequently enough to recognize the symptoms. 

Unfortunately, recognizing symptoms does nothing to slow the inevitable march of progress. Consumers decide what businesses succeed."