Suggestions to B.O.D of USPSA

[Shooter Grrl]

A few really easy to implement suggestions to increase growth and retention.

1.  Require membership to participate in a match.  If you're not a member, not a problem, we'll sign you up right now.

GSSF and IDPA both require that you are a member of their org to participate in their matches.  I shot at my local club for almost 2 years before I joined USPSA.  

2.  Take the "Unofficial IPSC List" link off of the web site.

It's SO intimidating to brand new members to see them all arguing.  I personally know of 4 brand new shooters that got all hyped after their first match, went to the site, joined the IPSC list and then disappeared.  Because these were people I knew, I asked them - all 4 said too much infighting .  I made them clarify, as I knew they'd only been to 1 match and didn't see it there - it was the list!  Let word of mouth carry the list address around.

3.  Put a welcome page on the website and do a little re-organizing to get the really pertinent information up front.

So there ya have it.  Kathy's easy to implement "do it now" suggestions :-)

[bgary]

Hadn't thought about taking the link to the IPSC list off the site.  That might be the best idea of all.

Can we put a link to *this* site? ;-)  Much better info and *much* better atmosphere...

Bruce

[midvalleyshooter]

IDPA did remove their "unofficial" list from the IDPA.com website links. It is a good idea.

I have shot both games extensively and participated in both lists for a short time. For some reason those lists breed a lot of negative energy.

As far as the membership requirement I don't know of any IDPA club that "cards" people but YMMV

My suggestion would be that production be scored as major instead of minor. Most of the production pistols are in the 20 to 25 oz range and recoil as much in 9mm as a limited pistol shooting those "hot" 165 major loads I know they are scored separtely but if you want to encourage the masses with production pistols to participate you have to give their C and D hits the same value as the other shooters. If USPSA wants more shooters with stock guns to compete, the playing field must be level and scoring production as major would be a solid first step, in my humble opinion.

The USPSA website could use a hot button for new shooters that takes them to a place where they would get the info and encourgement they need. I suggest this site if BE would allow it.

Keith

[benos]

Kathy,

Excellent post. Your #1 was The Great One's #1 when I mentioned this to him a couple weeks ago.

On this forum being linked to USPSA's site, I'm not sure how I feel on that one. I'm guessing one of the reasons this forum has remained cooly intact is the word of mouth thing.

Anyone else?

be

[EricW]

BE,

My vibe would be to not link your forums externally.  (Maybe with very limited exceptions where you will definitely see sales revenue.)  I can't verbalize why, but just feels like a bad idea.  I think the "isolation"of the forum is part of the appeal.

E

(Edited by EricW at 3:18 pm on Jan. 25, 2002)

[Shooter Grrl]

BE,

At least I can THINK like TGO :-)

NO WAY do I want your site linked to USPSA's.  Twasn't my suggestion... my first gut feeling was EEEWWWWWWW, I don't want those weenies and their bad attitudes here :-)  And that's STILL my feeling, even after trying to think rationally about the extra traffic for you (more traffice = more sales?)

[Jerome Poiret]

Brian:

Ditto on Eric's post.

Let's just keep the word of mouth thing. This is the only way to "select" the new members, ie give this address to interesting/interested people you know.

[Flexmoney]

The true seekers of knowledge will find the path.

Lets not put up a neon sign.

[Nik Habicht]

If they want to find it, they will!

[Carlos]

As for growth and retention, I agree w/ Shooter Grrrrrl and also with the ideas in BE 's article last year in gungames mag. on what's wrong with IPSC.

While on the topic of the BOD meeting, here is another suggestion:

At the risk of another "here we go again", I am in favor of 9x19 major.  VV publishes loads at 165PF major. The rest of the world does it - and used to do it at 175 without massive carnage or bankrupt manufacturers. We already allow 9x21. Its time for 9x19 major. Anyone else? D.

(Edited by Carlos at 3:51 pm on Jan. 29, 2002)

[Chriss Grube]

I sent a written proposal off to all the area directors and Mike Voight on the 9mm major issue. I gave them data showing it can be done safely. Now it's up to the BOD. We should know in about 2 weeks. Gun Games is history I think they should market Front sight for general publication. I also feel that they need a set price structure for section, state and area matches. Some of these match fees are getting ridiculous. They whine that nobody shows up for the big matches. How many people can fork out 100-150 bucks for every big match. Somebody is making money and it damn sure aint the shooters! If one guy can run a section match with trophies for 40 bucks where is the extra 60-90 bucks going?

[Ron Ankeny]

Brian:

I have spent a lot of time and effort marketing Websites for some of my Web clients. From a commercial point of view, it would be very difficult to turn down a link to your home page at brianenos.com from the USPSA Website.  

[Carlos]

Thank you Chriss - I appreciate your hard work in sending the BOD evidence that 9mm major is possible (I still can't believe  they need any more evidence than a trip to Europe or anywhere else they shoot IPSC for that matter).

As for Frontsight being marketed to the public - I also agree that it would help out with growth of USPSA, though not sure if its financially practical currently.

Strangely I noticed that Frontsite has a price on the cover, but in the last required publication of its accounting data, I also noticed: copies sold to the public/on newstands: 0.

Perhaps Frontsight could be adapted to hook the interest of non-USPSA members/ non- action event shooters and thereby lure them into the sport? It seems like the promise of gun-review information or product information and an attractive cover could lure the average gunowner into buying frontsight. While I love Frontsight and find it VERTY useful, I doubt Frontsight's current narrow focus would sell a lot of magazines on news stands. Maybe some new Frontsight marketing ideas could be tossed about at the BOD meeting??  

[Chriss Grube]

To market Front Sight to the general public shouldn't take much effort. Most of the gun mags out there suck. How many times can you read the same crap 9mm vs 45, auto vs rev. etc. Then you have guys like Hackathorn and Ayoob recycling the same stuff year after year. You spend 5 bucks and if you're lucky there might be 2 good articles in the whole damn thing. FS I read cover to cover. The product reviews are usually pretty good, the match coverage is cool add a profile of a different GS every month, an interview with a top shooter, expand the coverage to some 3 gun equipment and add a beginning shooters column and you have a winner! IDPA is doing good because it is marketed as an entry level sport. IPSC always shows TGO or TJ smoking the stage and it scares the hell out of people. I shot in the Corps and was a Firearms instructor with my dept. for 6 years before I shot my first match. I was nervous as hell going in, nobody wants to go get their butt handed to them so they don't come and shoot. We need to show people that not only do we have the best shooters in the world  but that we also have people of all levels shooting. Go to a match and pick out some average C and D shooters and show them shooting along with the GM's. We need to try a new direction from what they have been doing it isn't working.