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WHAT I LEARNED FROM PATENTING MY OWN INVENTIONS

After 30 years as a patent attorney, I find that inventing and pursing my own patents keeps me sharp and stimulated. I’ve written about how hobbies that train me in technology (like camera lens repair) make me a smarter patent attorney. Years ago, I got a patent on a drop in part for a Steyr AUG trigger that reduces the heavy pull weight, and it’s been featured in a chapter in my book and a past newsletter. The patent expires in 5 years and has earned me tens of thousands of dollars in profits on the sales of the little plastic devices. What I’ve Learned from My Own  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | July 8, 2020 | Firearms, Intellectual Property Advice, Patent | 0 Comments Read More »

WHY ARE YOU STILL MARKETING TO POOR PEOPLE? (Our Industry’s Missing Market Segment)

Almost nothing to do with guns, but... Have you ever sat down to a big round table with a bunch of industry folks, and the conversation just didn’t quite get off the ground? I had  dinner some time ago with a good client, but with a bunch of key people I didn’t  yet know very well. When the conversation stalled, I got out my conversational secret weapon: “So what hobbies and enthusiasms do y’all have outside of shooting?” When I ask this old standby question, I learn just how diverse we are. The responses ranged from outdoor garden model railroad layouts  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | June 10, 2020 | Marketing | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW THE VIRUS CAN MAKE US STRONGER …EVEN WHEN THE NRA SHOW IS CANCELLED

On March 10, I posted on Facebook: Poll: Is the virus threat affecting your decision whether or not to attend the NRA Annual Meeting next month? (Reply only if you normally attend). 1. I’ll be there unless something changes substantially. 2. It’s a factor, and I’m watching the situation with uncertainty. 3. I’m unlikely to go unless something changes substantially. About half the replies were a 1 for “I’m going.” One commented “1 because I have to.” That was the adult son of the founder and CEO. Hmmm. Another said “1 or 2” and they have “hunch  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | March 13, 2020 | Opinion Pieces | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW TO SHOT SHOW

As I look ahead to my 20th SHOT Show next year I realize that my annual reports in this forum are usually about sharing experiences among insiders and old-timers. So this year I thought instead I’d start with an overview and some tips for my readers who are new to the industry. “What’s The SHOT Show?” That was my question nearly 20 years ago when I was an established patent attorney but a newbie gun nut. I had called a riflescope company about buying a scope and was having a technical discussion with the guy on the phone. He turned out to be the owner of the  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | January 31, 2020 | How To | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW TO GET YOUR CUSTOMERS TO PAY YOU TO SELL TO THEM

My favorite conversation starter at a dinner table with a client and their key employees (who are usually sick of talking to each other about work) is: “So, what do you like to do outside of the gun world?” These folks who’ve worked together for years sometimes end up learning interesting new things about each other, and I’m invariably reminded about just how interesting the people in our industry are. I have a special soft spot for the “geek” who acquires extraordinary expertise on one narrow area (as half the industry including me did with guns before joining  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | January 10, 2020 | Marketing | 0 Comments Read More »

TAKE THE TESLA TEST

Which way did this rub you? How did you react when you first saw this truck? On social media, especially among gun industry people, I saw two opposite reactions. One was: “I ordered mine already” (or the admiring equivalent). The other was horrified, that it doesn’t look like a truck (or like an El Camino mated with a Pontiac Aztec). Obviously, no one was talking down the design because they work for a traditional automaker and found it threatening. But there is clearly something threatening about a radical new design for a traditional product that normally  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | December 10, 2019 | Marketing | 0 Comments Read More »