Kinsey University Debuts at KDS15; Upcoming Classes Slated

June 8th, 2015

MOUNT JOY, PA —  Kinsey’s opened the doors to its new educational offering at the 2015 Kinsey’s Dealer Show (KDS15), held February 20 – 22 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, PA.

Kinsey University strives to create a knowledgeable customer base that fosters growth and promotes better business for dealers and Kinsey’s alike. The courses offered Saturday and Sunday morning at the show covered front-end sales (Kinsey’s newest category) and setting up the LinkEdge point-of-sale system.

Participant response was extremely positive, with some dealers able to implement margin-maximizing solutions within days of the show. Maureen Gober of Earth Spirits Bowshop said, “I thought the seminar was really good. I have only been using LinkEdge for about a month, but what I’ve been able to apply to my shop immediately is much better inventory control. I can track bows for all my programs with the touch of a button and any other information I want to know is a click away. It also has freed up a lot of my time, and that is important to me as well, so that I am able to improve my shop in other areas that I was unable to focus on before.”

Kurt Smith, coordinator for Kinsey University, also was pleased with the inaugural classes. “It was great to get Kinsey University started with our two business seminars. We got some really good feedback and I think those dealers who attended came away with some knowledge that will really improve their business,” said Smith.

The remaining curriculum for 2015 also was announced. Kinsey University will be strengthening dealers’ knowledge with Bow Technician Training and Crossbow 101 courses. The first session scheduled is Bow Technician Training from April 28 – 29 (Lancaster, PA), followed by Crossbow 101 sessions on May 12 (Syracuse, NY) and May 26 (Madison, WI), with a final Bow Technician session June 13 – 14 (Charlotte, NC).

The Bow Technician Training classes, presented by Kinsey’s and Steve Van Zile of Chapman Archery, will cover all aspects of compound bow setup and tuning. Attendees will receive hands-on instruction using equipment from many of the industry’s top manufacturers. Topics to be covered include explanation of bow designs and cam systems; cam timing; replacing strings and cables; bow setup and arrow selection; and creating a price structure for service charges.

The Crossbow 101 classes, which will be presented by Kinsey’s and representatives from crossbow manufacturers, will teach participants about the history of the crossbow market and current trends. The sessions have been designed to give practice with crossbow setup and maintenance, as well as opportunities to speak with manufacturer representatives and test shoot crossbows.

“There was a lot of interest in the Bow Technician and Crossbow 101 sessions, so I think they will be filling up rather quickly. It’s really exciting to see so many dealers eager to learn so they can better serve their customer,” said Smith.

Given interest levels, retailers are urged to register for the upcoming classes quickly, as seating is limited. Contact Kinsey University Coordinator, Kurt Smith at KSmith@KinseysInc.com for more information and to register.