Rick wrote:aunt betty wrote:Don't listen to the "ricks" of the world...
Yeah, if he did that, he'd be out showing his calls to folks.
Or he could listen to you and make hedge calls no one knows exist.
When Eli Haydel started, he'd show up most anywhere duck hunters gathered with one of his DR-85s sitting in a glass of water. And when it caught someone's eye, he'd pull it out and show them what the soon-to-be most popular duck call in the world sounded like.
The world didn't just up and decide to beat a path to West Monroe to meet the Robertsons, either. Phil gathered his gumption and calls and got out there and sold them, and himself, face to face. He was remarkably similar to the soft spoken, laid back current, "as seen on TV," version of himself back when he was worried about making enough on his first video to pay for it. But he was out there putting himself and some pretty nice little calls in front of as much of the public as his budget allowed.
First time I can recall paying attention to RNT, if I'd even heard of it previously, there was a young fellow I didn't know from Adam, named Jim Ronquest, on my phone trying to sell me calls to peddle through the camp. I didn't buy, but we developed a friendship that led to his sending me a prototype I liked and used guiding. The relationship that began with that cold call from a fellow doing his damnedest to carve a niche for himself in the waterfowl business has led to my indirectly selling gosh knows how many calls for RNT. And Jim has built an Army of "brothers" like me. Having someone like Ronquest as a spokesman logging countless booth hours visiting with folks, never pushing a sale but always anxious to help someone get a better handle on their calling, has done far more for their sales to hunters than all the contests RNTs have ever won.
It's a given that all of those guys had good products, but I can't help but think that what's made their companies the giants they are has been getting out there and showing hunters what they're selling, instead of waiting for hunters to come to them.
Pardon my ignorance, especially if this is common knowledge that everybody knows but me- but why did he keep it in a glass of water?