Diane Donnett This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. www.shootingindustry.com

   www.shootingindustry.com/Pages - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/1/2008   Last Visited: 6/14/2008

   President and managing agent Diane Donnett has been at the helm of Stonewall for 13 years and says business is great. "I'm doubling and tripling my business," Donnett said."We're having a phenomenal year."Stonewall specializes in self-defense and target shooting firearms.
   
   "The indoor range really brings people in. It's phenomenal," Donnett said.Because of the indoor range, Stonewall is able to offer a wide variety of classes including NRA courses and hunter safety courses.
   
   When women come to Donnett looking for a gun, she always recommends they take a basic handgun class.She said the classes are attended, predominantly, by women and this makes the ladies feel more comfortable.
   
   "It's important for women to attend a class," Donnett said."You can't explain recoil.Until they shoot, they can't understand it."
   
   Donnett also stressed that classes give women a chance to try different guns to get a feel for what works for them.
   
   "Women come to us for recommendations and I always tell them to take lessons and get educated so they know what they like.If everybody had the same taste, we'd all be driving Chevy trucks," Donnett said.
   
   Even after women take a basic handgun class, buying a firearm is still a big decision.Gun dealers and their staff need to draw on their expertise to determine a woman's needs and how she wants to use the gun.
   
   "A lot of women don't know what questions to ask," Donnett said.
   ...
   Donnett said most of Stonewall's women customers hear about them through word-of-mouth.
   
   Self-Defense Sells
   
   Its price-point and durability make the Roma Leatherpurse holster popular with women.
   
   The number one self-defense gun sold to women at Stonewall Gun Shop is the .38 revolver.
   
   "The revolver is tried and true," Donnett said."You can shoot a revolver through a purse if you have to."
   
   Stonewall's bestselling model is the Taurus Model 85 series.Donnett said this is a great starter gun for most women because of its ease of operation and low price-point.She also noted many women start with a .38 and then, as they get into shooting, move up to a 1911-style .45.
   
   When it comes to buying holsters, Donnett said women have a different consumer style than men.
   
   "Ladies research before they buy.They want to be educated before buying," she said.
   ...
   Donnett said the Roma purse holster line is popular because they sell at an affordable price-point, she's able to stock three or four different styles, and the purses stand up well over time.
   
   "Women are looking at how much they're going to use it.Not many women can afford a high-end $600 purse.You sell maybe one a month, but $20 purses really sell," Donnett said.She notices about 5 percent of her customers go for high-end purse holsters. Fanny packs are also very popular holster options.
   
   "Fanny packs sell better than anything else," Donnett said.Popular brands include BlackHawk, Galco and DeSantis.The Dual Carry from DeSantis is an on-the-body holster and is a bestseller at Stonewall.Donnett said her customers really like the in- or out-of-the-pants versatility of this belt holster.
   
   Fun For All
   
   Donnett said Stonewall is a family-oriented store and she encourages people to bring their kids to the range.
   
   "We market to the whole spectrum," Donnett said, "from kids up to grandparents." Donnett runs a series of summer specials designed to make it fun to come to the range. "I was looking for a way to encourage people to shoot in summer," she said.
   ...
   "Monte Carlo Day is very popular," said Donnett.
   ...
   Donnett said she reduces the cost of the event by saving all of the free and reduced-price merchandise manufacturers offer throughout the year to use as prizes.Stonewall's customers look forward to the event and really enjoy the day, according to Donnett.More than 173 people were fed this year.
   
   The goal of the day is to reward loyal customers, Donnett said, but it's also good for business.
   
   "It's not a ‘make money' day," she noted, "but, of course, I do make money.In two days, we sold $13,000 worth of memberships and we did $45,000 in sales."
   
   Donnett attributes Stonewall Gun Shop's success to its outstanding customer service.She said they do a good job of serving the women's market because they have women on staff and she works with her male employees on providing women with good customer service. Donnett said, "The main thing with our place has always been customer service and having a smile on your face."
   
   Visit www.romaleather.com for more information.
   
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2. 2. Paxton Quigley in the Press

   www.defend-net.com/paxton/pres - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/25/2001   Last Visited: 6/25/2001

   Semi-Arms Inc. of Broadview Heights , where Quigley spoke , has had Ladies' Nights the past few summers that have become increasingly popular , said corporation President Diane Donnett.
   ...
   Donnett , whose classes often have equal numbers of women and men , tells her female students they cannot rely solely on guns. There's only a 3 percent chance that the gun is going to be there when you need it , Donnett said. They've got to have other outlets. They have to practice other things for self-defense..
   
   Likewise the National Rifle Association , known for its staunch protection of the right to bear arms , developed a self-defense program for women in 1993 that does not focus on firearms.
   ...
   Donnett , of Stonewall Ltd. , said every woman needs to consider all her self-defense options seriously and decide whether she is dedicated enough to practice how to handle shoot and store a gun safely.
   
   I tell my ladies , 'If you're going to buy a gun to keep it locked up in a box and never take it out and never practice shooting it , then don't buy a gun , ' she said. You can protect yourself with a gun , but you can hurt yourself with a gun if you don't know what you're doing..
   
   The Wall Street Journal - Letter to the Editor
   
   A Girl's Best Friend