Boating-Industry Insider » Marine Dealers

Delays don’t mean you can ignore Red Flag Rule

Contributing Blogger — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:06:44 +0000

Many of you reading this may think the Red Flag Rule is something to ignore. Rest assured the wolf will be knocking one day, and it is our hope that each dealership will be prepared.

Do your customers know who you are?

Contributing Blogger — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:07:13 +0000

By Christopher Kourtakis, director of sales and marketing, 360° Industry Solutions — As I stood in a local dealership the other day, a customer who just purchased a boat from the dealership had a few questions and looked a little lost. So, I went up to the gentleman and asked him if I could point him in the right direction. As we started to talk, I realized that the only person in the dealership that he knew was his salesmen. Read more >>

Preparing for “Top 100 Season”

Liz Walz — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:58:09 +0000

I had a dream a few nights ago that I was working a boat show for a dealer. It’s not unusual for me to dream about work these days. When we’re on deadline, I often find myself trying to write articles or headlines in my sleep. It’s too bad the outcome is never as brilliant in the light of day. Read more >>

Why new boats were originally introduced in July

Contributing Blogger — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:03:50 +0000

Before history gets rewritten, I wanted to offer a glimpse into why new boats were introduced in July rather than September.

The high cost of switching

Contributing Blogger — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:16:10 +0000

For things that require mental effort what we are really doing is time slicing. We are "switching" our thoughts from one thing to another rapidly — thus creating the illusion that we can multitask.

Making F&I profitable without an F&I manager

Contributing Blogger — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:11:58 +0000

Jan Kelly, president, Kelly Enterprises – Many dealerships have downsized their personnel to the point of not having a dedicated F&I manager. Is that department just as profitable without the dedicated person focused on the task each day? Who is presenting the ancillary service policies, and working with the lenders to secure the customer financing? Read more >>

New model year intros: What time is the best time?

Mike Davin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:48:56 +0000

If you're a dealer whose brands delayed new model introductions last year, how did the switch work for you?

Case File 2010: Burger vs. Burger

Contributing Blogger — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:56:16 +0000

Having spent a bit of my career in the marine OEM camps, I have learned firsthand that innovation is king (pardon the mis-reference). As a boat builder, you must have unique features on your products to separate them from the competition.

Get ‘em OFF the keyboard!

Contributing Blogger — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:53:09 +0000

By Jeff Scherer, Associate Partner, Callbutton LLC – Many years ago, before the Internet was “cool,” I was the Internet sales manager for one of the largest automotive retailers. This was a very interesting time because prior to this, no auto entities had really stepped out to try to market vehicles through this new budding medium known as “the Web.” To say that many of the old-school general managers in our dealer groups were skeptical would have been a tremendous understatement. They said over and over that this Web thing was a fad, and would never work to sell cars. Our team was often looked at as the “geek squad,” (no offense to the Best Buy’s guys) and as competitors to the retail sales team. Much of this doubt and fear was understandable as we were jumping quickly into territory that was undefined and unknown. Read more >>

Another way to win over your customers

Liz Walz — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:27:14 +0000

Last week, I received a press release from BoatU.S. with the following subject line, “The Shocking Truth: More Recreational Boaters Having Battery Problems.” And I saw an opportunity. Or at least one I’d jump on if I was a boat dealer, marina operator or boating supplies store manager. Read more >>