Blog Spotlight

By Myril Shaw F&I has earned a bad reputation, thanks, largely, to the way it was handled for far too long in the automotive industry.  The recreational industry can and should refresh the way people think about F&I. For purchasers of recreational vehicles – boats, RVs, ATVs, off-road, Powersports – F&I should not, cannot, be a pressure-filled, must do, frankly, ...

By Bill Yeargin Labor Day afternoon I received an email from the White House inviting me to join President Trump and other leaders the next day for an event regarding Florida’s environment. Florida’s environment has always been important to me and the event was at one of our state’s most special sites, the Jupiter Lighthouse, so I quickly accepted. During ...

By Mark Overbye Have you ever received an email trying to sell you Linda Ronstadt music? Me neither. Do Linda Ronstadt ads follow you around the internet? Didn’t think so. How about being asked to subscribe to Linda Ronstadt’s website or online store? No again. While on a recent flight to attend a west coast dealer meeting, I watched a ...

By Pete Batten Summer sales are wrapping up and the hype of buying a new boat may be dying down, but that doesn’t mean now is the time to be idle. Consumers will be turning their attention to units and parts for the fall season, and while you may not have this inventory on the lot, you can begin investing ...

By Joe Iribarren The lyrics "I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation" sounded fun and rebellious when Joan Jett sang them. But adopting that attitude when it comes to your dealer's online reputation will prove to be disastrous. Your online reputation consists of more than a carefully-thought-out website and social media posts. For the most part, your online ...

By Bill Yeargin This blog, without hyperbole, could change your life. First, imagine what your life would be like if you were more creative. Would life be more fun? Would people find you more interesting? Would you do better in your job? Make more money? Would you have a more positive impact on the world? I’ll bet the answer to ...

By David Gee The other day I was talking with a friend of mine in the boating industry, and we were just kind of ruminating and reflecting on how lucky we are to be able to find "romance" in what we do. How many people get to work in a business they are so passionate about, and that basically sells ...

Let's start with this – 80% of "cash" buyers are not using liquid cash. What does that mean? When a customer walks in and says that they are paying cash, the odds are that they talked to their local bank or credit union, that they are using part of a home equity line, that they are selling stocks or other investments – ...

By David Gee The good news is The New York Times recently ran a glowing article called The Boat Business Is Booming. You might have seen it. They interviewed dealers (including Quality Boats; Boating Industry 2019 Top 100 Dealer of the Year) who report sales are up in every category, highlighting the fact many boats are going to first-time buyers. ...

By Pete Batten Imagine a customer walks into your dealership showroom and there are no units on display. Do you think that customer will still make a purchase? Probably not. So, what about your online showroom? Today most consumers begin the shopping process on the internet, browsing images of units before they ever visit the dealership, which is why it’s ...