By David Gee empəTHē/noun/the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. How much time do you spend thinking about being more empathetic? Do you know the impact that a lack of empathy in the workplace has on employees’ mental health? What are some of the habits – and characteristics – of highly empathetic people? Is empathy even on ...
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Little things mean a lot these days
By David Gee “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” -W.B. Yeats Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats, one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature, wrote those prescient words over 100 years ago. If that sentiment rang true during Victorian times, we surely find even more meaning in the words ...
Read More »It was great at ELEVATE!
By David Gee How awesome was it to be in Atlanta for the 2021 Boating Industry ELEVATE Summit Conference?! 20 sessions. 23 speakers and panelists. 19 sponsors. Yes, we built it, and many of you came from across the country, representing dealers, boat builders, engine manufacturers, marina and boatyard owners and operators, trade association members, industry research and marketing analysts, ...
Read More »The show goes on in Fort Lauderdale
By David Gee Big boats, big crowd, big show, big bucks. Sold out. Unprecedented demand. Historic backlogs. Customer boats standing in as show boats. Eight miles of walking the docks. That was Day 2 of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with the Boating Industry team. The day began in a slightly unusual fashion for me. I was invited to ...
Read More »The first day of FLIBS
By David Gee It used to be that a killer sound system, a cool new gelcoat color or perhaps more power topped my next new boat wish list. Not any more. After one day at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show I now want my next boat to have an AgustaWestland AW109S twin-engine, eight-seat, multi-purpose helicopter sitting on the transom ...
Read More »IBEX – and the boating industry – is open for business
By David Gee When the Boating Industry team all boarded airplanes from various parts of the country to converge and convene at IBEX in Tampa, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Though the show is just getting started, the early signs are indeed promising. The industry breakfast featuring the innovation Awards presentations and a keynote by Florida Governor Ron ...
Read More »Full speed ahead for shows and special events
By David Gee Recently I have turned from a golf fan, into a bit of a fanatic. For most of my adult life, golfing just interfered with slalom sets and wake surfing. I figured any time I could be on the golf course, I could also be on our boat, and I preferred the latter to the former. I certainly ...
Read More »Putting the “I” in ICAST
By David Gee I came, I saw, I cast. Literally. Thousands of people recently descended upon the Orlando Convention Center for ICAST 2021, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show. It’s the premier showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, accessories and apparel, and helps to drive recreational fishing sales. And sales are up, way up, and that’s no fish story. ...
Read More »Are you appealing to the “right” brain with your sales and marketing?
By David Gee Our audiences today are time starved and in control as never before, and we must work smarter to reach them, whatever it is we are “selling.” And bombarding them with large amounts of infill and information is not the path to move, persuade, convince – and sell. Research in neuroscience tells us that reasons lead to conclusions, while emotions lead to ...
Read More »Social media doesn’t sell tickets – or boats
By David Gee Okay, I’ll admit it, I am engaging in a bit of click bait blogging. Social media does in fact sell boats. Social media is an important, even essential, part of marketing today for most companies and organizations. But it’s not enough. It can’t be successful in isolation. And yet I seem to be coming across more and ...
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