BoatU.S. and Genmar survey women boaters

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Genmar Holdings has teamed up with BoatU.S. in an attempt to learn more about women’s new boat buying experiences, a press release said yesterday.

The two organizations will conduct their research through an online survey at www.boatus.com/women and www.womenmakingwaves.com.

The survey is intended to provide feedback for boat dealers and manufacturers so they can better market and sell to women consumers.

“It’s time for the boating industry to change longstanding marketing and sales habits to better draw – and retain – women boaters,” BoatU.S. Assistant Vice President Elaine Dickinson said. “Women are all too frequently ignored on the sales floor, whether it’s at a boat show or a dealership.”

Genmar’s senior vice president, Marcia Kull, said the survey results will be instrumental in understanding how women research a new boat before purchasing and about their experiences at dealerships.

“The results will help form a new sales training curriculum for Genmar’s dealerships worldwide, so those working to sell boats better serve the needs of women consumers,” said Kull, who leads Genmar’s Women Making Waves initiative. “Studies have shown that women are involved in the vast majority of family buying decisions and, more importantly, are almost always involved in deciding whether a family continues boating after the first purchase.”

Women completing the survey questions are able to view the results to date immediately upon submitting it. The results will also be available to other boating organizations or interested manufacturers.

Founded in 1966, BoatU.S. now has 550,000 members, and sponsors events and programs for women boaters including major women’s regattas, the Women in Boating Web site, women’s fishing seminars and sailing conferences.

Genmar, which owns 18 boat companies, has launched a series of hands-on women’s boat-handling clinics through its network of dealerships.

• For more of the latest news, click here.