Yamaha starts repower promotion to stimulate sales

KENNESAW, Ga. — Yamaha Marine Group has begun a repower promotion offering current used boat owners as much as $6,635 in benefits on eligible repowers, a move designed to stimulate sales for full-line Yamaha dealers, the company said this morning.

Called “Repower with Yamaha and Take Command,” the promotion, which applies to eligible outboards purchased between May 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006, is unusual in that it provides one of two options the customer can specify to receive benefits. Option one includes a Yamaha Command Link Starter Kit and a credit to dealer towards eligible rigging/labor costs. Option two is exclusively a credit to dealer towards eligible rigging/labor costs.

“We think this will help the dealers close in on outboard sales in cases where used boat owners are on the fence about a repower,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha division manager, Marketing, in the company’s press release. “At the same time, it is an opportunity for the dealer to improve long-term customer satisfaction by offering Command Link, which is designed to work in concert with the Yamaha outboard.”

Command Link is Yamaha’s marine information management system and can consist of a variety of components, such as gauges linked together through a Local Area Network. The makeup of the Command Link Starter Kit varies depending upon the type of outboard installation.

“The promotion gives our dealers and their customers a lot of choices,” said Barnes. “If the customer is repowering a used boat already equipped with Command Link with an eligible outboard motor, the dealer can apply the credit towards labor for the installation of the eligible outboard.”

Promotion benefits offered to the customer — who must be the used boat’s owner to qualify — are as follows for option one:

In each case, these approximate values include the retail value of the Command Link Starter Kit. Options for eligible models vary based on horsepower and year of production.

Dealer incentive
In addition to the promotion benefits, Yamaha full-line dealers can take advantage of an added incentive designed to assist dealers in accepting trade-ins.

GE Commercial Distribution Finance is offering qualified full-line dealers 60 days free flooring interest for select used motors taken in trade towards the purchase of eligible new Yamaha outboards.

There are specific eligibility requirements to participate in the promotion, and those requirements are outlined in a package sent to Yamaha full-line dealers.

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