Norman-Spencer Marine to sponsor online Dealer Certification workshops

CHICAGO, Ill. – Norman-Spencer Marine will sponsor Marine Industry Dealership Certification’s (MIDC) spring 2009 online Launch Workshops, MIDC reported in a recent statement.

The workshops are aimed to help boat dealers enhance the retail experience and ultimately position themselves for growth in this turbulent economy, the group stated. The online workshops help reduce costs to program participants and make acquiring the “Marine Industry Certified” designation more efficient as dealerships look for ways to save money, according to MIDC.

“Now more than ever we need to come together as an industry and figure out ways to support one another,” noted Mark Yearn, national program manager for Norman-Spencer Marine. “We feel good about putting resources against Marine Industry Dealership Certification because we know first-hand that customer satisfaction is the key to growth.”

“Norman-Spencer Marine’s commitment to the boating industry goes beyond traditional contributions and is helping make a real difference in growing our industry,” said Phil Keeter, president of the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA) and vice president of Marine Certification Inc. “Participation in the online Launch Workshops is a simple way for dealers to get their arms around how to do business in this economy and make sure they’re meeting consumer demands.”

Attendance at an online Launch Workshop is the first step for all dealerships that wish to get started on the “Marine Industry Certified” process. MIDC hopes the online format opens up the possibility of allowing more dealership personnel to participate, as numbers may have been previously limited by dealers due to travel and budget concerns. In addition to saving on travel costs, web-based workshops are often less disruptive to participating dealers; they can take part in the workshops on their office computer, in the comfort of their own dealership, organizers stated.

MIDC’s online workshops will be conducted in two segments over the course of two consecutive days, allowing dealers to participate in the program’s first steps while attending to customers during normal business hours.

The spring 2009 online Launch Workshops will take place:

To register for any of the Launch Workshops listed above, visit
DealerCertification.org or call (800) 975-7894.

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