Tag Archives: Columns

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 ...

By Adam Quandt Well, we’re just about halfway through the year, and what a year it’s been so far. Have you checked in with yourself? Your family? Your colleague? Your team? Anyone else you can think of. If not, take a moment to catch up with everyone, including yourself. Look back at the first six months of the year. Look ...

By David Gee I like the word community. I use it a lot. In fact, I likely overuse it, and I’m not the only one. It seems these days especially, more and more advertising, marketing and social media messaging contains, and in some cases co-opts, the word community. So, I am attempting to reframe in my own mind what it ...

By Matt Sellhorst Words have power. The power of words can change over time. For example, if I said Corona just a few months ago, what would pop into your head? A sandy beach, a lime and a beer, right? Now, what pops into your head? As a write this, even my 6-year-old girl Emery would say “the virus.” This ...

By David Gee “Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at worst. They meant too many things. Or they meant nothing at all.” ― Patricia A. McKillip, In the Forests of Serre. To say the world has changed since the printed edition of Boating Industry went to press a couple of weeks ago is an understatement to the point of ridiculousness. ...

By Myril Shaw Are you offering all of your customers all of the optional protective products you can? If the answer is yes, congratulations…you are part of a pretty small club.  If the answer is no, you are probably leaving money on the table. Going back to the “yes” answer, are you making sure your customers know they have been ...

By Jonathan Sweet The most important question on the Top 100 application is what dealers have done to get better over the previous years. It’s a recognition that no matter how good a dealership is, it can get better. We’re looking for that constant effort that shows a dedication to continual improvement. At the same time, it’s important that we ...

By David Gee Take a look at that photo. It’s me standing underneath the SE 17th Street Causeway Bridge in Fort Lauderdale, just across the street from Pier 66. As this particular image was taken, the spot where I was standing also served as the entrance to the Superyacht Village at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Behind me at ...

By Jonathan Sweet When people talk about diversity, the first thing that usually comes to mind is ethnic and racial diversity. But the truth is most of us are now facing a workforce that is also diverse when it comes to generational differences. Consider that for some businesses, there are five generations in the workforce: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, ...

By Matt Sellhorst The past several years have been what I call “boom” years for most dealers. Sales volume is up, units are up in most segments and times are pretty good. But, could they be better? What happens if there’s a slowdown? Or what if the election cycle triggers the typical uncertainty that could impact sales? If your dealership ...