Tag Archives: Marine Dealers

I had the privilege of visiting seven dealers in the state of Wisconsin last week: Nestegg Marine, Shipyard Marine, Gage Marine, Gordy’s Lakefront Marine, Reed’s Marine, Don’s Marine and SkipperBud’s of Madison. I am thankful each dealer took the time to let me tour their facilities during an incredibly busy time while getting boats ready for the short season of ...

By Jim Ackerman and Paul Furse — For most dealers, your trophies go largely unnoticed, to the detriment of your sales. Wait. What trophies? Not just races won or awards given, although they’re part of the mix, but also the training, credentials, certifications, experience and history of your dealership. You see, most dealers simply take the ads slicks they’ve been ...

Everyone in line at Disney knew what the cost of the food was, but they still got in line and paid the price. This is no different than someone who uses SeeDealerCost.com, goes to a dealership and then buys the boat.

I’ve been having a lot of conversations with boat builders and dealers about SeeDealerCost.com these past few weeks. One conversation in particular is worth passing on for discussion.

Dave Taylor, speaking on behalf of the just-launched site, says SeeDealerCost.com is designed to improve the consumer experience.

In the end, it is not going to matter whether or not the consumer knows what a dealer pays for a boat from the manufacturer. In the end, what matters most to consumers is the level of customer service that they receive. What matters most is that the consumer feels that they received the best value for what they have purchased.

By Bill Thompson, Cardinal Points Network — Throughout the summer Congress bantered about the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, touting it as the next brick to rebuilding our economy.  The Act was finally signed into law in late September.  Now the question is what does this mean to a boat dealership? While the boat industry has concentrated discussion around ...

It may surprise you (or maybe not) that the vast majority of salespeople handling the calls never ask for the caller’s name.

Many of you reading this may think the Red Flag Rule is something to ignore. Rest assured the wolf will be knocking one day, and it is our hope that each dealership will be prepared.

By Christopher Kourtakis, director of sales and marketing, 360° Industry Solutions — As I stood in a local dealership the other day, a customer who just purchased a boat from the dealership had a few questions and looked a little lost. So, I went up to the gentleman and asked him if I could point him in the right direction. ...