• Rapid Marine uses proactive approach to engage, educate and encourage Minnesota boaters about new boating safety law
Imagine there are 10 hurdles in your way, standing between you and the finish line.
If you’ve ever had a chance to run hurdles on a track team, staring down 10 hurdles, each measuring 42 inches high (Olympic), in the 110-meter high hurdles looks incredibly daunting. Clearing all 10 hurdles in sequence while running is even more challenging for those who have never done it or done it with proper form.
For those who have mastered hurdling, it’s a thing of beauty. Just watch current world record holder Aries Merritt of the United States! But for those who have no clue, it’s downright ugly, scary and somewhat hilarious.
I remember the first time I tried to run hurdles in track. If I could jump and run what could go wrong? A lot. However, once I practiced a certain controlled running and leaping cadence for clearing each obstacle things improved. In fact, hurdles were sort of fun after that. “Sure, coach, I’ll do the 400 hurdles, too!”
Help Customers Enjoy Boating
As a boat dealer, you have hurdles of your own, but you also can help guide and coach your customers to greater boating success by clearing obstacles that could prevent them from boating or simply enjoying time on the water. One recent example of this is Minnesota’s new boater education law that goes into effect on July 1, 2025. The MRAA Advocacy Team supported this safety and educational law to promote boater knowledge and training of the future generations of boaters. To be clear, it’s only a hurdle if dealers and boaters are unprepared for it. One dealer took it upon themselves to help its customers understand the new law.
Rapid Marine, an MRAA Certified Dealership (Shout out to @GarettSolberg and his teammates), understands that by helping its customers overcome boating hurdles, it’s clearing some major hurdles of its own — boater retention. Its recent website article explains all the details of this law. They also share that, “This law is all about boater safety. With more boaters on the water than ever, ensuring everyone knows the rules and has the right training helps prevent accidents and protect Minnesota’s waterways.”
By focusing on messaging that helps improve its customers’ (and potential customers’) boat ownership experiences and educating the boating community it supports, Rapid Marine is earning boaters’ trust and helping to keep its customers boating. And by serving as a respected boating expert — promoting safety and encouraging abidance of boating laws — Rapid Marine is maintaining relationships and fostering messaging that promotes proper boat use and building a culture focused on boater retention.
Overcoming Boating Hurdles Together
Remember this new boater safety law is just one hurdle of many new boaters face. Others may include not knowing boating and fishing laws, where to boat or how to maintain their boat.
That’s why it’s important to engage, educate and encourage customers. You’re helping them to reduce the number of hurdles or properly size them up so they enjoy boating to its fullest. Your guidance, like this Rapid Marine example, helps them find greater success and develop loyalty to your dealership.
What hurdles have you helped your customers understand more clearly so they can take them on with more confidence and at full stride? Let me know about it — send an email to: jerrod@mraa.com.
