By Dom Zappia, National Area Director, RV and Marine, EasyCare, an MRAA Education Champion
Every successful marine dealer knows the challenge: customers love your boats but want to “think about it” or “come back next week.” An urgency story gives customers a legitimate, time-sensitive reason to act now rather than delay their purchase decision.
When done correctly, it registers in your customer’s brain as a compelling reason they can’t afford to wait. The key is authenticity. Your urgency story must be real, relevant and something customers are already hearing about from multiple sources.
Current Real-World Events Creating Urgency
The most powerful urgency stories begin with genuine events that everyone is discussing. When customers hear the same message on the morning news, at work, from neighbors and finally from you at the dealership, they know it’s true.
- New Tariff Impact: The U.S. has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, plus tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. Since boat manufacturing relies heavily on these materials, prices could rise across the industry. Customers who wait could possibly pay significantly more.
- Interest Rate Reality: With rates still high at 8% or more for major purchases, financing costs remain elevated. Any future rate increases will make boat ownership even more expensive for buyers who delay their decision.
- Environmental Regulation Changes: New environmental regulations are forcing manufacturers to invest in costly sustainable materials and technologies. These compliance costs are being passed to consumers, making boats more expensive.
- Supply Chain Pressures: Ongoing disruptions in fiberglass and other key materials can increase production costs. Limited availability means customers may not find their preferred model if they wait.
Get Everyone on the Same Page
Here’s where many dealerships fail: they don’t coordinate their message. When customers hear the same urgency story from your sales team, managers and business office, they believe it’s legitimate.
Make your urgency story part of:
- Morning sales meetings
- Manager meetings
- Lunch conversations
- Customer interactions
You’ll know you’ve picked a good urgency story when your team talks about it outside of work. If it’s not compelling enough for your staff to discuss naturally, it won’t be compelling to customers either.
Beyond ‘Big Sale’ Language
A compelling urgency story is more than just talking about “the big sale.” It connects to larger economic or industry trends that customers understand and care about.
Instead of saying “This sale ends Sunday,” try “With new tariffs possibly increasing steel and aluminum costs, manufacturers may need to raise prices. Locking in today’s pricing protects you from these increases.”
Implementation Tips
Here are four ways to create successful implementation.
- Be specific: Use actual dates, percentages and dollar amounts when possible.
- Stay current: Update your urgency story as market conditions change.
- Train consistently: Make sure every team member can explain the urgency clearly.
- Document results: Track which urgency stories work best for your market.
The Bottom Line
Your dealership likely already has compelling reasons for customers to buy now. The difference between good dealers and great dealers is intentionally defining that urgency story and getting everyone aligned on the same message.
When customers hear a consistent, believable reason to act today, they’re much more likely to make that decision. Start developing your urgency story today — your sales numbers will thank you tomorrow.
About the Author
Dom Zappia is the National Area Director, RV and Marine at EasyCare. He has been in the industry for 18 years, beginning his career at a dealership where he was first introduced to Finance & Insurance (F&I) as a Finance Manager. Dom’s passion for F&I led him to develop an extensive training program specifically tailored for marine dealerships. His deep understanding of dealership operations has enabled him to customize training to meet the needs of dealers across the nation. EasyCare, focuses on forward-thinking RV and marine F&I solutions. Dom, who has served as a Dealer Week educator, is recognized for his expertise in training, consulting and creating new fixed operations content to help dealers enhance their operations and profitability.
