TAMPA – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas delivered an educational seminar at last week’s International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, highlighting methods that manufacturers and suppliers can use to create a competitive advantage through dealer development.
Featuring MRAA’s Lead Dealer Certification Consultant Bob McCann as the instructor, MRAA shared how manufacturers and suppliers can save time and money, improve customer loyalty and ultimately sell more product through effective dealer development strategies. The seminar offered ideas for how to strengthen dealer relationships, reduce dealer network turnover, and improve sales and profitability for both the dealers and their suppliers.
“Let’s face it: After the boat leaves the factory, the dealer takes over and becomes the face of our manufacturers, our suppliers, and our entire industry,” explains McCann. “They either accentuate or cloud our brands and the lifestyle that boating promises the end customer. Partnering with dealers is an effective template for success for the manufacturer, its brand, and its earnings, and it’s equally as beneficial to our dealers.”
The MRAA offers an array of products and services, all supported with tools, resources and educational programming to help strengthen the prospects for growth and success at the dealer level. Recently, the MRAA began rolling out manufacturer and supplier partner programs that can aid manufacturers in achieving their dealer development goals.
From basic resources in the MRAA Resource and Career Centers to extensive educational programming at the three-day Marine Dealer Conference & Expo and on the ever-expanding MRAATraining.com, MRAA features a library of courses and tools to strengthen the foundation of dealer performance. And through the MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, where all of those opportunities come together in one comprehensive package, MRAA helps provide a blueprint for dealership success and inspires dealers to incorporate a culture of continuous improvement.
“Our passion is to help dealers strengthen their businesses,” explains Liz Walz, Vice President and Director of Education for MRAA. “To do that, we devote ourselves to understanding the diverse array of dealers and what makes them successful. Our ability to assist manufacturers and suppliers with their dealer development goals is the next natural step for us to take, and we’re thrilled with the participation we’re beginning to see in this area.”
McCann’s seminar attracted more than a dozen attendees, who engaged in thoughtful conversation on the topic of dealer development. He provided attendees with a guide to help them develop a custom strategy for putting the concepts they discussed to work in their business. To see a copy of the guide, click here. To hear more about MRAA’s thoughts on dealer development or to explore options for your business, contact MRAA’s Lee Hetherington or call him directly at 763-333-2419.
About the Marine Retailers Association
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
