MRAA Blog

What Business Are You Really In?

If I were to ask you, “What type of business do you own?” you would probably say something like: “We sell and/or service boats!” But that’s NOT really the business you’re in.  First and foremost, you’re in the business of customer acquisition. Because you can’t sell and service boats if you don’t have buyers. Duh. It’s pretty […]

A Roadmap to Winning in Service

• Pre-order the MRAA Service Management Special Report to help your dealership improve your service department’s overall performance. By Jerrod Kelley & MRAA Education team We have all heard the wise words: “Sales sell the first boat, and service sells the second, third and fourth.” Indeed, dealership service departments play a vital role in customer […]

Intentional Action

• MRAA Guide to Navigating 2024: 11 Strategies & 60+ Tools to Help Your Dealership Find Success in the New Year Some economic experts out there are predicting impending challenges in 2024. From the banter about election-year concerns to a bound-to-happen recession, the picture that is being painted by many is that the sky may […]

Providing Customers with Answers to Enhance Their Boating Experience

You need to know what your boating customers are reading and seeking more information about to help create a better boating and boat-ownership experience for them. You must support your customers, especially first-time boat buyers, in their yearning to create positive experiences by enhancing their knowledge and skills. Sites like DiscoverBoating.com can help you share […]

What is RECT and How to Measure for Best Results

By Rob Grant, Director Manufacturer Solutions, Lightspeed I know what you are thinking … not another industry acronym to have to remember. RECT, or Repair Event Cycle Time, is simply the measure of time that it takes you to repair a customer’s boat, motor, or trailer in your service department. With many parts of the […]

Seeking Greatness

• Interest in the Great Dealerships to Work For awards criteria suggests a commitment to excellence. After I sent out the recent MRAA press release announcing the 22 Certified Dealerships that earned a 2023 Great Dealerships to Work For (GDTWF) award at Dealer Week in Tampa, Fla., I received an email response asking what is […]

The Magic of Dealer Week

The 2023 MRAA Dealer Week Conference and Expo was the largest Dealer Week on record, from its attendance to its sheer size! I feel honored to play a role in helping make the annual event happen. But, as some of my co-workers have stated, Dealer Week 2023 just hit differently. Maybe it’s because of the […]

Discover Boating Dealer Finder — A Valuable Resource for Potential Boat Buyers

Since its launch last year, Dealer Finder, a tool on DiscoverBoating.com and DiscoverBoating.ca that helps consumers search for and directly connect with thousands of boat dealers across North America, has helped drive more than 33,000 referrals. Valuable Tool & Resource for ConsumersThe U.S. Dealer Finder has seen 50,000 pageviews and 37,000 unique users, and the Canadian Dealer Finder, which debuted over the summer, […]

Discover Boating – October Highlights

• DiscoverBoating.com offers year-round content that helps boaters discover helpful tips and resources relevant to the current boating season. Discover Boating published timely articles in October highlighting the unexpected joys of boating during the fall and expert advice on preparing for the off-season as many boaters seek information on winterizing their boats. 3 Discover Boating […]

Advocacy Update: Final North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule Delayed Until 2024

The long-awaited final North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule will likely not be finalized by the end of 2023, according to Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator of Fisheries at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This rule, which proposes to put in place a 10-knot speed limit on all vessels 35 feet or larger […]