Intent: For the Dealer to understand where they need improvement and for the consultant to understand where and how they can help. The Marine Industry Certified Dealership program’s Pre-Certification Assessment is the base from which the program begins. We could argue that the Pre-Certification Assessment is one of the most important steps in the MICD […]

When I think of the word intent, my mind often takes a step further and thinks of the word intentions. With anything that you make a commitment to – relationships, your health, continuing your education – there are always intentions attached. So much like everything the association does, there is intent behind each resource and […]

What’s your number one factor / point of preparation for success at your upcoming boat shows? “Nothing matters if you do not have the right people on the floor, with the right training and skills. Best boat, best layout, best prices – those all mean nothing if you don’t have the tools (people) to convert […]

Today’s customers are finicky. Technology has given them seemingly endless paths to purchase. They pop up almost as imaginary prospects, clicking on our website, opting out of our cookies permissions, closing our lead forms, denying our chat functions, and never EVER requesting a brochure. We want to believe they are out there. They’re on our […]

What is one big trend are you watching as you begin to prepare for 2020? “Pontoon Inventory levels.” – Chad Taylor, Taylor’s South Shore Marine “Triple & quad center consoles” – Jim Dragseth, Whiticar Boat Works, Inc. “Watching the alternative propulsion methods. GreenLine Yachts is building the only true Hybrid currently available in the US […]

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the opportunity to connect our industry’s manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to the great work that our MRAA team does in fueling dealer success. As a testament to the importance of that work, one dealer went out of his way last week to tell us […]

What is the most impactful lesson you learned about consumers during this selling season? “Consumers are more than ever confused about what a boat costs. Some manufacturers post a (too low) retail selling prices then hide the additional fees which make the customer irate in the dealership. Bottom line dealerships with less than 5% net […]

We’re often asked whether we have tools to help dealers survive the next recession. The answer is “yes.” It’s impossible to know when the next recession will arrive; however, as anyone who experienced the last downturn will attest, you’d be crazy not to be prepared when it does. To help with that process, MRAA has […]

How have you made purchasing decisions (for the next model year) at recent dealer meetings based on your current inventory levels? I have brought in 2020 inventory, so that combined with my existing 2019 inventory, it will match my inventory level that I had last year heading into Q4. The primary difference being, last year […]

The past few weeks have been busy for dealers like you. Just as you’re seeing the last blast of summer sales, you’re also jumping on planes or driving across the country to visit your reps and peers at manufacturer dealer meetings. And we have been, too! In the past month, members of the MRAA team […]