MRAA Blog

Taking on Dealers’ Challenge, Part Two

Certified Dealers challenged us to make Recertification as valuable for them as Certification. So, we’ve spent the past year formulating a plan for how to do that and gaining industry insight into our plan. Read more about how we went about that in my last blog: Time for a Professional Change. Now, we’re focused on […]

Time for a Professional Change, Part One

Accountants, Architects, Construction Contractors, Cosmologists, Doctors, Engineers, Firefighters, Insurance Agents, Loan Officers, Nurses, Police, Real Estate Agents, Safety Personnel, Teachers. What do these pros have in common? To keep their jobs and remain in business, they each need to stay updated on their profession by completing continuous education.    And let’s be honest. Whether your […]

Raising Our Game Together

Over the past four or five years, we’ve had a lot of conversations with dealers like you about how you approach improving and growing your business. Your commitment to continuing to get better at everything you do is inspiring to us. Especially when we consider all that you’re juggling. Most dealers are running four or […]

Increase Attendance at Annual Meetings

In a recent article for The Membership Management Report, MRAA President Matt Gruhn wrote about the association’s role in growing the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, which is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry magazine. Here is an expert from the article Matt was featured in: Increase Attendance at Annual Meetings “The Marine Retailers Association […]

What’s in a Name (Tag)

What do you think about your crew wearing name tags? If it was up to me, I would have the customers wear them too! I’m the worst at remembering names, even two minutes after an introduction. As a customer, I love it when the employees I meet are wearing name tags. It allows me to […]

How to do Mergers and Acquisitions Right

If there’s one thing it seems you can count on in the marine industry’s news this year, it’s mergers and acquisitions. This trend doesn’t discriminate: it touches dealers, marinas, boat builders and suppliers alike. And probably other boat business sectors too. I’ve been through a few of them in my career. My husband has endured […]

Don’t forget the ING

I know, I know, I’ve heard from ALL of you on the phone, emails, texts, Facebook and at dealer meetings: You are too busy this time of year! But to keep this thing called boat sales rolling for years to come, we need to remember to promote the “ING” in boating. It’s easy when times […]