MRAA News

Applications Sought for Leadership Development Scholarship

The MRAA Educational Foundation and Spader Business Management are seeking applicants for the 2014 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. The scholarship was founded to honor the marine industry service of Spader Business Management founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of life-long learning. The recipient, who receives full tuition to attend the Spader […]

Applications Sought for Kevin Lodder Scholarship

The MRAA Educational Foundation is seeking applicants for the 2014 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. The Kevin Lodder Scholarship Fund, which was founded in memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio, provides a full scholarship to attend a week-long Spader Business Management Total Management 1 Workshop to an employee of a Marine Retailers Association […]

MDCE 2014 Early Bird Registrations Hit Record HIgh

Registrations for the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo are at a record high of 683 following the close of the event’s Early Bird registration period, which ended at midnight Central Time on Friday, Sept. 19. This number represents a 14.4-percent increase over registration figures at the same time last year. Last year’s Early Bird […]

Explore the Future of Digital Marketing at MDCE 2014

In today’s rapidly changing digital marketing environment, it can be a challenge for even the savviest of marine dealerships to stay atop the latest Internet trends. Dealers may question whether their efforts are paying off, if they’re using the available tools to their maximum capacity, or if there’s a better way entirely to market their […]

Plan For Peak Performance at MDCE 2014

Everyone seeks to improve and grow their business, whether the focus is revenue, profits, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, or all of the above. But without smart goals and a step-by-step plan to reach them, it’s unlikely you’ll move the needle. At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., […]

Encourage Prospects to Buy

Without being aware of it, many dealerships discourage their best prospects from buying. To stem the tide of runaway sales, businesses need to know what they’re inadvertently doing to turn prospects away and counteract these measures with positive momentum designed to win sales and create customer loyalty. At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, […]

Glenn Roller to Lead MDCE Manufacturer Rep Training

MINNEAPOLIS, September 12, 2014 — The manufacturer rep/dealer relationship can be a delicate one. But when a true partnership is built, it can prove equally rewarding to both parties. Reps can help dealers select the right products and services for the local market, and the two parties can work together to provide excellent goods and […]

Energize and Empower Your Employees at MDCE 2014

With day-to-day dealership operations requiring so much attention to detail and focus on the minutia of each individual sale, it’s easy to overlook a key factor to overall dealership success: The investment, engagement and satisfaction of your employees. At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., MDCE favorite […]

Build a Service Dream Team

In order for a dealership to achieve industry-leading customer loyalty and profitability, it must employ a highly effective service team. Many dealers are finding that to be a challenge today. Not only are they struggling to find qualified technicians to fill open positions, but increased competition also makes it more difficult to retain employees. At […]

Turn F&I Objections Into Opportunities at MDCE 2014

Providing dealership customers with finance and insurance options when they buy a new or pre-owned boat can be a big boost to your business’ bottom line. But when buyers opt for outside F&I products, dealers lose out on a major profit center; additionally, customers miss a golden opportunity to secure excellent, marine-specific coverage and protection […]