Upgrade Your Employee Orientation
If you’ve worked in the marine industry your whole life like many dealership owners and managers, it can be challenging to think like someone who has little to no experience in the boat business. And yet that’s the reality for many of our new hires. You probably have the tools to onboard them to their new position, like job descriptions, org charts and process maps. But do you have what you need to successfully orient them to boating and boat dealerships in general?
That’s why MRAA gathered the following tools and resources: To help you fill this orientation gap.
VIDEO
Welcome to Dealership 101
Without a clear understanding of how everything connects, your new hires can easily feel lost. Not only in their new role, but also the terminology and the functions throughout the dealership. This level of uncertainty can be frustrating and create lost opportunities for them and the rest of the team.
You want your new employees, especially those green to the boating scene, to feel more confident in their role so they work better, engage more and help create a stronger dealership experience for your team and customers. That’s why it’s important to have the resources and educational support you need to help onboard your team beyond just their specific job duties.
The MRAA is here to help. Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President of Education, welcomes your team to MRAA’s Dealership 101 initiative, an educational initiative to help marine retailers improve employee orientation.
RESOURCES
Dealership 101: Introduction to Dealership Departments
Bringing in new hires to your dealership is challenging — especially when many of them have little to no experience in boating or dealership operations. Without a clear understanding of how everything connects, they can feel lost, and their uncertainty can be frustrating and create lost opportunities for them and the rest of the team.
This Introduction to Dealership Departments walks them through how a dealership works, what each department does and how they, in their role, can contribute. When employees feel more confident in their role, they work better, engage more and help create a stronger dealership experience for your customers.
MRAA Members ONLY:
Not an MRAA Member? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
RESOURCE
Understanding Boat Engines
Learning ins and outs of boat motors and propulsion systems can be overwhelming for new hires. That’s why we created this helpful Discover Boating resource that breaks down motor types, how they work and which boats they’re best suited for. Help your new employees gain more confidence through the power of knowledge about boat engines.
BLOG & RESOURCES
Onboarding Checklist
When you hire a new employee who is unfamiliar with boating or a marine dealership, it’s critical to provide education and resources to help them gain industry knowledge, rather than “throw them in the deep end.” You want to provide them with as many educational life jackets, in the form of education and information, to help them stay afloat while they are juggling learning their role, boating and dealership life.
While each role in your business has unique requirements, certain fundamental information will benefit all dealership team members, regardless of their specific position.
VIDEO
A Discussion on New Hire Orientation
From not having enough technicians in service to hiring a new support crew annually, you face many challenges in managing your workforce. One pain point that especially rings true is hiring “green” employees. You know, those seemingly talented new crew members who lack the basic boating knowledge and have never worked in a boat dealership before entering your business. We get it. That’s why this page exists and why the MRAA is building a more in-depth educational resource we call Dealership 101.
Three of our team members recently gathered on Zoom to learn more about new hire orientation. This video shares with you two important viewpoints from our team, one from a manager’s (hiring team) perspective, in Bernie, and the other from someone who has lived that new-hire life in Jennifer. Both have excellent tips and sound advice for helping your new hires gain confidence. When you help them, they, in turn, help your dealership and your customers succeed.
Do you have a tips that has worked for your new hires for improving their orientation? Reach out to me at jerrod@mraa.com.
VIDEO
MRAA Dealer Member Onboarding: Welcome to the Team
Employees new to boating and dealership life need help learning their role, dealership operations and the industry. You want to help them feel connected and fast!
This onboarding video introduces your new hires to the marine industry and shows them they are part of a larger recreational boating community. It connects them with MRAA’s training, tools and support, giving them access to expert guidance, online courses and industry events like Dealer Week.
The sooner you can help your new hires feel confident and supported, the quicker they contribute to your dealership’s success. This video makes that first step easier.
Explore MRAA membership today, reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
INDUSTRY RESOURCES
The Psychology of Churn in Fishing & Boating
Imagine if all your new hires, as part of their onboarding process, could understand the value their specific role at the dealership plays in serving your customers. Some of your employees may interact with customers more than others, but they all contribute to the overall customer experience, from refills at the gas dock to cleaning a boat after repairs to proper winter storage.
MRAA Partner, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, completed a significant study to understand why existing customers leave boating and fishing — that’s the churn! It’s critical to help your team, both old hats and newcomers, understand how they can make a positive impact on your existing customers. This handy infographic from RBFF quickly breaks down why participants leave, what conflicts arise for them, why it’s important to engage them and strategies for success. The bottom line is you want to maintain these existing relationships (read: keep them boating and fishing) to create happy customers who keep coming back!
Want more from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation? Click here.
DATA
Dealer Feedback – Employee Orientation
Providing your new hires, many of whom don’t have a boating background, with helpful orientation materials and educational resources can not only improve their onboarding experience, but can aid your new team members on the fundamentals of being a dealership employee. Let’s face it, you hire your boating experts, like skilled technicians and experience sales leaders less frequently than you do your yard crew and gas dock employees. That’s why it’s so critical to supply your new workers with the appropriate educational materials to bring them up to speed. While they will learn certain things and terminology “doing” their job, providing them with the correct resources (terminology, departmental breakdowns, etc.) will help them gain comfort and have a better understanding of their role and how to contribute.
Recently, boat dealers participated in the MRAA Pulse Report, sharing insights about new employees and their experience levels and what educational content could help them get oriented with boating and working in a dealership.
Not an MRAA Member, but want the MRAA Pulse Report data? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
EDUCATION
Understanding Buyer Motivation
Imagine if you could help newly hired employees better understand why customers make purchases. This course with Jim Million of Million Learning identifies customer’s “personal” buying motives. It also helps your team apply them to the presentation aspect of your sales process. After learning to identify the customer buying motives, you’ll gain perspective and understand the real reasons consumers make buying decisions. You can then present features and benefits to their customer’s personal “dominant” buying motives.
Use the handouts to help your team to learn and practice. Gain ideas on what you can do with your team, especially new hires, to teach them and coach them through their learning. Get a list of highly recommended sales books from course host Jim Million.
MRAA Members ONLY:
Not an MRAA Member? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
Searching for Onboarding Resources & Best Practices?
We understand you want to help improve the experience of your new employees. That’s why it’s critical to provide them with education and knowledge. It’s also vital to build a better onboarding process at your dealership. You can find helpful resources, best practices and other education in MRAA’s Spotlight library.
