Sea Ray of Cincinnati was recently recognized (again) as one of Boating Industry Magazine’s “Top 100 Dealers.” Talk a bit about the secret sauce over there and what it means to the team to be included amongst the industry’s heavyweights.
Our team is extremely proud to be a Top 100 Dealer again for the 10th consecutive year. We believe that our ‘secret sauce’ is our great group of employees. Many of us have been here 10, 15, even 20+ years. We’ve seen a lot of dealerships come and go so we’re always proud of our longevity. We have a lot of expertise in our departments yet we’re always willing to learn more. Our goal, regardless of which department we’re in, is always to make certain that our customers have incredible experiences on the water.
How has being an MRAA member helped Sea Ray of Cincinnati both streamline day-to-day operations and craft long-term strategy?
Recently, we attended the MRAA Annual Conference in Orlando, sitting in on various dealership related seminars and discussions. From marketing to service to sales, the takeaway was a lot of great ideas currently being implemented by other dealers across the country. We are also in the process of our MRAA Recertification, which requires us to review and fine tune our day-to-day processes and operations. The MRAA has been very helpful in this process.
What do you see as the No. 1 challenge facing the boating industry? How are your dealership(s) countering?
We see the No 1 challenge facing the industry today is exposing new people to the sport as well as getting existing boaters to spend more time on their boats. We counter this by continuing to promote the boating lifestyle and reminding people that great memories are made on a boat. We not only reach out to existing boaters but potential future boaters via digital marketing channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Offer some advice to small (or large) dealerships as they battle the lull of winter.
Battling the lull of wintertime can actually be super productive. Not only do we suggest taking time to do those projects that are difficult to achieve in the busy boating season such as Recertification, product training, mechanic certifications, management training and employee reviews. But, we also suggest taking the time to walk around the dealership and do some facility reviews. What can be cleaned up, thrown away, painted etc.? You might even find excess parts, tools or furniture that can be listed on Craigslist or eBay. Really take the time to get some much-needed projects completed. When you finish with that, look at your used and brokerage inventory and identify what can be reconditioned and tuned up before spring. Before you know it, the boating season will be here!
Please share some exciting news with our members: employee highlights, community involvement, new inventory, etc.
Our recent end-of-year team bonding included an evening of laser tag. We divided into two groups, mixing up departments, and had a lot of fun and laughs strategizing to be the best laser tag team. We followed up with dinner and drinks (and a lot of smack talk discussion) on who the best team really was. Fun was had by all!