MICD announces 6-Week Program

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership program has launched a new path to help dealers complete the initial Certification process in just 6 weeks.

The 6-Week Certification Completion Plan breaks down the formal 15-part checklist into manageable weekly steps that allow dealers to achieve their Certification status in a shorter period of time.

Dealers will still start the Certification process with a Pre-Certification Assessment and a call with their Certification Consultant. The Consultant will then guide them through the 6-week process that helps the dealer establish effective and efficient operational systems and process, create a culture focused on employee satisfaction and generate not just satisfied customers but loyal fans.

The Consultant will work with each dealer to develop a plan that works for them, offering space for the dealer to complete all requirements on and path and timeline that will work for their specific location’s needs.

Interested in the 6-Week Certification Completion Plan? Contact the MRAA’s Nikki Duffney at 763-333-2420 or at Nikki@mraa.com.

5 Tips To Grow Your Own Technicians

At the MRAA, our job is to help our members become more successful, so we’re constantly trying to better understand their pain points. In recent years, we frequently hear from dealers that their biggest struggles are “workforce challenges” – often in the form of a lack of qualified technicians.

With a shortage of readily available help in the existing workforce, many successful dealerships have focused their attention on developing talent internally. Here are some tips for growing your own technicians:

  • Create a roadmap. Outline the progression of what it takes to become a master technician. This doesn’t just benefit incoming trainees; it will help all service department employees to understand what their career journey will look like.
  • Set competency benchmarks. Make a list of the training, skills and certifications trainees will require to graduate to technician status. The qualifications in your current technician job descriptions are a good starting point.
  • Develop a timeline. People need to understand how long it will take to move through your program. Estimate the time it will take to acquire the necessary skills.
  • Structure your compensation. If you don’t have one already, you’ll need to develop an incentive-based compensation plan. (To begin, a starting apprentice with entry-level skills should receive about 50 percent of a standard “journeyperson” wage.)
  • Get buy-in. For your trainees to become successful, you’ll need internal champions who believe in the program. The good news is that, if used correctly, an apprentice can increase billed labor for a lead technician — and cover their cost for the first year.

Want more? These tips are all taken from our latest white paper, available online now. MRAA members can download it today for a step-by-step manual on how to design, recruit and evaluate an apprenticeship program. Download the “The Guide to Apprenticeship.”

Not a member? We have a free resource available that covers the first six steps in the planning and design of your apprenticeship program. Download now.

Step One: Evalute Your Website

Step One: Evalute

As a marine retailer, you know that digital marketing is one of the fastest changing areas of your business. You have heard that your website is now your business’ “virtual storefront.” So with that understanding, it is key that your website not only provides its users with great content, BUT it also needs to provide them with a stellar user experience.

As discussed as part of the digital publication, “Evaluate Your Website’s Domain, Design and Digital Content”, the first (and arguably the most important) purpose of a website’s design is to prevent a bounce. If you can convince your users to stay on your page for 30 seconds, you have a solid chance that they will stay much longer.

Use the following checklist, that is presented and explained in the whitepaper, to evaluate the USABILITY of your website:

How much time does it take to load the homepage? _________________

Can a visitor find information easily?  YES or NO

Is there a search button for visitors? YES or NO

Do all the links work? YES or NO

Is my site mobile friendly? YES or NO

Is my site compatible with multiple browsers? YES or NO

Are visitors able to navigate between different webpages in a simple an hassle-free manner? YES or NO

Are all clickable items and navigation buttons clearly marked and easy to identify? YES or NO

Are all the images clear and easy to see? YES or NO

Are there options for providing me feedback? YES or NO

Is the overall performance of my site acceptable? YES or NO

Now that you made it through the checklist, what are you doing well? And what did you identify as an opportunity to better your website’s usability? Even one small change can dramatically advance the user experience of your website.

For two more guided checklists and additional guidance on auditing your website’s domain, design, and digital content, MRAA members can login and download the full white paper here.

The digital publication, “Evaluate Your Website’s Domain, Design and Digital Content” is the first in a three-part series, “The 3Ds of Effective Website Marketing,” created through a partnership between MRAA and Dominion Domains.

Tell Congress: Educate Consumers on E15

Most consumers are unaware of the dangers posed by fuels with high levels of ethanol, like E15. Small engines, like those in boats, lawn mowers, and motorcycles can only use fuel with 10% ethanol or lower. Using E15 in these engines destroys them and voids their warranty. Plus, E15 is federally prohibited from use in small engines.
 
Fortunately, Representatives Lois Frankel (D-FL-21), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Charlie Crist (D-FL-13), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) have reintroduced their bipartisan legislation called the “Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act.” This bill would more clearly label gas pumps that contain E15 and better educate consumers about higher ethanol blend fuels. And with year-round sales of E15 on the horizon, we need this bill more than ever.
 
Contact your members of Congress today and tell them to support the Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Canada Repeals Tariffs on Marine Products

Last summer the Canadian government levied a 10 percent tariffs on U.S.-built boats, causing severe disruptions for US boat builders and their Canadian dealers.

According to the Government of Canada, effective April 30, 2019, all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. recreational boats entering Canada have been removed, marking the most positive development for our industry since this concerning issue first emerged.

The Canadian Marine Trade Associations have been advised that earlier this week, the Canadian government approved the “Order Amending the United States Surtax Order (Other Goods),” which ended the 10 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. boats heading to Canada that was implemented in response to the U.S government’s Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Specifically, this action removes the following boat-related HTC codes from the list of goods subjected to the surtaxes:

  • 8903.10.00
  • 8903.91.00
  • 8903.92.00
  • 8903.99.90

All boats imported on or after April 30, 2019, are no longer subject to retaliatory tariffs (on a forward basis). At this time the government will not issue rebates or refunds for surtaxes paid on boats prior to this action.

This order will be officially published on May 15, 2019 in Part II Canada Gazette. The next few weeks may still have some challenges in sorting through the details; we urge you to continue collaborating and communicating to support the entire industry.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

MRAA Member Testifies in Support of Minnesota Recreation Office

On Monday, May 6th MRAA member John Wooden of River Valley Marine testified in the Minnesota House of Representatives Government Operations Committee in support of HF 2864, a bill that will create a Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Office. Wooden highlighted the economic impact of boating and other forms of recreation in the state, citing a report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that found outdoor recreation responsible for 2.2% of the United States Gross Domestic Product, with $16.7 billion in consumer spending and 141,000 jobs generated in Minnesota alone. He also appealed to the impact that a state recreation office could have on the marine industry’s workforce:

“From a business standpoint, and I speak for nearly every outdoor recreational business in the state and across the country, we are experiencing a tremendous shortage of qualified workers to fulfill our growing employment needs. I currently have more than 20 jobs open across my locations, and that’s just a fraction of the outdoor industry’s current open positions. It is my hope that this new office of outdoor recreation will not only shine a light on the powerful economic contributor that is the outdoor recreation industry, but that it will also help demonstrate the importance of the  economic considerations for our businesses, such as this shortage of employees and the need to create skilled job training opportunities, within the boating and outdoor economy as a whole”.

State outdoor recreation offices have been a focal point of MRAA’s partnership with a large coalition of other outdoor recreation groups, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). MRAA and the ORR view these state offices as an opportunity to expand recreation opportunities, ensure access to public lands, and educate the public on the impact of the outdoor recreation economy as a whole. These efforts are being pursued in many other states, including Wisconsin, where MRAA members met with the Governor’s Department of Tourism last week.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Continuous Certification Launches Employee Satisfaction Survey Process

As seasonal dealerships are ramping up for their peak season, the Continuous Certification program has kicked off Employee Satisfaction Survey season.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program recently received links to their Employee Satisfaction Surveys (ESS). The ESS process allows dealers to survey their employees anonymously to get a clearer view of the culture within their business. The dealership’s entire staff then works together to develop a process improvement plan to address any issues uncovered up by the ESS.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program are given the entire year to complete the survey. However, those who complete the survey by Sept. 16 are eligible for the 2019 Great Dealerships to Work For Awards, which recognizes the dealers with the highest Employee Satisfaction scores.

Soundings Trade Only Named Dealer Week Official Media Partner

Industry media leader to provide livestream interviews from 2019 event.

Dealer Week, the all-new MRAA Conference and Expo, has named Soundings Trade Only as its Official Media Partner. The organizations have begun collaborating on an all-new livestream video experience to be broadcast from Dealer Week 2019, as well as an expansive marketing and advertising campaign to drive greater awareness of this exciting new event.

To be held Dec. 8-11 in Tampa, Fla., Dealer Week will feature a Solutions Stage in the center of its expansive expo hall. Soundings Trade Only will conduct live interviews from the Stage, engaging with industry executives, Dealer Week partners and other leaders. This new feature of MRAA’s annual conference will not only provide these individuals with a platform to enhance the on-site experience and takeaways, but the livestream will also deliver the Dealer Week and Soundings Trade Only brands to numerous industry inboxes and social media feeds on an ongoing basis.

“Over the long history of MRAA’s educational events, we have never explored the means for reaching an audience outside of those in attendance at the event,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We partnered with Soundings Trade Only so that we can now provide an even greater ROI for our attendees and our partners, as well as being able to reach those individuals who may not be able to attend the conference to show them all Dealer Week has to offer.”

Soundings Trade Only will bring its strong reporting reputation and interviewing expertise to add to Dealer Week, as its editors explore the latest trends and insights on the state of the industry from the Solutions Stage. In its 40th anniversary year, Soundings Trade Only will bring a vast amount of insight to the Dealer Week dialogue as industry leaders will fuel conversations with diverse perspectives.

“Soundings Trade Only is proud to support key industry associations and events that provide tools to push the industry forward,” said Michele Goldsmith, Publisher of Soundings Trade Only. “Thus, we are pleased to collaborate with MRAA to drive attendance of the new Dealer Week event that includes education, networking and more for members of the marine industry eco-system.”

About Trade Only
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Soundings Trade Only is a marine business-to-business news multi-media brand.  It includes a monthly print publication, and digital entities including an e-newsletter, web and social media sites.  Soundings Trade Only’s mission is to reflect, inform and inspire. It offers the latest business news, and information about the brands, products, companies, people, events, trends, statistics, management, manufacturing, marketing, and more impacting the marine industry.  It is part of the AIM Marine Group, which includes other marine consumer publications: Yachts International, Power & Motoryacht, SAIL, Anglers Journal, Soundings, and PassageMaker. The AIM Marine Group is a division of Active Interest Media.  For more information or to order a free subscription, please visit www.tradeonlytoday.com.

About Dealer Week
For more than 40 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week has evolved as MRAA’s rebranded and reimagined annual conference and expo, a profoundly new event experience designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at dealerweek.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the MRAA, our team believes that for the marine industry to thrive, the dealers on the front lines of the industry must first find success. With that in mind, we work to create a strong and healthy boating industry by providing dealers with tools, resources and educational programs — such as MRAATraining.com, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, and Dealer Week, The MRAA Conference & Expo — and by representing those businesses with a powerful voice. For more information, visit mraa.com.

120 Marine Dealerships Completed Continuous Certification Program in Inaugural Year

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that more than 120 marine dealerships completed the inaugural year of the association’s Continuous Certification program.

The all-new Continuous Certification program was launched January 2018 as a powerful revamp to the previous “Re-Certification” process. The new program was built specifically for Certified Dealers and not only qualified dealers to maintain their Dealership Certification status, but also strengthen the dealership operations that were addressed in the initial Certification Program.

The 2018 educational curriculum focused on how dealerships could improve their customer relationship management processes, how to create a stronger customer experience, how to develop an accountable workforce and how to decide which growth or stability strategy marine retailers should focus. The courses included:

  • Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM, by Sam Dantzler
  • Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset, by Theresa Syer
  • How to Create a High Accountability Dealership, by John Spence
  • Strategy: A Path to Improved Performance, by David Spader

“Each educational course introduced new and challenging lessons and best practices that marine retailers should be integrating into their dealerships, in order to reach their greatest potential,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “The participating dealerships were truly focused on improving their relationships with their customers, bettering their workplace culture and securing the success of their day-to-day dealership operations.”

In addition to the educational curriculum, dealerships participated in the Employee Satisfaction Survey process, which addressed the current culture of their company and encouraged retailers to look into ways on how they could improve the overall satisfaction of their employees. They also assessed their compliance with Certification standards, evaluated their facilities and completed a performance planning process.

“We were thrilled with the level of engagement that was demonstrated by the first year Continuous Certification participants,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Committing to continuing your education year after year is the best way that marine retailers can ensure continued growth and success as a Marine Industry Certified Dealership.”

Enrollment for the 2019 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

MRAA Joins Center for Sportfishing Policy Membership

The Marine Retailers Associations is honored to announce that the association has joined the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP) membership. We look forward to supporting CSP and working together to maximize opportunity for saltwater recreational anglers and the industry, as a whole.

“MRAA has always recognized the significance of recreational saltwater fishing to the marine industry, and we are excited by the opportunity to partner with CSP and advocate for anglers and dealers at a much higher level,” says William Higgins, MRAA Public Policy Manager.
 
CSP is a coalition of leading advocates for marine recreational fishing and boating. The Center works to maximize opportunity for saltwater recreational anglers by organizing, focusing and engaging recreational fishing stakeholders to speak with one voice to shape federal marine fisheries management  policy. The organization is non-partisan and focuses on having an impact in the national political arena, principally Congress and federal regulatory agencies, to promote a quality recreational fishery and improve angling and boating access.

“The Center for Sportfishing Policy is proud to represent the millions of Americans for whom saltwater recreational fishing is a way of life,” said CSP President Jeff Angers. “We are thrilled to welcome these members to our family.”

 

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.