Tell Your Boss MDCE Is Right for You

You’ve looked at the MDCE lineup and schedule and have determined the 2018 conference and expo is the right place for you to grow your dealership and advance your career. Now how do you convince your supervisor that this is the right training for you? The MRAA has developed a letter for you to deliver to your boss, helping you explain all the reasons you should attend, including which sessions would bring the most ROI to your dealership and what other events and activities can aid in your learning and networking. The template is laid out in a simple form – just add your personalization, turn it in and be prepared to discuss why MDCE 2018 will help you and your dealership flourish.

To choose your best lineup, read through all the material on the MDCE website. If you need further guidance, reach out to education specialist Liz Keener.

Dear Supervisor’s Name Here,

I’ve been researching the upcoming 2018 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, which will be held December 9-12 in Orlando, Florida. I would like to attend the conference and represent our dealership at the event this year.

In particular, I believe the following sessions would allow me to learn more about my position within the dealership, how I can better serve the dealership and some best practices that I can share with the team when I return.

Those sessions include:

Session Name:
Session Description:
How I believe this could help our dealership:

Session Name:
Session Description:
How I believe this could help our dealership:

Session Name:
Session Description:
How I believe this could help our dealership:

Session Name:
Session Description:
How I believe this could help our dealership:

Of course, there are others I will attend as well, including the opening keynote, “Build Trust or Die in the New Economy” and the closing keynote, “Future-Proofing Your Business.”

In addition to gaining knowledge in the educational sessions, I plan to participate in the Dealer Roundtables, which will allow me to bounce ideas off fellow boat dealer peers and learn from their failures and successes. I also intend to attend all of the networking events with the hopes of meeting fellow dealers, speakers, industry advocates, manufacturers and suppliers in order to glean insight from them.

The cost to attend the conference will be the registration fee, travel expenses, additional meals not included in registration, the hotel and transportation within Orlando.

  • Registration: $449 for MRAA members, or $529 for non-members
  • Pre-conference workshop: $185
  • Flight: Varies
  • Additional Meals (lunch and breakfast are included Tuesday and Wednesday): $150
  • Hotel (needed for Sunday through Tuesday nights): $189.75 per night for a total of $569.25
  • Transportation to and from the airport: About $50
  • Total expense: Varies

Although this is a sizable expense, I know from looking at the session Walk Away Withs and from the variety of testimonials shared about the show that I will bring back ideas worth more than the dealership’s investment. The MDCE is designed specifically for boat dealers and their employees, which will make its sessions, networking events and expo hall especially pertinent to what we’re trying to accomplish here.

Thank you for your consideration. I hope we can discuss this more this week!

Your Name

NBSAC Holds 100th Meeting

The National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) held its 100th meeting last week at the United State Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey. The council is comprised of Coast Guard officials, industry representatives, and members of the boating public and serves to provide invaluable advice to the Coast Guard on a broad range of boating safety matters.

 

Two new members joined the council during the historic meeting, 2017 Darlene Briggs Award recipient Wanda Kenton Smith and NMMA representative Nicole Vasilaros were sworn in on October 18th by Coast Guard Vice Admiral Dan Abel. NBSAC typically holds two meetings a year, usually in the spring and fall. Meetings are open to the public, and meeting times, location and agenda are published in the Federal Register. The Director of Inspections & Compliance (CG-5PC) in Coast Guard Headquarters is the Council’s Sponsor, and the Chief, Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety (CG-BSX) is NBSAC’s Designated Federal Officer (DFO).

For more information on the NBSAC, please click here.

Interior Seeks Nominees for “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee

The National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior is seeking nominations for individuals to be considered for appointment to the Made in America Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee. The Committee provides advice to the Secretary of the Interior on the public-private partnerships across all public lands, with the goal of expanding access to and improving infrastructure on public lands and waterways. MRAA encourages qualified members to apply.

The committee will advise the Secretary of the Interior on public-private partnerships across all public lands, with the goal of expanding access to and improving infrastructure on public lands and waterways.

The committee’s duties include making recommendations on policies and programs that:

  • Expand and improve visitor infrastructure developed through public-private partnerships;
  • Implement sustainable operations embracing fair, efficient and convenient fee collection and strategic use of the collected fees;
  • Improve interpretation using technology; and
  • Create better tools and/or opportunities for Americans to discover their lands and waters.

The deadline to file nominations is Wednesday, November 21, 2018. Additional details about the submission process are available here.

Nominees must be senior-level representatives of their organizations. Submissions should be typed and must include a resume providing an adequate description of the nominee’s qualifications, including information that would enable DOI to make an informed decision regarding meeting the membership requirements of the committee and to permit the DOI to contact a potential member.

For more information, please contact MRAA’s Public Policy Manager William Higgins, william@mraa.com.

The missing link to results

Execute. [ek-si-kyoot] verb. to put into effect fully; carry out, in accordance with a prescribed design or process/plan.

Seven years and 30 days ago this very moment, I was living my best life — the first day on the new job at the MRAA. A new desk, new keyboard, and a new opportunity to make an impact. I was off and running with an invigorating breath of fresh air.

I was welcomed to the role with a series of frank conversations, though: “Why does MRAA even exist?” asked one industry exec. “What the hell were you thinking making the jump to MRAA?” asked another.

On the face of it … man, it felt like a rough start. But the vision I carried for rebuilding the organization was lofty, and I was confident in the path we would take to get there. It included a revamp of our priorities, a focus on collaboration, a rebuild of our foundational offerings, and most importantly, the assembling of an all-star team of individuals to help us navigate it all.

I’m not one to believe that we’ve ever truly arrived at our destination. I like to think that we’re always evolving to a new place on this journey. Hopefully, a better place. For what it’s worth, though, I’m darn proud of how far we’ve come and the accomplishments we’ve notched along the way. They all feel like reminders that we actually executed on that vision.

We’ve built an arsenal of products and services that can drive real results for you and your business. From basic business templates, cost-savings benefits, and online and in-person educational programs all the way through to our industry’s only blueprint for running a world-class dealership: The Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program. In short, we’ve delivered on our promise to create real-world, tangible solutions for our industry’s dealers.

But here’s the thing: None of this really matters unless those solutions can impact your business. None of it matters unless you execute on the deliverables we provide.

Larry Bossidy, business consultant, speaker and the author of the book Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, wrote that, “Execution has to be a part of a company’s strategy and its goals. It is the missing link between aspirations and results.”

At MRAA, we believe the only prerequisite for MRAA membership is your desire to be the best. And we’re sincere about that. If you don’t have the desire to be better today than you were yesterday, then MRAA is not the right organization for you. If you have that desire, then MRAA can fuel your growth and success.

Our educational programming offers you best practices, trends and insights. It will help you build your strategy and give you the tools and resources to bring that strategy to life. But it’s your job to execute on that strategy. To turn your own lofty aspirations into actions to build that bridge to results. It’s your job to turn that desire to be the best into a commitment to be the best.

Along the way, we would be honored to be your partner, your consultant, your supplier, your support network. We exist to have a profound impact on your success. And we’re just getting started.

MRAA Now Taking Applications for Fully Funded MDCE Scholarships

In partnership with Soundings Trade Only, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo will offer scholarships for three dealers to attend this year’s educational event, to be held Dec. 9-12 in Orlando.

Each scholarship includes an MDCE Standard Dealer Registration, up to $450 in travel reimbursement, and a three-night hotel stay at the MDCE’s host hotel, for a total value of $1,396 per scholarship.

“Soundings Trade Only’s mission is to reflect, inform and inspire. This conference inspires the best in marine dealerships, and we are happy to help deserving dealers earn their way to attend the event,” says Michele Goldsmith, publisher of Soundings Trade Only. “As ever, Soundings Trade Only is here to support and collaborate with the best of the marine industry. We look forward to MDCE 2018 and to welcoming the recipients of this year’s scholarships.”  

MDCE continues to focus on delivering real world results for dealerships of all shapes and sizes. The 2018 conference offers 30 all-new sessions that are specifically designed to fuel performance in every department; dealer-to-dealer roundtable discussion sessions; an opening and closing keynote; an expo hall filled with 100-plus exhibitors and special events throughout the three-day event.

“Year after year, the dealer community continues to communicate how valuable MDCE is to their businesses,” Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA, which produces the annual event alongside Boating Industry. “We are grateful to Soundings Trade Only for continuing this partnership and providing dealers an opportunity to those who actively desire to participate, but wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend this year’s conference.”

Marine dealers can apply for the chance to receive an MDCE scholarship by completing an application at www.mraa.com/MDCEScholarships. The scholarship committee will meet to consider two important aspects of the application: how candidates plan to put what they learn at MDCE to work in their business as well as their financial need. The recipients will be selected and notified in early November.

This year’s event will take place Dec. 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

How do you stay energized?

I’m having issues with batteries these days. In our mobile, always-on-the-go society, batteries are more and more frequently the power source of choice. And while, yes, they’re getting better all the time, they’re still largely unpredictable.

I watch my daughter struggle with battery management on her new cell phone. Is it normal for teenagers to always hover around two-percent battery life? A coworker’s dead car battery nearly stranded her at the office. I have two dead – and very heavy – batteries I carry around in my cordless drill case. And I can’t tell you how many times the rechargeable battery in my trimmer has left my facial hair half manicured and half gray and shaggy.

This issue I’m having serves as a constant reminder that staying energized is not about recharging batteries. Recharging suggests you let your battery die or dwindle in its power before you give it life again.

I like to think of “energize” as a constant state of power, not something we allow to dissipate before we refuel. It’s the fuel that we use to attain goals at work, to foster meaningful relationships, to engage in hobbies, and to be passionate about anything we do. As Webster says it, it means to inspire action with invigorating effort.

Inspiration comes in many forms. You can find it in meeting a goal, selling that boat, landing that client, creating a relationship, taking a vacation, reading a book, hearing a great message, running a marathon, learning a new hobby, or countless other options. When it comes to your own power source, your own method for being energized, that diversity in where you find it is important. It can’t all come from work. It can’t all come from play. The balance is critical to not letting your batteries die.

At MRAA, we want to be your professional power source. We want to offer you the means for finding inspiration in your everyday work life and help you achieve the goals you’ve set. And we’re willing to provide the invigorating effort to make that happen.

Whether you’re looking for business solutions through membership or our annual conference, we can connect you with the right partners. Whether you’re looking for educational opportunities online or in person, we’ve got a world class catalog to offer you. Whether you’re looking for simple inspiration in a specific area of need or a proven template for running your entire dealership, MRAA wants to be your power choice of source to energize your performance and your business to bigger and better things in the year ahead.

Our means of being energized comes from the passion of the team that surrounds us here at MRAA. The passion that each of us pour into delivering inspiring, invigorating opportunities for you. Look at today’s opportunity alone. Membership Development Manager Nikki Duffney is celebrating her own birthday by delivering a powerful, energizing educational opportunity: A live webinar on how to unify your sales and service departments for delivering optimal customer experiences. “Happy birthday to me. Here’s an incredible gift for all of you.” That kind of passion is what we mean by Energize and it’s why we’re confident in becoming your power source of choice.

(NOTE: If you missed the live version of this event, there will be a recording available soon.)

boats.com Launch New Online Shopping Platform

boats.com, the world’s largest online publisher of marine content, today announced the launch of their redesigned boat shopping platform. The new boats.com reflects a reimagined boat shopping experience, while addressing one of the industry’s biggest challenges: keeping boat shoppers, particularly first time boat buyers, in the purchase funnel.

According to Discover Boating, 64% of Americans shopping for a boat for the first time abandon their search for fear of not having enough information before purchasing. By creating a new way for consumers to shop for boats, the newly redesigned boats.com aims to keep the more than two million monthly shoppers on boats.com engaged throughout the purchase journey, providing them with activity-based search capability, the most current information about boat types and brands, and the widest selection of new and used boats.

The new boats.com is designed for every type of consumer: the first-time boat buyers who may not know where to start, lapsed boaters who have not owned a boat in some time and want to get back up to speed about what’s new, and current owners who have a better idea of what they are looking for, but may just want to compare different models. Shopping by activity, class and brand provides a pathway to the purchase journey for all consumers.

Activity
First-time boat buyers can begin their journey searching by activity, where they learn which boats are best suited for their favorite pastimes, such as fishing and wakesurfing. Searching by activity also benefits lapsed boaters who may not be aware of how tailor-made boats have become for specific activities. For example, center console boats have evolved in size and power for sportfishing use, and ski/wake boats have added ballast systems to take wakesurfing to a new level. The new boats.com experience provides detailed descriptions about these improvements.

Class
Further in the purchase process, shopping by class is a traditional feature that serves as a likely first step for lapsed boaters, as well as some current boat owners. Boat owners lapse for any number of reasons –  ranging from moving to a different city, a change in family status or employment, etc. A recent Boats Group study determined that 16% of leads submitted come from lapsed boaters, so It was important for the new boats.com to provide a path for this group.

Brand
One of the newest features of  the reimagined boats.com is the brand showroom, which showcases boat brands and the lifestyle they offer – alongside listings of new and used models. Shopping by brand is one of the final steps in the decision-making process, with current boat owners likely seeking this information out at the beginning of their search. Current boat owners can also use the brand showroom for information to contact their nearest dealer, access owners’ manuals, read reviews and articles– all in one place.

Using the journey-based Boat Finder tool, consumers have a new path for determining the best boats for their lifestyle. By answering three easy questions – What do you like to do on the water? How much are you willing to spend? What size boat are you looking for? – Boat Finder delivers the boat types that match the specified criteria. The final results deliver consumers the boat listings that meet their exact specifications.

“Our mission is to leverage technology to deliver a world-class shopping experience and leading value to our industry partners, so it’s paramount that we do everything we can to help empower consumers with the information they need to make knowledgeable purchasing decisions,” said Boats Group CEO Sam Fulton. “By reimagining the shopping experience on boats.com, we are giving consumers a new way to shop and introducing them to more boat types and brand. Ultimately, the more information we can provide consumers, the more likely they are to remain in the purchase journey and connect with the brand that meets their needs.”

Visit boats.com today to see how it helps bring boaters of all kinds out on the water through a reimagined experience. Empowering consumers with the largest selection of new and used boats, searchable by activity, class and brand is how boats.com is tackling the most important issue facing the boating industry.

Boating Industry PAC Reaches Fundraising Goal

BoatPAC, the federal political action committee of the MRAA and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, exceeded its 2018 fundraising goal of $200,000, raising nearly $202,000 from 348 donors. That figure is up from $154,000 and 312 donors in 2017. BoatPAC supports the election of candidates to the United States Congress who are strong advocates for recreational boating.

Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA said, “We are very appreciative of everyone who helped BoatPAC achieve this fundraising goal. With nearly 100 percent of MRAA’s Board of Directors and numerous MRAA members contributing, we’re thrilled that our advocacy efforts are stronger than they’ve ever been.”

In 2019, MRAA and NMMA will once again raise the bar and set BoatPAC’s fundraising goal at $250,000.

A full list of BoatPAC’s 2018 contributors is below.

To learn more about BoatPAC, please click the following link and fill out a prior approval form: https://www.boatpac.org/prior-approval-form/

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

President’s Club ($5,000)

  • Thom Dammrich
  • Bill Fenech
  • Joan Maxwell
  • Bill Pegg
  • Eddie Smith
  • Brunswick Corporation Good Government Fund
  • Polaris Industries Inc Political Participation Program

Admiral’s Club ($2,500+)

  • Kris Carroll
  • Scott Deal
  • Owen Maxwell
  • Chuck Rowe
  • Clarke Smith
  • Doug Smoker
  • Ben Speciale
  • Bill Watters

Captain’s Level ($1,500+)

  • Carl Blackwell
  • Craig Boskey
  • Dean Burnett
  • Tommy Hancock
  • Duane Kuck
  • John Kujawa
  • Joe Lewis
  • John Livingston
  • John McKnight
  • Terry McNew
  • Joe Neber
  • Martin Peters
  • Scott Porter
  • Dana Russikoff
  • Tom Slikkers
  • Jeff Stone
  • John Swick
  • Nicole Vasilaros
  • Mick Webber

$1,000 Club

  • Ann Baldree
  • Bill Boehman
  • Maurice Bowen
  • Huw Bower
  • Craig Brosenne
  • Tom Carroll
  • Louis Chemi
  • David Dickerson
  • Shawn Easton
  • Phil Estes
  • Ray Fernandez
  • John Giglio
  • Cale Grauer
  • Jeff Hall
  • Steve Heese
  • Ellen Hopkins
  • Ron Huibers
  • Joe Kirkland
  • Jon Kushner
  • Don Mackenzie
  • Tom McCuddy
  • Kitty McGowan
  • Rob Newsome
  • Rob Parmentier
  • Darren Plymale
  • Steve Potts
  • Jon Pritko
  • Kevin Roggenbuck
  • Larry Russo
  • Jeff Siems
  • Rob Soucy
  • Jack Springer
  • Paxson St. Clair
  • Jeff Strong
  • Chad Taylor
  • Jen Thompson
  • Rick Tinker
  • Peter Truslow
  • Ben Wold
  • Bill Yeargin

Purser’s Club ($750+)

  • Craig Clawson
  • Michael Collins
  • Erica Crocker
  • Mark Doggett
  • Doug Gomes
  • Matt Gruhn
  • Jim Leffew
  • John Marcinek
  • Mike Pasko
  • Grant Porter
  • Shelley Tubaugh
  • Joseph Weller
  • Lance West

First Mate’s Club ($365+)

  • Mark Amaral
  • Michael Ammons
  • Ron Bailey
  • Julie Balzano
  • Dale Barnes
  • Peter Barrett
  • Alex Berry
  • Jason Blackburn
  • George Blakely
  • Susan Blaxill-Deal
  • Martin Boyer
  • Eric Braitmayer
  • David Briggs
  • Mike Browne
  • Brandon Broxson
  • Kevin Carlan
  • Jill Carraway
  • Terry Clark
  • John Clarke
  • Derek Cornelius
  • Donny Covington
  • Jon Devitt
  • Keri Doscher
  • Chris Drees
  • Steven Driscoll
  • Darren Envall
  • Michael Fafard
  • Stephen Farinacci
  • Steven Flowers
  • Lindsey Garner
  • Donna Giddens
  • David Glass
  • Michele Goldsmith
  • Ryan Good
  • Robert Gross
  • Adam Hall
  • Jim Hardin
  • Rachel Harmon
  • John Hawley
  • Scott Higgins
  • Joe Hoffmaster
  • Jason Hogg
  • Joe Holtschulte
  • Greg House
  • Joseph Hunter
  • Greg Lentine
  • Lorraine Leveronne
  • Scott Lewitt
  • Ken Lovell
  • Joe Maniscalco
  • Nadia Martinez
  • Bob McAlpine
  • Bill McDaniel
  • Mark McKinney
  • Jinger McPeak
  • David Meeler
  • Kimberly Muncy
  • Mike Munsch
  • David Neese
  • Keith Ogulnick
  • Freya Olsen
  • Dorian Osborne

The Top 4 Courses on MRAATraining.com and Why

Being a member of the MRAA offers a wide variety of educational opportunity. But with roughly 100 courses in the online learning system, where do you start? How about the top four most viewed courses on MRAATraining.com?”

  1. Make Customer Service Your Competitive Advantage, with Theresa Syer
    If you think you’re getting by viewing customer interactions as another transactional part of your dealership, you won’t succeed. Theresa displays her passion for incorporating “The Human Factor” into every aspect of the customer experience and once you hear why, we think you’ll relate and feel inspired to do just that.

  2. A is for Attitude, with Sam Dantzler
    This course is not your typical “Ra ra go team” presentation. Sam takes a deep dive into the very science behind what happens around you when you simply come to work in a good mood. Our team took this one together for #TrainingDayWithMRAA, and our words were… “Mind, blown.”

  3. The Key to a Killer Sales Process, with Sam Dantzler
    How do you motivate your sales employees? This is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Sam walks us through why this piece is so important and gives advice on how to implement great sales processes into your dealership.

  4. The Rules of Engagement, with David Martin
    Harvard proves that a customer goes through a certain process before making a big purchase. We all know this. We also know that sales teams should also follow a process. David Martin proves that there are 8 steps to getting the write-up and in turn, making that sale.