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.

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.)

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.

Earning one sale from a customer is great, but building upon that relationship is key to earning service business and the subsequent sales. That’s why follow-up is so important.

Last month I explained why I bought the motorcycle I bought and how the salesperson understood me and my wants. However, since that purchase, my experience with that dealership has gone cold.

It seems that after I bought my bike, that dealership stopped caring. They earned my money and moved on to the next person. Does that make me feel welcome? No. Does that build my loyalty? Definitely not.

As great as the sales experience was, everything from the delivery on has been disappointing. At delivery, I was sent back to the service department to pick up my bike. There was little excitement, little instruction, and my bike was dusty. I was so thrown from the experience that I forgot to ask important questions, like where the manual is, so I can get to know my bike. I had to go back to get that instruction a few minutes later.

Since picking up the bike almost two months ago, I haven’t received one phone call or email asking me about how I’m enjoying my bike or if I need any further assistance.

In fact, just this week the dealership missed a key follow-up opportunity. My license plate finally arrived from the DMV, and the call to tell me about that was purely informational – again no questions about my motorcycling experience or if I need anything else to enjoy riding more. Later in the day, I stopped into the dealership, and my plate was simply handed to me with no other interaction.

Three people were on the floor of the dealership – one customer was being helped by two employees at the parts counter. I had to stop a third to be helped, and again no one asked me about my bike or if I was interested in any parts or accessories now that I’ve spent some time on it. In fact, I could use a tank bag and am interested in other accessories as well. But no one asked.

As any customer experience education has taught us, loyalty is built on the entire experience at your dealership, not one sale. Be mindful that you’re not leaving customers hanging after they make a purchase from you.

Over the course of her career, Monica Reed-Hurst, of Spend-A-Day Marina, has held many titles (balloon inflator, Sales rep, leader of the conga line, just to name a few).  But regardless of title, she knows her passion lies in the boating industry and will continue to be a strong advocate for the future of boating.

Q: You have been part of the boating world for a while, how did you get started in the boating industry?

Hurst: I got started in the boating industry at a very young age.  My grandfather started Spend-A-Day Marina in 1950 as a boat rental facility and through the years it has grown to be what we are today sales, service, rental and marina.  I started by inflating clown balloons at the boat show when I was around 8 years old, then I graduated to giving customers their popcorn and soda and labeling mailers, at 14 I started working on the gas dock and in the rental department.  After college, and testing the waters outside of the industry, I realized that once the boating industry is in your blood, it is there to stay.  I came back to the marina in 2005 and I haven’t looked back since.

Q: You currently sit on MRAA Young Leaders Advisory Council. Why do you feel it’s important that the younger side of the industry get involved with YLAC? What was your reason for joining?

Hurst: It is very important that the younger generations in the industry get involved because we have to be in touch with the heartbeat of what is happening in the industry to secure a place for recreational boating in the future.  We have to look bigger picture and see who is going to be buying boats, not only today but in 20 years, what do they want, what do our manufacturer environments look like, what legislation do we need to be aware of and support.

The boating industry’s success is much greater than each individual stores’ success and YLAC is an excellent opportunity to share ideas, exchange best practices, and to learn and develop what we need as a boating community to continue to prosper and share the lifestyle we love.

Q: What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing what you do now?

Hurst: If I wasn’t involved at the dealership level, I would probably be involved in some other aspect of the marine industry.  I have tried a couple other avenues before re-entering our family business and realized that my passion lies in the boating lifestyle.  My degree is in marketing so I would probably be working with a marketing company with a marine industry focus or at the manufacturer level focusing on dealer relations and marketing.

Q: What is your proudest moment at Spend-A-Day Marina?

Hurst: My proudest moment…when I came back we decided to become Marine Dealer Certified, which is a very extensive process with a lot of mapping and documentation involved initially.  I led that project and we maintained the certification going forward.  I have also been able to create and implement some very successful events at our dealership, including scavenger hunts, raft-offs, cookouts, and poker runs.  These are important to me because they really allow us to see how much customers’ enjoy their boating lifestyle, young and old alike.  When our customers enthusiastically ask about the next event and look forward to sharing it with their family and friends it makes me realize we are doing something right here…this is what it is all about…making and sharing the boating memories.

Q: As always, we want to end with this… What are 4 things that people may not know about you?

Hurst:

1. I lived in NYC for two years and was a dermatology rep.
2. I have visited 27 countries…goal is to visit one new country a year…well that was the goal before my husband and I had kids.
3. I have two beautiful little girls, Giovanna 5 ½, and Maia 4.
4. My big break was about 10 years ago when I was an extra in a Kevin Bacon movie that was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio.