In a recent article for The Membership Management Report, MRAA President Matt Gruhn wrote about the association’s role in growing the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, which is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry magazine. Here is an expert from the article Matt was featured in:

Increase Attendance at Annual Meetings
“The Marine Retailers Association of America’s annual convention has grown by 1,100 percent over the last decade. Here’s how:

1. “Authenticity. We exist to help our members find success and grow. We live and breathe that directive every day, so it’s very natural to extend the authenticity of that mission to our conference.
2. “Curiosity. We could never fully understand the intricacies of our members’ businesses like they do. We need to remain curious about our members’ needs, so we ask them several times what they want to learn at our conference: in pre-event surveys, in personal conversations, in our committee meetings, in session evaluations, following a keynote, and in post- event surveys. And then we deliver exactly what they ask for.
3. “Focus. We stay very focused on why this event exists: to educate our dealers. Association conferences tempt us with distractions to take us off of our mission, but we remain diligent about delivering a first-class educational experience. If we succeed in this effort, every other interested party succeeds as well.
4. “Humility. We have a deep understanding that our formula is effective because our members gave us the opportunity to make it work. We owe our success to them for giving us the opportunity, for believing and trusting in us and for encouraging us to keep pushing forward. So, we shower them with gratitude in the form of complimentary tools and resources, in addition to personal outreach, handwritten cards and, sometimes, little thank-you gifts.”

— Matt Gruhn, President, Marine Retailers Association

Attached is the entire Membership Management Report.

A current member of YLAC and former MDCE scholarship winner, Patrick Boylan, the Operations Manager at Boater’s World in Lake Placid, Fla., is turning education into opportunity. His drive for continuous improvement, both on a personal and professional level, has transferred into the dealership as he continues to be diligent in process and replicates an outstanding dealership experience to every customer that walks into Boater’s World. Read more about Patrick and the efforts he is making for the future health of the boating business.

Q: You currently sit on MRAA’s Young Leaders Advisory Council. What made you want to get involved with this group?
Boylan: The opportunity to be a part of the YLAC group became of interest to me from the moment that I first spoke with Jake Jostand. The enthusiasm for the industry and the YLAC group that he shared reflected my own. It felt like an opportunity to share my passion for the marine industry and serve others in a positive capacity. I immediately felt like there was the possibility to accomplish something extraordinary and partner with some of the industry’s future leaders. 

Q: Why do you feel it’s important that the young professionals of the industry get involved in industry initiatives?
Boylan: The evolution of the industry is happening now! In the past ten years I have witnessed the marine technology, boating culture, and business landscape go through drastic changes. More so than in any previous decade in my opinion. It is a privilege to be present in this industry and help guide its growth and direction towards the future. The efforts and enthusiasm of our younger industry professionals today, will directly affect the future health of the boating business.

Q: You were an MDCE Scholarship winner a couple years back. What was your experience at MDCE and what impact has had it had on your career?
Boylan: The “MDCE Scholarship Experience” was life changing for me in many ways. I can’t describe all of the positives that have come since the moment that I found out I was chosen. The first MDCE was like a whirlwind of knowledge that was empowering and confusing all at the same time. It affirmed what we were doing right at the dealer level and opened my eyes to where we really needed to improve. Without a doubt MRAA and my first MDCE fueled my passion for the Marine Industry. I guarantee that I would not be where I am today without this educational opportunity. It has been priceless! I have learned so much, shared so much and gained so much from the experience.

Q: You’ve changed jobs since that time, uprooting from Texas and taking on a bigger role at your current Florida-based dealership? What opportunities attracted you there?
Boylan: I very much miss my team and customers at my previous dealership but know that I made the right decision. It was daunting to travel across the country and take on more responsibility with a larger company. Boater’s World serves a much larger region and has a national outreach for products with a greater focus on distribution. We currently offer product from every major OEM Engine manufacturer as well as nine national Boat brands. I have always been very driven (in success and failure) to see what I am capable of. With this company being many times larger and my role being tougher, I felt excited to take on this new challenge. My current role is that of Operations Manager, which has challenged me more in the areas national and global business development and in the areas of building/training a “world class” team. The growth potential for me and Boater’s World is limitless.    

Q: What changes have you made since arriving there, and what would you say are your goals for continuing to grow and improve?
Boylan: ”Change” is considered a four letter word when a new manager comes in. I have preferred to say that I have “advanced the evolution” of the dealership. Rebranding our store and our identity was the first step as we changed from “Central Florida Yamaha” to “Boater’s World”. We then took an in depth look at our product lines, service and parts departments to refocus on what we were doing well and not so well. We revamped our finance department and began using a service company (First Approval Source) that I learned of through MRAA and MDCE 2015. This tripled our finance reserve and backend profits in a short amount of time. Next was a full overhaul of our website, marketing programs, SEO and social media. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I was tasked with “picking up the pennies”. I sat with the Management Team and took a forensic look at where we were not capturing small amounts of revenue or where we were losing margin through minor mistakes. All of these pennies have added up to a fairly decent sum. Although it is still a work in progress, we are building a culture of quality and diligence in every facet of our business. A fair portion of my knowledge and understanding of these things came from training references made at MDCE 2015 and MDCE 2016 that led me to learn more and educate myself. MDCE was in large part the catalyst for our evolution.

Growth and improvement are two of the hardest things to accomplish correctly in the marine industry.  I like money but am not solely money motivated. My goals for the growth of Boater’s World directly parallel that of it’s ownership. When we produce the right formula for destination locations an outstanding dealership experience, our plans are to reproduce it multiple times. I am excited to see what the future hold for Boater’s World, my team and myself.

Q: What are 5 things that people may not know about you?
Boylan:

1. I am deathly afraid of spiders.
2. I own more than 60 pairs of shoes and have a pair to match any type of apparel.
3. I take selfies with the smallest fish that I catch so that no one knows I catch the big ones.
4. I plan to never shave my face again. I love my beard.
5. My favorite sport is turkey and duck hunting and I have done it all over the country.

What do you think about your crew wearing name tags? If it was up to me, I would have the customers wear them too! I’m the worst at remembering names, even two minutes after an introduction. As a customer, I love it when the employees I meet are wearing name tags. It allows me to use their name, and I feel like I get better service because of the instant rapport we build. This is especially true when trying to get out of a middle seat on an airplane, into a nicer rental car or into a room with a view!

For the not so selfish, there are plenty of reasons for name tags too:

• Ease of starting a conversation. Lack of communication is one of those reasons that often surfaces when we take a good look at an issue causing conflict at the dealership. If we can make it easier to get people talking and avoid the awkwardness of having to ask a staff member their name, it will help us avoid issues with customers and might even help us sell service or a boat.

• Simplicity when reporting issues and problem solving for both customers and mangers. When a customer leaves the keys to a boat with the guy in the parking lot, it’s much easier to find the keys when that same customer remembers seeing Bob’s name tag!
• Balance the playing field when talking with customers. It’s often taught to seek out and use the customer’s name during a conversation. This is done from reading the name on a credit card, warranty card, appointment card, etc. Why shouldn’t customers know employees names as well?
• Credit where credit’s due when an employee goes out of their way to please a customer. It’s easier to tweet or post on Facebook, “Bob saved our day of fishing with his quick service to get our baitwell working before the start of the tournament” than “The tattooed guy with hipster facial hair…”
• Deterrence and accountability. An employee who has had a long day would be less likely to tell off (or flip off) a customer if they have a name badge on. They provide deterrence and instant accountability.

Should all employees wear name tags?  Or should owners and managers be exempt? I’m always impressed when I visit MarineMax Team Support in Clearwater, Fla., where there are no customers but everyone wears a name badge, including Bill McGill. I don’t think you can tell your staff that for the above reasons, name badges are a good idea and not wear one yourself!

Name tags help to develop a genuine relationship between staff and guests. And “genuine” matters a lot to today’s customers. Rightly so.

If there’s one thing it seems you can count on in the marine industry’s news this year, it’s mergers and acquisitions. This trend doesn’t discriminate: it touches dealers, marinas, boat builders and suppliers alike. And probably other boat business sectors too.

I’ve been through a few of them in my career. My husband has endured three in the last five years. And I have friends in this industry who are feeling the effects too. With that said, I’m no expert – and I have a healthy respect for the challenge that they represent for leadership. Bringing two or more organizations together with different people, systems and cultures … well, it can’t be easy.

But what I’ve observed matches up with the insight provided by Steve Case, co-founder and former CEO of AOL, in his Daily Fuel video, “Worst Merger Ever.”

Where most mergers and acquisitions go wrong – 70 to 90 percent fail, according to Harvard Business Review – is a “failure in people and culture,” Case says.

“Get the right people on the bus in the right seats focusing on the right things, that’s how you take entrepreneurial ideas and turn them into significant iconic businesses that really do impact people’s lives.”

In my experience, businesses would benefit from helping the people who are most impacted by mergers and acquisitions understand, embrace and succeed in navigating the incredible change that often results. When transparency is lacking and new twists and turns are introduced in large, unexpected and unexplained doses, it can wreak havoc on individuals, teams, clients and partners for weeks, months and sometimes years afterward.

It’s not hard to figure out why this happens. Leaders are human. When you’re leading a merger or acquisition, you’re faced with adapting to new people, products, strategies, systems and cultures yourself. Until you understand all that newness and can determine the best path forward, it can be difficult to know what to communicate to your team or how to help them navigate changes that aren’t yet clear to you.

Maybe that’s where a missed opportunity lies. Do we as leaders need to figure it out ourselves? Or do the best leadership stories start when we seek insight and direction from our people? After all, they are our company’s and our industry’s most valuable assets.

I’m not sure. But I suspect Steve is on to something when he says: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, you must go together.” What do you think?

I know, I know, I’ve heard from ALL of you on the phone, emails, texts, Facebook and at dealer meetings: You are too busy this time of year! But to keep this thing called boat sales rolling for years to come, we need to remember to promote the “ING” in boating.

It’s easy when times are good to put off what got you back in the game when sales weren’t so plentiful. During those times, I watched dealers become good marketers and promoters of boating. Many of you found new ways of getting boaters involved in boating, whether it was thinking up a new trip or two for your boat club, adding another fishing tournament, or finding a spare weekend for Demo Days.

These events got your customers on the water and reconnected to their boats and families. Fortunately, a few prospects caught our beloved boating disease and made the jump. Imagine how those efforts would pay off today with customer confidence at an all-time high. But not if we’re too busy for the extra effort.

The dealers that formed the requirements for Certification knew that they needed to do more than just sell boats. They also needed to promote the lifestyle. So, they included requirements for a Certified dealer to have a CRM strategy and a process to keep improving it, as well as a list of customer activities and events to promote boating. The latter keep customers using their boats and move them to mingle with other owners. This gives them a chance to get reinfected with the disease, using their current boat more often or falling in love with one a foot or two larger.

This is especially important right now. It’s only a few days before the biggest weekend for boating. Have you promoted the best place to watch your local fireworks from a boat along with a few safety reminders? It’s not too late. A quick email will create a spark and inject the courage to pack up the family and watch the fireworks from the best place on earth: your own boat.

I’ve seen fireworks in New York, Washington, and at two Boy Scout National and World jamborees. The best fireworks experience is with my wife Carol, directly overhead our boat, with an unobstructed view, my own head, and booms that shake the T-top.

I hope your customers don’t miss a memorable 4th of July event on their boats. Hopefully, it inspires them to think about an even bigger boat next year!

Wishing a Happy and Safe America’s Birthday to all our dealer friends and families!

Sincerely,
Your partners at MRAA