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

A future at the family dealership wasn’t always the plan for this fourth-generation owner. Jason Clemons, of Clemons Boats, used to profess to everyone that he wanted nothing to do with the dealership. Now, Jason is offering not only the care and reliability his customers have come to expect, but he’s also taking Clemons Boats to new heights. We had a chance to ask Jason a few questions about the family business and how he is continues to create success for the dealership.

Q: You’re a fourth-generation owner. At what point did you know that you wanted the boat business to be your future?
Clemons: I don’t think I will have the response you expect here! I think I had the entrepreneurial spirit when I was young, but I also had a very strong sense of “Wanting to do something without help”. I loved trading football cards at an early age and used to sell my toys at school when I was a kid (Sorry Mom), so I always liked to sell and the thought of exchanging things of value for money always intrigued me. However, I actually used to profess to everyone that I wanted nothing to do with Clemons Boats, and that I would NEVER work there! This came from a strong will and a need to not want a hand out or help from anyone to accomplish what I wanted in life. I actually went to college to be a wildlife manager and only came to the business on a bribe from my dad. One day he told me what he thought I could make selling boats, and told me he thought I would be “good” at it. I was reluctant but desperate at the time and the bribe worked! The rest, as they say, is HISTORY! Once I got into sales and really grasped the family legacy we have with the business, a very strong sense of pride took over and there was no turning back. I would say somewhere in my mid 20’s is when the “lightbulb” went off. I now feel a strong sense of pride, and the success of the business and service to our customers is my duty, obligation, and responsibility.

Q: What are your fondest memories from growing up in the boat business?
Clemons: Most of my memories are revolved around fishing, as that was and still is a passion of mine. Obviously a perk of owning a boat dealership is access to boats and my childhood was full of boating. I used to go fishing with my father and his friends every Thursday when I was young, and it gave me a love for the water and fishing very early in life. By the time I was 5 I was allowed to run and dock the boat and enjoyed it very much. Shortly after that, Dad took in a trade and gave it to me to use on my own and myself and my friends spent countless summer days on the water in front of the dealership catching catfish and then coming in to run up dads account at Terrys Tavern! I have worked on and off at the dealership from a young age stacking blocks, mowing grass, moving trailer, parts, etc.

Q: Along with that, you have no doubt worked every job in the dealership. What part of the dealership fuels your passion?
Clemons: Sales is definitely where my passion lies, but I of course love it all. There is something special about getting families out on the water in their dream boat. We have people that have saved and planned their entire lives for a boat, and delivering that dream is most definitely the best part of our job. Selling and delivering the boats is by far the best part, we like to call it “Upgrading summers”.

Q: What on-the-job lessons would you say have shaped who you have become in your leadership role?
Clemons: The best on the job lessons for me as a Clemons has been the fact that my Grandfather and Dad have never given me anything for free. I have done most jobs at the dealership, and I was never given special treatment as a Clemons, I had to do the work and do it correct, just like everyone else. I also learned a ton during the downturn from my Dad between 2007-2010. As most dealers did, we experienced some hard times and I learned more about what a leader has to do than any other time in my career. I believe it has not only given me some skills on making hard decisions but also having compassion and taking sacrifices as an owner first, before anyone else.

Q: You’re a passionate guy who is very goal-oriented. And under your direction, the business has been accelerating. What piece of sales advice have you picked up that you would offer to an up-and-coming sales professional in today’s market?
Clemons: I could write a book on this, and maybe some day I will! If I had to give one piece of advice to a new sales professional, it would be simple: The most important sale you will ever make is to sell yourself. In order to do that, you need to train every day. EVERY DAY.

Q: What has been the most valuable advice given to you that’s helped you find success as the newest generation to run the business?
Clemons: Success leaves clues. Study successful people doing what you want, and model what they do. SO SIMPLE IN THEORY, so hard in application!

Q: With a young daughter at home, how long before she becomes the boss?
Clemons: I have two daughters, one 15 month old and one 16 year old, that isn’t a typo!!! As for my 16 year old Haley, for now I do not think she wants to run the dealership, but lets not forget that when I was 16 I said I HATED the dealership and would never work there! You just never know what may happen, but I have plenty of things to do before I am ready to “relax”!

Q: What do you believe gives Clemons Boats an advantage over other dealerships in your area?
Clemons: You don’t think I can give away my secrets do you?! We have several advantages, but our biggest advantage is the fact we are family owned and operated, we have been in business for over 50 years, and we have the best brands in boating! Other than the above, we truly care about our customers and do our best to over deliver on all promises made. We take it very seriously.

Q: Professionally, what has been your proudest moment?
Clemons: On a professional level, it was most definitely receiving the top 100 dealer award! We have worked our tails off the past few years, and I had an overwhelming sense of pride when I found out. I was much more happy for our employees than myself, they all work super hard and although I am a compassionate guy, I know I expect a lot from them. Being a Top 100 dealer is a big deal to me!

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

1. I have played the drums since 9 and used to be really good. USED TO BE!
2. I totaled 1945 lbs in a powerlifting meet in 2013
3. I have a torn pectoral muscle from bench pressing
4. I am a duck hunting fanatic
5. I do everything I do for my family

Over the weekend, I stumbled over something that might help both of us in the heat of the season – the boating season for you, and the product development season for the team at the Marine Retailers Association.

While you’re busy selling and servicing boats, we’re busy working with industry experts to create new workshops, sessions, online training, certification courses, and white papers to serve you now and throughout the coming year.

Neither of us have any extra time to spare, and it’s critical that we do everything we can to get ahead. That’s why I wanted to share something I read in the book, “Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success” by Rory Vaden.

If you’re like me, you feel compelled to do your research so you have all the facts before you make a decision. And yet this time of year, who has time for that? So what often happens is the key decision that could give us the edge is put off indefinitely, translating into lost opportunity. Not good.

Instead, Rory recommends that: “We need to stop spending so much of our time trying to make the right decision and … start spending our time making decisions and then making them right.”

Rather than wasting our time asking the question, “Should I?” we can then focus on answering the question, “How will I?”

A simple shift in mindset, but one that could really make a difference, especially this time of year. And that’s our goal: To really make a difference in your success, your team’s success and your dealership’s success.

That’s why we’re hiring Rory Vaden as the Closing Keynote speaker at the 2017 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, coming up this December 10-13 in Orlando. A record number of dealers have already signed up to join us there. I hope you will too.

Memorial Day Weekend is a memory. The winter shows are over. The spring cleaning is done. All the boats once in storage are now in the water. The units sold at the shows have been delivered. And sales training is complete.

Wait a minute! Do we ever stop learning or practicing our skills? Do athletes stop training or practicing when the season starts? The losers might, but the winners are always fine-tuning their skills. They continue to improve all season long to make sure they meet or exceed the goals they set before the season began.

When the season starts is when the coaches, aka Sales and Service Managers, earn their paychecks. Athletes keep their coaches close on the sidelines because pros know that they can get too close to the game and miss opportunities that come their way. A tuned-in Sales Manager with the help of modern-day systems can ensure their salespeople stay with the game plan by selecting the perfect boat for their customer, negotiating a mutually beneficial price, and delivering a better-than-expected buying experience. And a tuned-in Service Manager with the help of modern-day systems can ensure their technicians, riggers, yard staff and service writers stay with the game plan by selecting the perfect maintenance package for their customer, operating at high efficiency, and delivering a better-than-expected service experience.

I hear too often working with Certified Dealers that training is scheduled for the fall, and they have no plan to revisit what they learned during the offseason. Tell me it’s not so! Your favorite players continually develop and practice their skills, and you should do the same all season long.

Dealer Principles, Sales and Service Managers: We know this is a crazy time of year. We need to sell boats and keep up with the demand for service. We agree: It is time to put our heads down and sell, sell, sell and service. But there is still time to sharpen our skills during the game. I find that most dealers are still meeting with their sales and service teams on a regular schedule during the season. Since you’ve found the time to meet, make the most of this time and always touch on training.

I learned a formula for a successful meeting years ago during my Ford days that is a simple to execute and can apply to any dealership department. Every meeting should include:

1. Recognition. They crave it and don’t get enough of it, which our Employee Satisfaction Survey results confirm. Note what they are doing well and give them a shout out. This requires making notes all week and reviewing them before your meeting.
2. Housekeeping. Every dealership must stay on top of deals, scheduled jobs, deliveries, and the does & don’ts.
3. Training. End every meeting with something that will help them sell or service a boat today. Take 10 minutes to review those nuggets you learned in the offseason so they don’t forget to use the information they’ve already picked up. Keep it simple. Go around the room and ask each salesperson why now is a good time to buy a boat. Each will have to think and answer, but often the biggest learning opportunity comes from the sharing of ideas. Or ask each technician how they can improve their efficiency or the customer experience. Or break-out those takeaways from MDCE. Review a page or two of your notes – or even better, an MDCE video or two – to relive those moments of brilliance in December and put the lessons to work. This is what good coaches do for their teams!

If after weeks of positive reinforcement, you still have a couple of team members not conforming to the process, meet with them privately for a refresher course that notes their deficiencies using my proven formula: Hug ‘em, Smack ‘em, Hug ‘em! Simply, start the conversation with what they are doing right. Give them the desired direction, and finish with some basic math: adding together what they are doing right along with the adjustment, which will end with a better result.

Champions never stop learning – and practicing what they know. When you make it a priority to carve out a few minutes a day during the heat of the summer to take advantage of the investments made in the off-season, you will reap the rewards of building a stronger foundation for success.