Boat Dealers Earn $15,000 with MRAA/Priority One Rewards Program

As the endorsed F&I outsourcing provider of the MRAA, Priority One has provided MRAA members who partner with Priority One, $5 for every customer loan that is facilitated by Priority One. These BonusBucks are paid out on a quarterly basis and since 2012, $15,000 have been awarded.

Above and beyond the financial rewards, Priority One has also provided MRAA members a number of other services, including free training webinars related to F&I management best practices, educational seminars at several Marine Dealer Conference & Expos, a PCI compliance kit containing pertinent advice and forms necessary to remain compliant with federal regulations and generic dealership operations forms to be downloadable from the MRAA Resource Center.

“The MRAA has had a great partnership with Priority One ever since we first built this relationship in 2012,” says Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA. “Not only does Priority One offer industry-leading F&I outsourcing services, but their team members genuinely care about our members and their businesses, and that can be seen through the numerous resources they offer, above and beyond the incredible BonusBucks program that has benefitted our members so greatly.”

Young Leaders Advisory Council Seeks Applications

Shape the future of retail boating by applying or nominating young leaders to join council in 2016 

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is currently accepting applications and nominations for its Young Leaders Advisory Council.

Created as an advisory group to represent the needs and thinking of the next generation of marine retailers and to provide additional insight and direction to the MRAA Board of Directors, the council’s creation was based on a desire to help develop future leaders to aid in the progress and growth of the boating industry. Since its inception, YLAC has successfully infused the MRAA with several new ideas and insights.

In order to continue YLAC’s successful momentum, the association is looking to add new members to this vibrant group. Applications can be submitted by anyone interested in joining, and individual nominations of potential YLAC candidates can be submitted directly to the MRAA — who will then contact each nominee.

“YLAC has proven to be a major influence on the MRAA,” MRAA President Matt Gruhn said. “The energy and enthusiasm the group brings to pushing the association forward has been extremely valuable, and many new programs and initiatives have been launched because of their passion.”

Four one-time YLAC members — Jeff Haradine, Wakeside Marine (Ind.), Martin Boyer, Austin Boats & Motors (Texas), Carly Poole, Buckeye Marine (Ontario), and Jake Jostand, Oak Hill Marina (Iowa) — currently serve on the MRAA Board of Directors; a fifth YLAC member, Liz Walz, has since joined the MRAA staff as vice president and director of education; and two other former YLAC chairmen have also sat on the board.

For the immediate future, the YLAC group expects to continue its focus on helping provide solutions to the dealer body’s workforce development challenges.

Applicants or nominees should be willing to meet face-to-face with the group twice a year and provide their ideas and insights, in addition to working jointly with other council and MRAA Board of Directors members on subcommittees. Candidates must be under 40 years of age, hold a position of significance in a dealership and have a minimum of five years of marine industry experience.

Click here to apply to YLAC, or click here to nominate a young professional for YLAC. Applications and nominations must be submitted by Sept. 30. For more information, contact Matt Gruhn at 763-315-8043; matt@mraa.com or YLAC chairman Jake Jostand at 712-332-2701; jakejostand@oakhillmarina.com.

Last Call: Early Bird Registration Ends Today

Marine retailers planning to attend the 2016 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo have just today — Friday, Sept 23 — before special Early Bird Registration pricing expires. Each registration processed before 11:59 p.m. EST today, qualifies for an instant $25 discount per attendee, and members of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas can also enjoy an additional $75 in savings.

As of the end of the day Thursday, more than 400 retailers have registered for the MDCE, keeping the event on pace to set records for dealer attendance. More than 33 percent of those registrants will be attending MDCE for the first time in 2016.

A total of 169 marine retailers registered for MDCE during the month of April, setting a new record, and August registrations were up nearly 5 percent year-over-year, according to organizers. In addition, year-to-date, retail registrations were up 13 percent as of the end of August, compared to the same time in 2015 — putting the 2016 MDCE on track to be one of the largest to date.  

“Dealers are responding in large numbers to the incredible educational line-up we’ve created for this year’s event,” MRAA Vice President Liz Walz said. “We are particularly excited about our three keynote sessions, our dealer-to-dealer roundtables and the dealer case studies, and believe those sessions are driving the dealer interest to new heights.”

Manufacturers and suppliers are responding positively, as well, as their support is also outpacing that of 2015. The MDCE’s top “Powered By” sponsorship tier is nearly sold out, and several new exhibitors will be on display for the first time in 2016.

Taking place two weeks later in the calendar than usual, the new December dates avoid scheduling conflicts tied to winterization chores and hunting seasons, as well as events such as the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam.

“We believe these new December dates are also adding to the excitement and attracting a host of new dealers and exhibitors to the event,” Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry, said. “With all of the excitement surrounding the new educational programming, the new dates, and the new ways that MDCE can help dealers grow, we believe this record pace of registrations will continue all the way through the event.”

Jointly produced by the MRAA and Boating Industry magazine, MDCE is the premier educational conference designed exclusively for marine retailers and takes place Dec. 5-8 in Orlando.

Zenith Dealer Solutions Finalizes Platinum Partnership

Zenith Dealer Solutions, specialists in phone lead management for marine dealerships, has joined the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas as a Platinum Partner — the MRAA’s highest level of corporate partnership.

Based in Tempe, Ariz., Zenith offers a full menu of cutting-edge dealer solutions designed to maximize marketing campaigns, properly handle sales leads and recover missed opportunities. A growing list of industry leaders, including Tracker Boats, Singleton Marine, Skipper Bud’s and Yacht World, rely on Zenith Dealer Solutions for phone call and text tracking, advertising conversion and advanced call routing.

“Supporting the work done year-round by the MRAA and its partners fits seamlessly with our company mission of streamlining the sales process and helping dealers sell more boats,” Zenith VP of Dealer Services Ben Golemon said. “We’re pleased to offer our services to MRAA members and look forward to a long and frutiful partnership.”

Marine retailers utilizing Zentih Dealers Solutions testify the platform prevents missed phone leads, aids in gaining in-depth insights into process adherence and allows the sales team to track opportunities and appointments in real time.

“Zenith Dealer Solutions provides me with a unique view inside of our dealerships’ phone calls,” Evan Davis of Singleton Marine said. “Never before have I had this type of measurement and Singleton Marine is taking advantage of it. Missed calls and missed opportunities are a thing of the past.”

Additional products and services offered by Zenith include API and CRM integration, ad source tracking, customized alarms alerting the sales department to new leads, and even phone skills training.

“The team at Zenith offers MRAA members a modern solution to tracking phone and text leads and converting those leads into sales,” MRAA President Matt Gruhn said. “Welcoming Zenith as a Platinum Partner underscores their commitment to strengthening the future of the retail boating sector.”

Zenith Dealers Solutions joins a continually growing roster of boat manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that have chosen to support the dealer community through partnership with the MRAA. Find a full menu of partner benefits here.

MDCE Retail Registrations Break Previous Record

          Marine retail registrations have a record month as early bird deadline approaches

Organizers of the premier educational conference designed exclusively for marine retailers are reporting that the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo saw the most August retail registrations in the event’s history last month.

Hosted jointly by Boating Industry magazine and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, sponsorships and exhibit space for MDCE 2016 are likewise off to a fast start, with the conference’s top “Powered By” tier nearly sold out. The 2016 MDCE takes place in Orlando, Dec. 5-8, a full two weeks later in the calendar than traditionally scheduled.

This year’s conference includes several new offerings, including Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, Dealer Case Studies and three Keynote Presentations.

Marine retailers who register for MDCE 2016 before the Sept. 23 Early Bird Deadline save $25 off standard rates; MRAA members save an additional $75 for a total of $100 in savings. Learn more and register at MarineDealerConference.com.

Certification Marketing Creates 800,000 Impressions

The world’s largest consumer powerboat publication, Boating magazine’s print and digital properties reach a monthly audience of more than 920,000 people — all of whom had a chance to see for themselves what sets a Certified Dealership apart from the competition. This was the second consecutive year the MICD Program has teamed with Boating on a consumer marketing campaign.

Represent Retail Boating and Participate in ‘Boat Buyers’

As a Certified Dealer we would love to offer you the opportunity to represent the best of marine retailers and participate in Boat Buyers, which premiered on the Travel Channel last weekend and follows young families as they hunt for a new boat. 

The show’s producers are looking for premier marine retailers, like you, for help!

Does your dealership have a flair for showmanship? Would you like to sell a young family the boat of their dreams? Can your team smile for the camera and represent the best of retail boating? 

If yes, producers of a new reality television show want to hear from you!

 Interested dealers must be located in the U.S. and meet the following criteria:

  • Located on the water and selling both new and used boats
  • Have sold a boat to a diverse family with kids (teenagers and older) in the last two years

If selected, your ‘family’ will be sent to shop and test drive three boats at the dealership, one of which is the boat they already own. Your sales person would be on camera providing product information and be along for all three of the family’s test drives.

The show’s grand finale would unveil the family’s final choice and follow the purchasing process. Shoots are tentatively planned for late September through October and require at least one full day of filming. 

An online casting questionnaire has been created for dealerships and their ‘families’ to complete and can be found here: http://simplealien.com/casting-call-for-boat-tv-show/

MRAA Launches Online Career Center, Collaborative Network

Interactive employment portal connects marine industry employers with qualified candidates

“Helping our members fill open positions and strengthen their workforce has become the No. 1 priority of our efforts for the foreseeable future,” explains Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA. “This Career Center, along with the approach of collaborating with other leading associations is already proving to be an incredibly effective method for addressing the growing workforce crisis in the marine industry.”

create an online resume agent to email candidates with matching profiles daily. Employers also benefit from online reporting that provides job activity statistics.

For job seekers, the MRAA Rewards Career Center is a free service that provides access to employers and jobs in the marine industry. In addition to posting their resumes, job seekers can browse and view available jobs based on their needs and save those jobs for later review. Job seekers can also create a search agent to provide email notifications of opportunities that match their requirements.

An added benefit for both employers and job seekers is access to the Marine Industry Career Network, a group of five top marine associations and professional organizations — including the American Boat and Yacht Council, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Marine Distributors Association, Boating Industry magazine and the MRAA. The MICN was built exclusively for professionals working within the marine industry to provide an effective online recruitment method on a single network.

Advertise at your MICN partner of choice and your advertisement will automatically be listed on all MICN Partner Career Centers at no extra charge! Visit www.marinecareers.org to learn more.

About MRAA

At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, please call 763-315-8043.

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