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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