The
Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is off to a great start in
2012! I’m thrilled to let you all know that not only is 2012 the
association’s 40th anniversary, but we’re expecting this year to be one
of our best years yet.

Why? Well, we have numerous initiatives
underway that will make membership all the more valuable to you and your
business. Here’s a quick look at what you should expect from us in
2012:

New website
Just before the turn of the
new year, we locked in on a deal with a new association management
system provider. In the dealership world, this would be the equivalent
of a dealership management system, a customer relations management
system and a new website provider rolled into one product. We’ll be
launching a brand new website, hopefully by mid February, which will make
finding information about your benefits and other happenings at MRAA a
lot easier. We’ll be creating a series of new email newsletters so we
can stay in contact with you more effectively. And behind the scenes,
we’ll be running a new database that will allow you to manage your
account, register for events and pay your dues online. All with the
click of a button.

More benefits
In the last
three months of 2011, the MRAA more than doubled the number of benefits
that it offers its members. Couple that with our new membership
structure, and it’s extremely easy to see the clear return on your dues
investment. But wait! There’s more. We have a series of new benefits
we’re about to make public in the coming weeks, all of which
will add even more value to your membership. Stay tuned.

New educational events
At last year’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, we announced the
creation of Marine Retail University, a series of one-day dealer
education events that we’ll be hosting regionally across the United
States. These events will provide dealers with trends and data specific
to their region, in addition to other expert advice and best practices
the MRAA has accumulated. We just announced the title sponsor
for this series — Norman-Spencer Marine Insurance Services — and we’re close to announcing the first two marine trades associations
that have locked in an event to be held in their region.

An even better MDCE
Last
year’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo was the best yet. The
interaction between dealers and the suppliers, above and beyond the
always-strong mix of educational sessions has created a great deal of
excitement about the 2012 event. We’re moving back to the Orange County
Convention Center in Orlando, which will facilitate the growth we’re
expecting. If you haven’t yet attended an MDCE — where nearly 500
dealers and 1,000 industry people gather each year — you should make
plans right now to do so in 2012.

All of these developments have
been created to provide you a greater return on your membership
investment. Watch for many great things to be coming out of the MRAA in
2012!

Historically, I’ve been fairly poor at understanding economics. I
barely skated by in Econ 101 in college, and my collegiate-level
understanding of supply and demand was warped by the ever-increasing
demand for the libations of my classmates and the never-ending supply
flowing from the local taps.

The real world has taught me a lot
more about economics. And, thanks mostly to the Great Recession I’ve
become somewhat of a student of economics over the last few years. I’ve
done everything I can to seek out business magazine articles on the
economy, and the list of books I’ve read about the economy seems to grow
by the week.

It really got started when a friend recommended
“Ahead of the Curve,” an HBR Press book written by Joseph H. Ellis. It’s
subtitled as a Commonsense Guide to Forecasting Business and Market
Cycles. It was a great book, and I had plans to use the concepts to
develop some forecasting tools for the marine industry. That is, up
until the recession threw those market cycles a curve. It’s a great
book, though, and I’d highly recommend it.

In late 2009, I picked
up a book by Harry S. Dent Jr., at the recommendation of John Spader
over at Spader Business Management. Dent had spoken to some of Spader’s
20 Groups in the past and had done well in predicting economic success
through his books “The Roaring 2000s” and “The Next Great Bubble Boom.” I
followed Spader’s advice and picked up Dent’s book, “The Great
Depression Ahead,” which was written in 2008.

It
was a tough read, particularly because I, like many others, like to
believe in a brighter future, and this book does not predict that. But I
was fascinated by Dent’s predictions and how he used demographic trends
to forecast. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up Dent’s most recent
book — what might seem from the title to be a replica of the previous
book — called “The Great Crash Ahead.” But this is another fascinating
book that outlines not only the inherent problems with our economy, but
predicts what is to come and how you can profit from it.

So
infatuated was I with the economic perspectives, that I picked up
another book that Spader recommended: “Aftershock. Protect Yourself and
Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown.” It’s another fascinating,
if even more negative, overview of what may be to come from our
economy.

I realize how “doomsday” these books sound, and while I’m
not writing about them because I particularly believe that their grim
predictions will all come true, but rather because I’d much rather be
educated about the potential pitfalls ahead than to be blindsided by
them. I hope that you feel the same way.

I finished that book over Thanksgiving, and I picked up another book, a
recommendation from Bob Williams over at Marine Five Star Dealership
Certification: “Endgame: The End of the Debt Supercycle and How it
Changes Everything.” Again, a fascinating (and educational) book on the
economy. I’m just over halfway through it, and I can tell you that it’s
another book I would recommend.

What’s interesting is that all of
these books provide different perspectives. In fact, of these last
three, one suggested that our economy is headed for deflation, another
said that we’re headed for inflation, and the most recent is suggesting
that our economy could go either way.

In any case, an education on
what might be around the next corner is always valuable, no matter if
you got that education at collegiate tuition rates or for the cost of a
few books on Amazon.

The
topic was simple: There’s a difference between each one of the four
generations in the marketplace today, and we need to be aware of the
characteristics of each of those generations as we conduct business. The
presentation itself focused on how to sell to each of those
generations, but the principles can be applied to how we interact with
our employees, our co-workers, our suppliers and those people we
interact with in our personal lives.

The MRAA is undergoing a
generational shift as I type. Many of you know that I’m the new guy on
the block, a Gen Xer who has all of about 50 days under my belt as
president of this association. My predecessor in this role, Mr. Phil
Keeter, has about 22 years and 11 months on me in this role and his
50-plus years of marine industry experience dwarfs my 15 years.

Both
of our vantage points add value to building your MRAA of the future
however. I may bring a new outlook on technology and some new ways to
operate the association. But the wisdom, built through experience and
offered by Mr. Keeter, has proven more valuable to me than I could ever
explain. I’ll go to him with an idea, and he’ll offer historical
perspectives, thoughts to consider, potential potholes to watch out for,
and then he simply suggests that I take that backdrop and run with the
decision I’d like to make. What a fabulous mentor he has become for me.

Mr.
Keeter and the MRAA board of directors have also created a Young
Leaders Advisory Committee, a group of Gen Xers and Millenials that have
been given the opportunity to breathe next-generation thinking into a
strengthening organization. The board and the YLAC group work together
on committees, blending their wisdom, experiences, insights and energies
to help build a stronger MRAA.

It’s this type of collaboration
that I believe will fuel our growth as an association and strengthen our
voice as a dealer community in the days ahead. And that has me
energized.

Back
in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying , “Every man
owes part of his time and money to the business or industry in which is
engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an
organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.”

As
I’ve discovered, in searching for the exact wording of that quote,
associations from every corner of every industry have become fond of
using this quote as a promotional tool. Or maybe “as leverage” is a
better way to put it.

It’s as though they believe that if they
print this quote, members will line up to support their association out
of some sort of moral duty. And so they saturate their marketing
materials with it. On brochures. On websites. On letters to members and
prospective members. Everywhere you look, they’re leveraging the echo of
those 100-year-old words.

Let me tell you something: 1908 was a
long time ago. This type of thinking was common back then, and it was
fueled by a generation or two that set the tone for industry expansion
in the United States. It’s a belief that held true to form during the
Baby Boomer generation. But it’s now becoming a part of history.

Gen
Xers and the Millenials, the Gen Y generation, approach their industry
participation differently.  They want to know “what’s in it for me?”
They’re skeptical of sales pitches. They’re skeptical of the old ways of
doing business. And their involvement in associations is waning.

Bottom
line is that while we here at the MRAA believe in the mantra that we
should support our industry, this association will never operate out of
an expectation for support. We will operate in a manner that every
business should operate in: We will earn your business.

If you
were at this past week’s MDCE, you will have heard the keynote
presentation that was given about the attitudes of the different
generations in the market place. None of them are the wrong attitudes;
they’re just different attitudes. And we will cater to each of them.

You
also heard, if you were at MDCE, that your Marine Retailers Association
is expanding its list of benefits and opportunities in an effort to
demonstrate greater value out of your membership. You’ll see much more
of that in the coming days, weeks and months.

Stay tuned.

In
my work life, the only thing that rivals my passion for the marine
industry is my passion for professional development. I’m a lifelong
boater, and I’m also a lifelong learner.

Unlike boating, it took
me quite a while to love educational opportunities. I was an average
student in high school, a below-average student in junior college, and I
improved only slightly when I moved on to a four-year college. But in
my professional life, and particularly when I became editor of a trade
publication, something ignited the fire in me.

I began attending
educational conferences. I went through the Dale Carnegie Course. I now
read more books in a single year than I did in the first 30 years of my
life combined. And the only thing that prevented me from going back to
get a Master’s Degree was the recent recession.

In my role here at
MRAA, it’s my hope to instill that same desire for lifelong learning in
our membership and to help them realize that desire in themselves
through a host of professional development benefits. Right now, the
Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, at which MRAA members receive a $50
(per registrant) discount, is the focal point of that, but I can assure
you that you’ll see similar benefits sprout up in the coming days,
weeks and months.

I’m thrilled to be arriving at this year’s MDCE early (tomorrow) and to be assisting MRAA’s great partners at Boating Industry magazine as they prep this year’s conference for your arrival.

I
love the MDCE because it gives me a first-hand opportunity to talk
face-to-face with all kinds of dealers and all the businesses that are
so interested in the success of the marine dealer body. The networking
you can do at MDCE is more than worth the price of admission, so I
encourage you to take every opportunity to get there, meet a new face
and learn something from them.

And while you’re at it, please make
sure to stop by the MRAA booth (number 601) and learn about all the new
opportunities we’re creating for you and your business. And I’d love to
hear what you think we can do to serve you better.

See you in Orlando!

Somehow, I wound up with the “event gene.” I’ve always enjoyed
attending and organizing events of all sizes, whether they’re simply
social gatherings at my house or events as large as the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.

When
I cleaned out my desk at my last job, I emptied out 15 years’ worth of
badges, lanyards and nametags from various events I attended over the
years. What a walk down memory lane that was! When I was in grade
school, I organized an event — a neighborhood football game — with all
my buddies where we sent official invitations to our parents to come
watch the game. A couple of them actually showed up.

In my
professional career, I’ve organized all kinds of events from consumer
poker runs to watercraft shootouts and consumer testing events to the
Top 100 Dealers Program and the last couple Marine Dealer Conference
& Expos. And every year, I attend as many marine related events as
possible.

As I write this blog, I’m sitting in the airport in
Dallas-Ft. Worth, on my way home from the Boating Trades Association of
Texas Summit & Expo, a two-day event in Houston, where I gave the
keynote presentation. Last week, I was in Louisville at the
International Boatbuilder’s Exposition and Conference. I’ll be home just
long enough tonight and tomorrow, to unpack, do some laundry, repack
and leave for the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show tomorrow
afternoon. And I’ll cap off event season next week by attending the
Lorenz & Jones Marine Distributing Marine Market event, before I
leave for the 2011 MDCE on Friday the 4th.

Being away from the
wife and kids is never fun, but the time spent at the events,
interacting with the industry fuels the passion I have for my job. They
each offer a unique learning experience you can’t get behind your desk
or on the sales floor. And the in-person networking is so much more
effective than trying to build relationships over the phone or through
social networking.

I hope to see you at one of the events, and by
all means, if you’re at the MDCE in a couple weeks, stop by the MRAA
booth and say “hi.” We’ve got a lot of exciting announcements to tell
you about.

See you there … gotta go catch my flight.

There
are days where I sit down to write this blog and wonder if there’s
anyone out there … anyone who cares what’s on my mind today. And, truth
be told, there are likely few of you right now who do.

So why do I
do it? For a few reasons. First, I believe an active dialog provides a
solid reminder that there’s someone here working on your behalf – even
if that dialog is one-way for now. Second, I expect that at some point
maybe something I have to say will grab your attention and help you run
your business better. And finally, and this is the point that should
grab your attention, because eventually this blog will draw in new
members.

I read a book recently, (you’ll hear more about that in future blogs) titled
“The End of Membership as We Know It.”
Very appropriate for an association executive, don’t you think? I was
so captivated by what I learned in this book that I went online to
search for the author after I turned the final page.

It turns out
that she runs her own company and she has a very active blog. Now, like I
mentioned with my own blog, she must have wondered at some point if
anyone out there was listening. Regardless, she populated that blog with
a wealth of information, and it ultimately convinced me (and surely
countless others) to interact with her company more regularly.
Ultimately, it drew me in enough to convince me to become a repeat
customer, as I purchased another book of hers and wound up contacting
her about her consulting services.

While this is just one example
of how blogs can be effective, it underscores how blogging can be a
critical component to any marketing strategy, even those at your
dealership. It’s especially important if you are active in social media
because you can automatically broadcast your blog out to all of the
customers who “like” your business or follow what you have to say.

It’s
important to simply get started and to continue to provide valuable
information. Eventually, you’ll find, your blog will establish you as an
expert, and people will turn to you as a trusted resource.

I encourage you to get started today.

One of the most visible benefits that MRAA members receive is the
discount afforded them with their registration to the MRAA annual
meeting, also known as the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. MRAA
members save $50 on every employee they register for this event.

For
some dealers, such as Singleton Marine Group, that $50-per-registrant
savings more than covers the cost of membership. Singleton Marine Group,
a long-time member of the MRAA registered eight employees for the
upcoming MDCE, saving itself $400.

The beauty of this situation
isn’t even found in the fact that SMG principal Austin Singleton saved
more on registrations than he paid for the membership. The true value is
really found in what Singleton and his team get out of the annual
convention.

You see, last year was the first year that Singleton
and his leadership team attended the event, and they were so impressed
with what they took away that in 2011, they are bringing more team
members to increase the take-away.

“The MDCE event made a large
impact on me last year,” Singleton says. “Honestly, I had been a bit
hesitant to invest my time, but we were WOW’d by the event. Not only was
each session’s content incredibly valuable, but they also sparked
conversation among us that continued for months. I was very impressed
with the quality of the content, so much so, in fact, that we invested
in bringing one of the speakers in-house for a companywide meeting as a
season kickoff event this past spring. I cannot wait to get down there
this year with a much larger group and see how the event stirs the pot.”

If
you’re interested in realizing the same level of value from both the
event and from your membership, make sure you attend this event. It will
be held Nov. 6-9 at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. The
MDCE offers 22 educational sessions that are designed to help you learn
how to run a more profitable business. The event also offers more than
100 exhibitors with products and services geared toward boat dealerships
and numerous networking sessions where you can connect with other
dealers.

Visit www.boatingindustry.com/mdce for more information and to register for the 2011 MDCE, simply click here. And don’t forget to click the MRAA member button to save $50 off of your registration.

I look forward to meeting you there.