Dealer Week attendees receive access to on-demand catalog

Registrants of Dealer Week 2020, the annual conference of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, will receive more than three months of access to an on-demand catalog of all educational content available at this year’s event.

The access, which will last until March 31st — at no additional charge — will give dealers time to revisit the topics that can help them the most or catch up on courses they may have missed. The educational content will include not only the videos, but also the downloads, publications and other resources made available through the event.

“Moving Dealer Week to an online environment enables us to deliver extraordinary value to our attendees,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Dealers will be able to access not just the live event and those recorded sessions, but many other sessions that may not be promoted as part of the main agenda but provide significant takeaways nonetheless.”

Dealer Week’s educational agenda offers dealers 12 standard, expert-led sessions; 3 full-length workshops where dealers can begin implementing what they learned; 3 dealership case studies to showcase how ideas apply in the real world; multiple shorter thought leader presentations; and a keynote presentation. Those nearly 30 courses will be delivered live Dec. 8-11 and then available via recording through March 31, 2021.

Further, two more packages of educational content will be made available to Dealer Week registrants for those 3.5 months. First, the MRAA Education Team has already produced eight one-hour webinars featuring the event’s presenters in a Dealer Week edition of MRAA’s “Ask the Expert” series. And second, all of Dealer Week’s exhibitors have been invited to create a 10-minute thought leader presentation on topics dealers need to be aware of as they head into 2021. All of these sessions, as well as the webinar series that will continue after Dealer Week concludes, will be available at no charge to registrants.

“The greatest thing about the move to an online Dealer Week is that our ability to deliver on our mission has never been greater,” explains Liz Walz, Vice President of the MRAA. “It’s never been as easy or affordable for dealers to access the tips, ideas, strategies and best practices that Dealer Week provides, and our team has never been able to assemble as much educational programming as we have been able to in this digital environment. There’s no doubt that, if there’s ever been a time for dealers to experience what Dealer Week is all about, this is the year to do it.”

About Dealer Week
For nearly 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week is MRAA’s annual conference and expo, designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

MRAA to give out Annual Awards at Dealer Week sponsored by Kicker Marine Audio

Dealer Week, the annual conference and expo of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, will be hosted online Dec. 8-11. The Dealer Week Awards Celebration will be hosted during the event.

Dealer Week will play host to three days of awards next week, sponsored by Kicker Marine Audio.

The Dealer Week Awards Celebration will take place during the day on Dec. 8, 9, and 10. Conference attendees will be treated to three lively awards presentations that will reveal 2020’s Great Dealerships to Work For, the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year, Sea Tow Foundation’s National Boating Industry Safety Awards, CNA’s No Claims Bonus Checks for Certified Dealers and an MRAA Snapshot of the Industry. Entertainment will be provided daily by DJ Impulse and Kicker Marine Audio.

The schedule for the Awards Ceremonies is:

  • Tuesday, Dec. 8, 12-12:30 Central, Great Dealerships to Work For
    • Celebrate the Great Dealerships to Work For, a group of Certified Dealerships that are being honored for their exceptional employee satisfaction levels. Don’t miss some fantastic videos, submitted by the winning dealers. MRAA Certification Manager Liz Keener hosts.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9, 12-12:30 Central, Scholarship Annoucements and the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award
    • MRAA Educational Foundation Executive Director Natalie Briggs Carlson shares details about the organization’s scholarships, which provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. The Foundation also names the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year, a prestigious award for a female making a big impact on the boating industry. MRAA Certification Manager Liz Keener hosts.
  • Thursday, Dec. 10, Sea Tow Foundation’s National Boating Industry Safety Awards, CNA’s No Claims Bonus Checks for Certified Dealers and an MRAA Snapshot of the Industry
    • Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director Gail Kulp announces the winners of the organization’s National Boating Industry Safety Awards. Then, Jeff Heydlauff awards the CNA No Claims Bonus Checks to eight Certified Dealers. And MRAA President Matt Gruhn offers a snapshot into the industry.

Dealer Week takes place online Dec. 8-11. Registration is still available — and has been reduced by half from the traditional cost to make it more affordable for teams to attend the event together. To register, go to DealerWeek.com.

About Dealer Week
For nearly 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week is MRAA’s annual conference and expo, designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Bellavia Blatt Launches Marine Dealer Representation Program

Bellavia Blatt provides support for hundreds of marine dealerships nationwide, as general counsel to the Marine Retailers Association of America.

Our Marine DealerLaw Program provides marine dealers with unlimited access to our dealership attorneys for a low flat monthly fee.
THE DL300 PLAN ($300 MONTHLY)
The DealerLaw 300 Plan is your key to feeling secure. For only $300 per month participants receive
unlimited telephone advice and/or consultation concerning dealership operations including:
  • F&I compliance 
  • Manufacturer audits or chargebacks 
  • Consumer complaints 
  • Franchise issues 
  • Floor Plan and Banking Issues
  • Advertising and regulatory compliance 
  • Issues and problems with state DMV
  • Vendor contracts 
  • Employment disputes 
  • Compensation plans 
  • Employee hiring policies
  • Termination and unemployment matters 
  • Collection matters
Drafting responsive letters on consumer complaints to private attorneys and regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, State Attorney General, Department of Consumer Affairs and the Better Business Bureau.
THE DL500 PLAN ($500 MONTHLY)
Includes all services provided under the DL300 plan; PLUS a reduced hourly fee of $300 for drafting, negotiating and representation for:
  • Most Litigation Matters
  • Succession Planning
  • Drafting, Review and Negotiation of Labor or Management Contracts and HR Manuals and Policies
  • Negotiating Manufacturer Dealer Agreements
  • Shareholder and Member Resolutions and Agreements
  • Formation of Corporations and Limited Liability Companies
  • Purchase, Sale or Lease of Dealership Real Estate
For more than 30 years, our firm has represented thousands of dealer clients nationwide in litigation and corporate matters and in a host of everyday legal and compliance issues. Senior Partner Leonard Bellavia is recognized as an expert and leader in marine franchise law and is the former Chair of the Litigation Section of the National Association of Dealer Counsel and received the Supplier of the Year Award from MRAA and currently serves as outside counsel to various state and regional dealer associations.
For more information, call (516) 873-3000, email info@DealerLaw.com or visit our booth at the 2020 Dealer Week Virtual Expo.

MIACF creates Dealer Week member program

The Marine Industries Association of Central Florida sponsored registrations to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ Dealer Week conference and expo with registrations for 15 of its members.

In an effort to support the MRAA and to create even more benefits for the MIACF membership, the MIACF board of directors and executive director David Ray agreed to offer to pay for up to two team members from any of its member businesses to attend the conference.

“Dealer Week provides our members with great access to high-quality educational courses and training opportunities,” said David Ray, executive director of the MIACF. “In support of those programs, as well as all of the work MRAA does in taking care of our industry’s dealers, both through the shutdowns caused by the pandemic and through the overwhelming growth we saw afterward, we wanted to offer our members this opportunity.”

Dealer Week, scheduled for Dec. 8-11, moved to an online format and instantly became more accessible and easier to attend for dealers across North America. It will offer more than 30 educational sessions, covering the topics most likely to impact dealership success from expert presenters and trainers from both inside and outside the marine industry.

In total, nine MIACF member dealerships took advantage of the opportunity, including two dealerships that have never attended an MRAA annual conference and another that hadn’t attended in a decade.

“Dealer Week online gives dealers greater opportunities to experience the important ideas and insights found in these educational programs,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We applaud David and the MIACF in their innovative approach to delivering greater value for their members and giving those businesses even better access to Dealer Week’s great content.

Correct Craft Appoints Scott Bauer President of Parker Boats

Correct Craft President and CEO Bill Yeargin announced Scott Bauer as the new President of Parker Boats.

Bauer has had a 26-year career in the marine industry that began with Outboard Marine Corporation, working in both their aluminum boat group and engine group. He then transitioned to Tracker Marine Group where he held various positions in sales and customer service for 17 years and was the Vice President of Sales and Service for the last 5 years of his tenure at the company. For the last four and a half years Bauer has played an instrumental role at Parker’s sister company, Nautique Boats, as the Vice President of Sales and Service. During Bauer’s tenure at Nautique the company experienced significant growth. While at Nautique, he also participated in three international mission trips and served on the WSIA (Water Sports Industry Association) Waterways Committee.

Bill Yeargin, President and CEO of Correct Craft stated, “My relationship with Scott has grown over the past four and a half years. Scott is highly respected among competitors, dealers, vendors, employees, and customers and we couldn’t be more excited about his new role at Parker.”

Yeargin added, “In the eighteen months that Parker Boats has been part of the Correct Craft family we have accomplished a lot. We have invested significantly in several areas including a new facility expansion, several new team leaders, new product, and new lean six sigma and strategic planning processes. I am extremely excited about the future of Parker Boats and am certain Scott and the Parker team will do great things in the years ahead.”

Finally, Yeargin stated, “I am extremely appreciative of Linwood and Trudy Parker. They built an amazing company and laid the foundation upon which we have been building. We will forever be grateful to them and know any future success we have at Parker Boats will be built on their shoulders.”

“I am very humbled to have the opportunity to serve with the Parker Boats team,” stated Scott Bauer, President of Parker Boats. “We have a passionate team that will build on the great foundation that Linwood and Trudy Parker established for over 50 years. We have an exciting future ahead and I look forward to meeting and working with our Parker dealers and partners.”

Correct Craft acquired Parker Boats in April of 2019 a premium offshore and inshore fishing boat brand. Parker manufactures center consoles, sport cabins, walk-arounds, and dual console boats.

4 Steps to Ensure A Successful Dealer Week for Certified Dealers

Certified Dealers have a variety of opportunities at Dealer Week. From checking off Continuous Certification requirements to a special event, there’s something in store for everyone!

Certified Dealers, when you log into the digital conference December 8-11, check these four items off your list to ensure that your time spent at Dealer Week 2020 is well spent.

1. Attend sessions to earn credits

  1. Get caught up on the 2020 Continuous Certification curriculum
  2. Get ahead on the 2021 Continuous curriculum

First, if you still need to earn your Q3 and Q4 credits for 2020 Continuous Certification, attend “Fill the Gaps in Your Sales Process” and “Turn Your Shop Inside Out.” Both workshops are slated for 1-3 p.m. Central on Thursday, December 10, so if you need to complete both, have your team divide and conquer and take both at the same time!

ALSO, get a head start on your 2021 curriculum, by earning your 2021 Service Efficiency credit by attending “How to Catch-Up on Service.”

AND earn your 2021 Marketing credit by attending any ONE of these courses: “How to Build Your 2021 Marketing Plan,” “Grow Your Customer Base with Facebook Ads in 2021” or “Using Digital to Personalize the Customer Experience.”

After you take those courses for 2021, complete a Commitment to Improvement form for your Service Efficiency course and one Marketing course, upload it in your Dropbox, and you’ll be halfway done with 2021’s education.

2. Visit the Certification booth
Connect one-on-one with MRAA Certification Consultants in order to ask questions and access numerous resources you can use to strengthen your business.

3. Attend the Gold Member event
On Friday, December 11, MRAA Gold Members and their staff are invited to participate in the “7 Steps to Improve Your Customer Experience,” presentation, followed by discussion with the MRAA Certification Team. The presentation is set for 10-11 a.m. Central.

4. Look for the MICD Certification logo
Keep watch for the MICD logo throughout the online event and all of the attendee handouts. If you see the logo, chances are it is indicating a benefit or a promotion of the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program.

Certified dealers, are you registered for Dealer week? If not, click here.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program, email Allison Gruhn.

MRAA Adds Three Partner Members

MINNEAPOLIS —  Nov. 17 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces three new partners in Platinum Partner Chaparral / Robalo (Marine Products Corporation) and both Indmar Products, Inc., and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) as Partner Members.

 

“MRAA is pleased to add these three outstanding partners to our membership list,” said Allison Gruhn, Director of Business Development. “Adding renowned members to our esteemed membership community lets us deliver on our to serve as the voice of the marine dealer across North America.”

 

Chaparral / Robalo

Marine Products Corporation (NYSE: MPX) manufactures fiberglass motorized boats distributed and marketed through its independent dealer network. Marine Products’ product offerings include Chaparral luxury sterndrive and outboard pleasure boats, outboard sportdeck boats, Vortex jet boats and Robalo outboard sport fishing boats.

 

“Chaparral and Robalo Boats are proud to be a Platinum Partner with MRAA,” said Ann Baldree, Senior Vice President. “We value our relationships with our dealers and as an organization MRAA provides valuable support and training for marine dealers. MRAA has a successful and proven track record of advancing the education, training and certifications of marine dealers. We support and appreciate all of their efforts to ensure our customers are served by exceptionally trained and qualified dealers.

 

Incorporated in 2000, the company sells its products to a network of 170 domestic and 86 international independent authorized dealers. Marine Products’ mission is to enhance its customers’ boating experience by providing them with high quality, innovative powerboats. The Company intends to remain a leading manufacturer of recreational powerboats for sale to a broad range of consumers worldwide.

 

Indmar Products, Inc.

“The relationship an owner has with his or her local dealer is integral to the success of Indmar,” said Chuck Rowe, President of Indmar Marine Engines. “That’s why we personally train and certify each of our authorized dealers service technicians. We are committed to our dealer network and believe in building long-term profitable partnerships with each of our dealers. Our strategic alliance with the MRAA further supports our internal efforts, our network of dealers and the industry as a whole.”

 

Indmar Marine Engines is a privately held manufacturer of gasoline inboard marine engines. Indmar offers a suite of innovative gasoline inboard marine engines that are engineered specifically for severe applications in a marine environment and have the capability and durability to accommodate all boating activities on a wide variety of vessels. From inboard marine engines and jet propulsion to an industry-leading assortment of 98% American Made parts and service products – some of the most recognized brands in wake and jet boats make up Indmar’s portfolio. Indmar works closely with each of its boat building partners on everything from product development to marine dealer solutions.

 

RBFF

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a national, non-profit organization that has been leading the drive for over 20 years – in partnership with industry and government, and through its brands Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar – to increase participation in recreational boating and fishing, thereby helping to conserve and restore our country’s aquatic natural resources.

 

RBFF’s devoted work directly impacts the industry on many levels, including producing a stronger market, customer growth, improved sales and higher revenues for industry stakeholders and enhanced support for state and federal agencies in the form of more fishing license sales, boat registrations and critical conservation initiatives. Its award-winning campaigns Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ websites feature how-to videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots. The website also features online resources and a media center to help stakeholders foster awareness of boating, fishing and conservation and to educate people about the benefits of participation.

 

“RBFF is delighted to become an MRAA partner member,” said Frank Peterson, RBFF President and CEO. “It is an essential step in achieving our mission to increase participation in fishing and boating as it provides us with the opportunity to support boating industry stakeholders with tools and information to grow their own brands. We believe this partnership will strengthen our ties, ultimately benefiting the whole fishing and boating industry.”

These businesses join an expansive lineup of boat manufacturers, vendors and suppliers who support the efforts of the MRAA through partnership. To learn more about becoming a Partner Member, along with a full menu of partner benefits, click here.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

 

About Marine Products Corporation

Marine Products Corporation (NYSE: MPX) is a leading manufacturer of fiberglass boats under three brand names: Chaparral, Robalo and Vortex. Chaparral’s sterndrive models include SSi and SSX, along with the Chaparral Surf Series. Chaparral’s outboard offerings include various models, such as OSX Luxury Sportboats, the 257 SSX, and SunCoast Sportdecks. Robalo builds an array of outboard sport fishing boats, which include center consoles, dual consoles and Cayman Bay Boat models. Chaparral also offers jet powered boats under the Vortex brand name. The Company continues to diversify its product lines through product innovation. With premium brands, a solid capital structure, and a strong independent dealer network, Marine Products Corporation is prepared to capitalize on opportunities to increase its market share and to generate superior financial performance to build long-term shareholder value. For more information on Marine Products Corporation visit our website at MarineProductsCorp.com.

 

About Indmar Marine Engines 

Indmar is the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of gasoline powered inboard marine engines. Indmar has a pedigree going back over 49 years in the inboard marine industry and a proud tradition of pointing the way forward. Indmar was the first inboard manufacturer to deliver fuel injection, custom calibrated engines and the first to produce an inboard engine with a catalyzed exhaust; which is now the industry standard. Today, this legendary brand delivers an inimitable mix of unrivaled performance, meticulous craftsmanship and ground breaking innovations – charting a course for others to follow, yet leaving the competition behind. Indmar operates advanced manufacturing facilities in the U.S. with distributing centers in Millington, TN, Merced, CA, Clarkston, WA and Nowra, Australia. For more information, please visit www.indmar.com. 

 

About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase recreational angling and boating participation, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF’s 60 in 60 effort strives to attract 60 million anglers to the sport by the end of 2021. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to build awareness of boating, fishing, and conservation and educate people about the benefits of participation. The campaign websites feature how-to-videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots, helping boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan, and equip for a successful day on the water. RBFF also offers its industry stakeholders many tools including a Fishing License & Boat Registration Plugin to connect their customers with the information they need in just one click, as well as an embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map to help their customers discover places to fish and boat near them. For more information about the RBFF visit: www.takemefishing.org/corporate/.

Dealer Week’s online format attracts new dealers

Nearly 40 percent of the dealer registrants for Dealer Week 2020 will be attending the annual conference of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas for the first time.

Through the first week of November, a total of 23 dealership entities that have never attended the event were registered to participate, representing about 15 percent of the total dealership entities. To date, more than 530 dealership personnel, representing 437 individual dealership locations are already represented by Dealer Week registrants and of the total registered to date, 39.7 percent will be first-time attendees.

“With Dealer Week moving to an online format, we expected to see a significant increase in first-time attendees this year,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “The virtual platform just makes it so much more accessible than it has ever been, and with such an enormous need for real world solutions as we look toward 2021, we expect the number of first-timers to continue to grow.”

The ease of access to the online educational programming has encouraged several dealerships to register more attendees than they normally would, as well as generated registrations from dealerships and dealership personnel who have never attended an MRAA annual conference. In fact, five of the first registrants to sign up after the announcement of going virtual were dealers who either had never been to the event or had not attended in nearly a decade.

“I’ve wanted to come to Dealer Week the last few years,” said Andy Yeaman, owner of Hughes Marine Service, Danville, Va., who has registered his dealership for Dealer Week for the first time. “We have good friends who attend every year, and they told us about a lot of the seminars and what they took from them. We’ve reached a point where we’ve grown tremendously and, of course, there are growing pains along with that. I have questions like, ‘at what point, with this type of volume, do I need to add more people?’ I think people who attend Dealer Week, who have been through that type of growth, could help me.”

“I haven’t been to the conference in a few years,” says Will Massey, owner of Custom Marine in Statesboro, Ga. “To be honest, as a business owner, it might seem a little unusual, but I’m not the networking, shake-hands kind of fella, but I really do appreciate training, new ideas and systems and processes. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, so it’s probably time to get back, and I now have some really good folks on my team that need to be involved. They’ve been going to 20 Group meetings with me and that sort of thing, and they need to be taking these training courses.”

Dealer Week offers more than 30 educational sessions that will share insights, ideas and inspiration for attacking the ever-changing market place in 2021. With a focus on helping dealers strengthen their systems and processes, the management of their teams, and the customer experiences they deliver, the event offers a live feed of the education Dec. 8-11, 2020, and then all educational courses will remain available to registrants through March 31, 2021.

MRAA, Outdoor Recreation Applaud Report Showing Industry Impact on GDP

On November 10, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released updated economic data, including national and state level data for both 2018 and 2019, on outdoor recreation’s significant economic impact on the U.S. economy including national and state level data for both 2018 and 2019, showing $788 billion in economic output, comprising 2.1% of U.S. GDP and supporting 5.2 million jobs.

Recreational boating and fishing generated the largest economic impact for the nation, at $23.6 billion in value added. Our industry was the largest economic contributor in 30 states and the District of Columbia, and the second largest contributor in 11 states.

“This year’s data solidifies what we’ve been hearing from our members across the nation: People of all backgrounds are rediscovering the outdoors, and spending more time out on the water and on the trails with their friends and family,” said Matt Gruhn, president of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “With recreational boating and fishing leading the way, this report shows how the outdoor recreation community is uniquely positioned on the ground to bolster rural economies through and beyond our nation’s economic recovery, and to better work with legislators at all levels thanks to this data.”

This is the third consecutive year that BEA released data on the outdoor recreation economy, and the third year the industry has shown growth across the board. This release shows how this growing sector was growing rapidly prior to the pandemic and where it can lead again as an economic growth engine and job creator.

Key Highlights from BEA’s new report on the outdoor recreation economy:

  • Outdoor recreation makes up 2.1 percent of U.S. GDP, generating $788 billion in gross output and supporting 5.2 million jobs.
  • In terms of economic output, boating/fishing, RVing, hunting/shooting/trapping, motorcycling/ATVing, and equestrian sports are the five largest conventional outdoor recreation activities.
  • Recreational boating/ fishing generated $23.6 billion, and was the largest economic contributor in 30 states and the District of Columbia, and the second largest contributor in 11 states.
  • The top states where outdoor recreation accounts for the largest percentage of each states’ total GDP are Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Vermont and Wyoming.
  • The top five states where outdoor recreation accounts for the largest percentage of total U.S. GDP are California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.

“In many ways, the uptick in outdoor recreation activity during the pandemic only reinforces the findings in the 2018 and 2019 data, showing that recreational boating, fishing, and the broader outdoor recreation industry are sectors we should further invest in as we look towards recovery,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “This report provides invaluable insights about the role of the outdoor recreation industry in boosting regional economies all over the country and will be vitally important as we work with policymakers to provide meaningful investments and expand access to our nation’s favorite pastimes.”

“This year’s data on the impact of the outdoor recreation economy is reaffirming for the entire outdoor recreation industry, particularly after the last few months we have all had,” said Jessica Turner, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). “The fact the industry generates $788 billion in output, comprises 2.1% of U.S. GDP and supports 5.2 million jobs is huge for the U.S economy, rural and gateway communities and Americans looking for jobs or to start a career in a growing and powerful industry. This, combined with the recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, bolsters the benefits of the outdoor recreation economy and our efforts to ensure all Americans have access to our public lands and waters.”

“The outdoor recreation data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis is invaluable in helping us grow and support the outdoor industry in North Carolina,” said Amy Allison, director of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. “These numbers show the strength of the outdoor recreation industry as a powerful economic driver in our state, and will help us to move the needle toward positive action that supports the industry and supports a healthy infrastructure of public lands that is vital to our economic growth.”

“In Montana we understand the far reaching benefits and impacts of a healthy and vibrant outdoor recreation economy on nearly every facet of our lives and livelihoods,” said Rachel Schmidt, director of the Montana Governor’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. “Having this economic data is vitally important to forming the best policy decisions to support and enhance the recreation economy at every level of government in the country.”

America’s outdoor recreation community, represented by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, continues to support the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) – the official name for the project. Just like is the case for many other industries, the goal is to provide annual data on the economic importance of national and regional outdoor recreation economies that can be tracked for years to come.

The Importance of the Sales Process Requirement

Intent: Assure that you’re properly taking care of the customer before the sale via walk-in, phone-in or internet. Make sure you’re gathering leads, nurturing those leads and turning them into sales. No customer or prospect should be dropped if the process is used properly. There also needs to be follow up.

The MRAA team has written multiple blog post about sales process and customer experiences across a variety of businesses (like this one, and this one and this one). It is easy to reflect on an experience you have as a customer when the experience was less than ideal. But what if you could “flip the script” and get your customers raving about your dealership?

Sales processes are not unique to boat businesses, but is your process recorded? Does each and every one of your sales people follow the process AND execute of the follow-up?

The intention of Sales Process requirement of the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program is to assure that your entire team is properly taking care of all customers before the sale.

The best part? You can use your dealership’s unique process. Your Certification Consultant will help you track that process and fill any holes that are causing inefficiencies or less-than-ideal customer experiences. And if you need a place to start, the Certification program offers a sales process template to get you started.

Contact Director of Business Development, Allison Gruhn, for more information on the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program.