Get what you need from your company’s marketing
By John R. Graham, Sales and Marketing Consultant, GrahamComm
May 17, 2013
The sales function is built into the DNA of every business. It’s as basic and unquestioned as a “great steak” at a company sales meeting. The story with marketing is quite different. It’s often viewed as a “side dish” to the sales “entrée,” nice but not necessary, particularly when the... Read more »
New NMMA report powerful tool
By Jonathan Sweet, Editor-in-Chief
May 14, 2013
I spent most of last week in Washington, D.C. for the 2013 American Boating Congress, hearing from government officials and meeting with legislative staff. (You can read our coverage here.) As part of ABC, NMMA released an amazing new report that shows the economic impact of recreational boating. While... Read more »
Social Media Video Tip: Be a better blogger
Josh Chiles, Engaged!
May 14, 2013
Does your business have a blog? You might think that if you sell a product rather than an idea or service, you don’t need to blog. After all, people can Google the product you sell to learn all they need to know. Right? Wrong. Blogging can and should be a great digital asset to your company no matter... Read more »
Doing it right this selling season
Mark Mooney, Director, Retail Performance, Pied Piper Management Company
May 10, 2013
As we enter the selling season, commit to your sales team! Lead well, and do it right. What sets you apart from your competition? Do you know, and does your team? What are the compelling reasons to buy from you and not the guy (or gal) down the street? People want to do business with the best, but you... Read more »
Email marketing is not spam
Bob McCann, Director of Education, ARI
May 7, 2013
Email marketing campaigns are one of the most affordable, effective forms of digital marketing. Well-executed email marketing campaigns will help you stay connected with your customers and sell more boats, accessories, parts and service. But, take care. Probably the biggest mistake you can make is to... Read more »
Get your customers excited about being on the water
Liz Hochstedler, Managing Editor
May 3, 2013
For dealers in the northern part of the U.S., the news hasn’t been the best. Weather has been chillier than normal, meaning ice out has only just occurred at places like the popular Lake Minnetonka just outside the Twin Cities. And even areas that haven’t had ice on the water for a while are still... Read more »
Making selling easier
John R. Graham, Sales and Marketing Consultant, GrahamComm
April 30, 2013
“It worked once, it worked twice, it worked three times,” reflects the serial killer in Lee Child’s Running Blind. “But you know there are no guarantees in life. You know that, better than anybody. So you keep on thinking, because the only thing that can get you known is your own complacency.” The... Read more »
Social Media Video Tip: Monitoring your reputation
Josh Chiles, Engaged!
April 30, 2013
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: social media is not a one way street, a place where you churn out content that markets your product and walk away. The very thought of “posting and dashing” makes us cringe! Social media, friends, is a two way street. What do we mean by this? When... Read more »
What would I do?
Jennifer Robison, National Retail Specialist, Tucker Rocky Distributing
April 26, 2013
As a consultant who regularly works with powersports and some marine dealers, the growth of P&A sales for our kind of seasonal businesses is a part of my everyday work. The focus is not just merchandising but all the elements that go with it. Retail is DETAILS, and the details need a looksee by owners,... Read more »
6 reasons you need to attend the American Boating Congress
Jonathan Sweet, Editor-in-Chief
April 23, 2013
This year’s American Boating Congress is only two weeks away, but there’s still time to head out to D.C. and make a difference. ABC is a comprehensive legislative conference that brings together the recreational boating industry to discuss and influence public policy on May 8 and 9 in Washington,... Read more »
