Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173871
[ Boat show sales success ] The Sail & Ski Center, winner of the 2012 Top 100 Best Boat Show Strategy Award, puts a lot of time and money into developing an inviting display. buying boats at the show don't come to the show prepared to buy a boat, so the more prepared we are, the more likely we are to triple or quadruple our sales," Roggenbuck said. He learned over the years that as traffic dwindles in November, December and January, staff can become lazy, so it's essential to amp up their excitement, so they're fully prepared to sell. "We consider our boat show our Super Bowl, and it's the beginning of our season, so we have to be ready for the people to be walking through the door in the January, February time frame," Roggenbuck said. The Sail & Ski Center, winner of the 2012 Top 100 Best Boat Show Strategy Award, starts its show planning in August, when ordering units for 2014. "We want to make sure we're ordering any new models or any new product early, so we have them for the January shows," president Rod Malone said. Following the ordering process, The Sail & Ski Center begins looking at the layout of each show. The dealership uses a computer program to electronically design their exhibit area, so it's prepared for those who set it up. "We can lay out the boat show display electronically, move things around, size things and get a really good indication of what the show is going to look like pretty early on. It allows us to plan the move in and move out effectively," Malone said. A theme holds the booth together, and it is usually associated with one or two brands that have the most exciting product for the year. In 2014, for example, one of the focuses might be www.BoatingIndustry.com P34x38-BI13OCT-BoatShows.indd 35 Russell Marine's goal is to have the best display at each boat show, with a grand entrance, plush carpets, fresh greenery and more. "We believe that threequarters of the people that end up buying boats at the show don't come to the show prepared to buy a boat." – Kevin Roggenbuck, president and owner of Lake Union Sea Ray on pontoons, since that market is hot right now. As November creeps in, Malone begins training his staff for the three shows they'll attend in January. The prep includes product review and sales training. "It's really not anything magic, it's just a discipline to plan and be prepared when you get there, rather than trying to wing it at the last minute," he added. In Alabama, Russell Marine takes part in two major boat shows, in addition to the 10 or so it hosts each year. Planning for those two shows starts about five months early, when the 25-30 staffers who will be attending are each assigned a pre-show responsibility. The booth is a marketing piece that Russell Marine puts a big emphasis on. The goal is to have a "wow factor," as the dealership is aiming to have the best display at each show. The store looks at every aspect of the exhibit, from the carpet, to the lighting, to the greenery, to the closing booth, to the pro shop. "We also want to make sure that we have a display that's customer friendly where the customer can't only see the outline of the boat really well but also see the inside and be able to get in the inside really well," president Dave Commander said. His staff hones their skills in training sessions that last the entire two weeks before show season. "It gets them very familiar with the brands that we carry; it gets them familiar with the motors that we carry; it gets them familiar with how to work with a customer, and the other thing — the biggest thing — is we want to get them excited about the upcoming season and get them in the frame of mind that they can show this excitement to the customers out there," Commander said. Making sales With the right preparation, boat shows can contribute much to dealerships' bottom lines, but solid execution of those strategies is crucial to good performance. At a successful show, dealers can get in front of tens of thousands of customers, but it behooves the dealers to attract some key prospects as well. To do so, Russell Marine sends a special invitation to its likely-to-buy prospects. The dealership budgets up to $3,000 each year to buy tickets for those customers, so they can get into the show for free and visit Russell Marine's booth. "Yes, we're looking for new customers, but I'd say the majority of our boat sales at boat October 2013 | Boating Industry | 35 9/5/13 11:47 AM