It is no secret that boat sales are down the last few years. It is a difficult time to work at any boat dealership. The news is negative and financing can be difficult to arrange. Bailouts and swine flu are stealing the headlines. The old ways of doing business certainly are being attacked. Change is in the air and in the water.
We have changed our company to better compete in today’s environment. We have right sized our crew. Every remaining crew member has multiple new responsibilities. With 45% less staff than we had in the beginning of 2008 everyone has to cover responsibilities of people who are no longer part of our team. We are stream lining the models we offer. We have changed how we help customers with their service, winter storage, and marina needs.
We are aggressively working on our internet marketing. We have started to make video presentations of our used units. These videos are posted on youtube and linked to our web sites. We are making plans for redoing our newsletter. We are now posting as many actual photos of our new boats as possible; manufacturer’s stock photos are no longer acceptable. We are the first dealership in the country to use a text messaging service to send information to inquiring customers.
There are however a few things that haven’t changed at our company. We have a desire to help people find the right boat and help them enjoy their time on the water. We are determined to try to get better at what we do everyday. We are very particular about the brands and models of boats we offer. We have a passion for the boating lifestyle and for helping people with their boating needs.
With our philosophy intact and our ability to change with the market, we will do what we have always done. We have always emerged from adversity as a better company. I don’t know when business will increase, but I do know that when it does we will have learned how to be more efficient, offer more services and be an even better place to buy your next boat from.
Dave
