MRAA’s Dealer Week Previews on Thursday

Dealers who have already registered to attend this year’s Dealer Week can check in for a special event preview this Thursday.

If you’re among the more than 600 dealers that attend this event every year and haven’t registered yet, now would be a beneficial time to do so.

The event is produced by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and is the only national meeting designed for marine retailers. Every Dealer Week program is intended to present new ideas and best practices that can increase business and profits for dealers.

“We’re essentially hosting an ‘open house’ in our Dealer Week online platform this Thursday,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We’ll be giving our registered attendees a sneak peek of what they can expect when Dealer Week goes full-tilt, December 8-11.”

Specifically, the preview event will introduce the extensive new online platform, provide an overview of the education offerings for this year’s conference, and even feature a live Q&A with our 2020 Dealer Week Education Hosts — Valerie Ziebron, Sam Dantzler and Jim Million. It will also provide the opportunity to visit the exhibits of MRAA’s Strategic Partners and Education Champions.

This year’s Dealer Week schedule is already set to feature sessions like: How to Grow Your Customer Base; Catch Up in Service; and, Building an Effective Marketing Plan. Additional sessions will focus on: Winning With Pre-Owned; Recruiting New Talent; and Thriving in 2021, among others.

If you’ve never attended Dealer Week before, this will be a great year to do so. That’s because the all online format will be more convenient than ever (save on travel, airfare, etc.) and the registration is half the usual fee. Registered Dealer Week attendees will get a bonus – on-demand access to all sessions through March 31.

The Dealer Week Preview Event is Thursday, Oct. 29 from 9:00-11:15a.m. CST.
Click here to register now.

Can customers contact you?

We often blog about the importance of customer communications and explore ways the dealership sales team can maintain customer relationships. But what about the flip side: How about when a customer or — equally important — a prospect wants to contact your dealership?

In today’s world, dealers must make it easier than ever. That means having a multi-channel communication strategy. It may start with the trusty old telephone, but it must go a lot farther in the age of digital communications. For example, the overwhelming majority of consumers now want digital contact options, and they expect businesses to offer multiple communication channels.

That’s the advice of Pete Batten, chief product officer at Dealer Spike, writing in PowerSports Business Daily. In a recent survey, 90 percent of the respondents said a rapid response time from the dealership is a “must-have” quality in the online world we’re now in. “But many dealers struggle to devise a communication strategy that allows them to respond to online leads quickly,” Batten contends.

In another study of power sports retailers, it was revealed that dealerships take more than 24 hours to respond to half of their online leads. “Imagine if a customer had to stand on your lot for more than 24 hours to ask a question!” writes Batten. “By quickly responding to online inquiries, you can stand out from the other dealerships and form a valuable connection with your potential customers.”

Diligence in responding to online inquiries is imperative. The solution to helping online prospects contact a dealership may be in direct-communication technology. Instead of phone calls and in-person visits, texting has become a preferred method of contact among consumers. It joins email, live chat, direct messaging apps, social media platforms and video chats that all serve as runners-up, explains Batten.

It’s also notable that about 79 percent of consumers indicate they like the option of live chat because they can immediately connect with a real employee. Live chat allows them to ask questions and receive a rapid response.

According to Batten, online leads are 85 percent more likely to convert into customers after chatting with a business.

The bottom line is that the entire dealership team must be aware that the website and any social platforms being used should be set up and attended to in such a way that rapid responses to customer and prospect inquiries are assured.Dealers who have already registered to attend this year’s Dealer Week can check in for a special event preview this Thursday.

If you’re among the more than 600 dealers that attend this event every year and haven’t registered yet, now would be a beneficial time to do so.

The event is produced by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and is the only national meeting designed for marine retailers. Every Dealer Week program is intended to present new ideas and best practices that can increase business and profits for dealers.

“We’re essentially hosting an ‘open house’ in our Dealer Week online platform this Thursday,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We’ll be giving our registered attendees a sneak peek of what they can expect when Dealer Week goes full-tilt, December 8-11.”

Specifically, the preview event will introduce the extensive new online platform, provide an overview of the education offerings for this year’s conference, and even feature a live Q&A with our 2020 Dealer Week Education Hosts — Valerie Ziebron, Sam Dantzler and Jim Million. It will also provide the opportunity to visit the exhibits of MRAA’s Strategic Partners and Education Champions.

This year’s Dealer Week schedule is already set to feature sessions like: How to Grow Your Customer Base; Catch Up in Service; and, Building an Effective Marketing Plan. Additional sessions will focus on: Winning With Pre-Owned; Recruiting New Talent; and Thriving in 2021, among others.

If you’ve never attended Dealer Week before, this will be a great year to do so. That’s because the all online format will be more convenient than ever (save on travel, airfare, etc.) and the registration is half the usual fee. Registered Dealer Week attendees will get a bonus – on-demand access to all sessions through March 31.

The Dealer Week Preview Event is Thursday, Oct. 29 from 9:00-11:15a.m. CST.
Click here to register now.

Can customers contact you?

We often blog about the importance of customer communications and explore ways the dealership sales team can maintain customer relationships. But what about the flip side: How about when a customer or — equally important — a prospect wants to contact your dealership?

In today’s world, dealers must make it easier than ever. That means having a multi-channel communication strategy. It may start with the trusty old telephone, but it must go a lot farther in the age of digital communications. For example, the overwhelming majority of consumers now want digital contact options, and they expect businesses to offer multiple communication channels.

That’s the advice of Pete Batten, chief product officer at Dealer Spike, writing in PowerSports Business Daily. In a recent survey, 90 percent of the respondents said a rapid response time from the dealership is a “must-have” quality in the online world we’re now in. “But many dealers struggle to devise a communication strategy that allows them to respond to online leads quickly,” Batten contends.

In another study of power sports retailers, it was revealed that dealerships take more than 24 hours to respond to half of their online leads. “Imagine if a customer had to stand on your lot for more than 24 hours to ask a question!” writes Batten. “By quickly responding to online inquiries, you can stand out from the other dealerships and form a valuable connection with your potential customers.”

Diligence in responding to online inquiries is imperative. The solution to helping online prospects contact a dealership may be in direct-communication technology. Instead of phone calls and in-person visits, texting has become a preferred method of contact among consumers. It joins email, live chat, direct messaging apps, social media platforms and video chats that all serve as runners-up, explains Batten.

It’s also notable that about 79 percent of consumers indicate they like the option of live chat because they can immediately connect with a real employee. Live chat allows them to ask questions and receive a rapid response.

According to Batten, online leads are 85 percent more likely to convert into customers after chatting with a business.

The bottom line is that the entire dealership team must be aware that the website and any social platforms being used should be set up and attended to in such a way that rapid responses to customer and prospect inquiries are assured.