With Jeff Sparshot at The Wall Street Journal noting that the “U.S. consumer is starting to freak out,” the importance of our remaining winter boat shows becomes even more striking, making it important that dealers plan for top performance.

Overall retail purchases have fallen in three of the past four months. Spending on services is flat. Sales of existing homes hit their lowest level since 2014, and the auto industry just posted its worst sales year in more than a decade. Getting face-to-face access to big boat show audiences could be the make-it-or-break-it move for 2023.

Here are 10 tips to consider before setting up at your next show.

1. Who are you? Your name should be clearly visible in your exhibit. It’s amazing how often an show exhibit doesn’t tell who the exhibitor is. It happens more than you think. And one sign, regardless of size, isn’t usually enough. Repetition gets the name committed to memory.

2. Boring signs. Sign painters often create boring signs. Encourage creativity. When you see something in a magazine or other medium that you think is clever and grabs your attention, give the idea to your sign person. Urge him or her to find ways to make your signs “pop.” It’s a waste of money if your signs don’t do the job.

3. Own it, proclaim it. Proclaiming and celebrating an important event, product or milestone calls attention to who you are and what you represent. “Serving our 5,000th customer in 2023.” Or proclaiming this or that model is your No. 1 seller with families, your most popular model for kids, or the popular among anglers. You can proclaim or celebrate anything truthful to differentiate yourself from other exhibitors.

4. Bright can be beautiful. Lights can brighten, accent, highlight, attract attention and create excitement. Accent lighting is primarily used to attract attention to a product or feature, such as a new hull design. Or spotlight a specific on display board or the flagship of the exhibit. Tube or rope or chase lights surrounding something will call attention. Chase lights on a sign are known to give it more impact. Any lights attract attention.

5. Keep it clean. While daily attention is usually paid to cleaning the boats, the rest of the exhibit can needs a little attention, too. A shiny boat on an old, dirty carpet takes away from the sizzle. Ramps that are dirty or old, need paint on handrails or have old rope that’s not clean and white all detract. To be sharp, the exhibit details must be sharp.

6. Make me feel important. Some say this is every salesperson’s key to success. Everyone who comes into the exhibit wants to be treated as important. When approaching a prospect, it’s job No. 1. And salespeople do it as much by their physical cues as by anything they might say. For example, we would never approach someone with our arms folded or hands in our pockets. We’d never frown or look bothered. And a critical goal of any salesperson is to remember a person’s name. People feel important when they hear their name.

7. Use benefit statements. The days of just pointing out product features are gone. For example, if the boat has a fold-down seat, many dealers will put a sign on it that reads: “Fold Down Seat.” But features are really just some aspects of the product. The customer has to recognize the direct benefit of a feature, or what it means to their pleasure. So the fold-down seat really means comfort while cruising, great for sunbathing. Give prospects benefit statements, not product descriptions.

8. Watch for women. Boat salespeople historically have assumed the men walking into the exhibit were the key prospects. In today’s marketplace, women can easily be the prime prospect. Demographically, the majority of households now have two wage earners. And lots of women today like boating and fishing. Moreover, because women often gravitate to family-oriented activities faster than men, ignoring them in the exhibit can be the kiss of death.

9. Video creates excitement. One of the problems with winter boat shows in cold markets is that the products are static and out of their element. But dealers should want to convey summer excitement when the boat is in the water and the prospect can feel the fun the boat promises. A key way for prospects to vicariously feel is through video. Videos can convey the excitement and romance of boating. Check out available lifestyle videos at Discover Boating’s Resource Center. Videos playing around the exhibit or near a particular model can help prospects imagine the fun of boating, which leads to sales.

10. The blindfold test. Find someone who has not been involved with your dealership or exhibit, and have them stand blindfolded in the aisle in front of your space. Remove the blindfold and let them look at the exhibit for 15 seconds, and then turn them around and ask the name of the company, what you are selling, and what was most attractive about the exhibit. If he or she cannot tell you who you are and what you sell, you have work to do. Incidentally, trade-show studies indicate that 15 seconds is the time it takes a showgoer to decide whether to stop for a look.

Boat shows draw good audiences, but it’s your job to grab their attention.