Every boat dealer should recognize it’s time to be more aggressive in generating sales. The selling environment has changed since the pandemic-driven bonanza. Competition is back. Higher interest rates and inflationary pressures are concerns. Still, we tend to hang on to comfortable thoughts that justify what we’re already doing instead of undertaking new actions.

“Some new thinking is what’s needed now if you want to rise above the crowd,” said the late John R. Graham, who was speaking to the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association as the industry faced a downturn some years ago. “What it takes to be successful in sales now is demanding but not particularly complicated. You just need to follow the right tactics to improve your sales performance.”

Graham urged salespeople to:

1. Make the phone ring It’s not how many calls you make that increases sales; it’s how many prospects and customers call you. Get the customer to want you, not just what you sell.

2. Become a brand Don’t look and act like every other salesperson. Develop your own style and identity. How do you want your customers to think of you? Perhaps you’re an accomplished angler. Or boating is your top family activity on days off. Make known what makes you unique, what sets you apart and gives you expertise. The goal is to make yourself liked and memorable.

3. Be known for your ideas Women are good in sales because they don’t get hung up on good-old-boys baloney. They’re good at finding ideas, products and applications that connect with the expectations or wishes of prospects and customers. It’s said of selling, whether man or woman: If you don’t have ideas the customer can use, you don’t get the business.

4. Remember who’s in charge It’s not you. Selling boats is no longer about getting customers to buy what you’d like to sell them. The customer is in charge, Today, selling requires patience and focused listening.

5. Follow up furiously Buyers may take longer to make a decision these days. Most sales will be lost due to lack of follow-up. It may be easy to drop a prospect too soon. As a result, the purchase goes to another dealership. Never stop following up while the door is open.

6. Be accessible Make it a top priority. There should be no wiggle room: You’re either available or you’re not. If a prospect or customer can’t find you when they need you, they’ll find someone else.

7. Act in the customer’s best interest Just because there’s a certain model you want to move doesn’t make it right for the customer. Listen to the customer’s expectations and work toward them. After all, making the wrong sale will likely prove worse than not making the sale.

8. Make yourself indispensable Customers need you to see and identify with their expectations. If you don’t, they don’t need what you’re selling. Look for ways to be the resource for all prospects and customers, and constantly supply information.

9. Not puff and fluff Don’t blow smoke. Your prospects or customers will surely have done some preliminary online research, but they’ll still want your knowledge and expertise. It’s what makes you more valuable than some website. Remember, respect is earned by giving straight answers.

10. No boilerplate messaging Regular communication with customers is an important sales strategy, but there should be some personalization that connects with the recipient. It means spending time to customize individual messages, but sending generic communications will get you deleted or, worse, blocked.

Given the changing outlook for boat sales, there’s no better time to pause, reflect and consider adopting some new techniques that can elevate success.