With the winter boat show season winding down in many markets, dealers should be back in showrooms following up leads and hoping to see some in-store traffic. But aggressive dealers are already planning more customer events going forward.

The best way to get to build loyalty and ensure future sales is to get to know the customers. Holding special events can help establish closer relationships with the customers because you’re face-to-face with them, and there’s nothing potentially more powerful than face-to-face interactions.

At any good dealership event, the goal is to share an enjoyable experience. And it’s a potential selling situation.

There may be no better selling situation than customer events. You’re mostly interacting with existing customers, who should be most likely to buy from you again if you’ve played your cards right. That’s because a stronger connection is likely established, a camaraderie can develop and an excitement is generated that doesn’t exist outside the dealership. And it can render customers to be much more open to looking at another boat or signing up for a new program. It is a selling situation, be it ever-so subtle.

It also gives customers time for dialogue about what they feel is important, or what might be bugging them, which is valuable. And it can reveal what needs they may have that you could meet to improve their boating experiences. Exchanges should be relaxed and open.

Events also provide opportunities to capture the fun customers have in pictures and videos that can be used on the dealership website, photo boards in the showroom and boat show displays, among other ways. In fact, the photos or videos will also be visual testimonials to how doing business at your dealership makes their relationship enjoyable.

Remember, it’s not just the customers who benefit from events. The dealership team can, too. Events can offer a break in the in-store routine and get the sales team, the service department and others acting together and with customers. New relationships can be established, old ones strengthened and personnel can see first-hand the results of their efforts.

Now’s the time to gather your team. Look at the calendar. Share ideas for events in the showroom or marina — receptions, educational presentations, fishing seminars to kid’s games and activities. I bet your team will come up with more good ideas than a calendar will allow!.

Ladies to Tackle Bass

Dozens of women will be learning bass angling techniques and heading for the water to use their new skills at Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Bass Seminar, scheduled for this March 1 in Dania Beach, Fla.

One of the many events presented by LLGF each year, this freshwater event features basic introductory presentations and hands-on practice, followed by fishing for bass on a private lake.

Dealers with bass fishing customers often send women to LLGF events. Participants can register here.

Largest U.S Artificial Reef

The SS United States, the 1,000-foot luxury liner that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, is back at sea. As you read this, she’s being towed to Mobile, Ala., to be sunk off Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Fl., and become the world’s largest artificial reef.

The liner has been idle and deteriorating for 30 years in Philadelphia. For Gulf of Mexico anglers like me, the thought of catching big grouper, snapper, amberjack, cobia and many other species has me excited about the new artificial reef. The SS United States will be a home for a diverse range of marine life, attracting anglers and divers from around the world. Indeed, the purchase of the ship by Okaloosa County will continue the growth of the area’s robust artificial reef program, which already boasts one of the largest artificial reef collections in the country.

But all is not smooth sailing. It is been reported that some historic preservationists, attorneys and citizen activists in New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere are organizing to file suit to enjoin the dismantling and sinking of the ship. The argument will likely be that the removal of historically significant artifacts may violate historic preservation laws.

After unsuccessful efforts over the years to either refurbish and return the ship to service or convert it into a hotel or some other purpose in Philadelphia, the SS United States Conservancy will now partner with Okaloosa County as plans for a land-based museum and immersive experiences move forward in Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

“We will showcase the ship’s rich history through our extensive curatorial collections,” said conservancy president Susan Gibbs as the ship departed. “It will explore the cultural importance of the ship’s mid-century modern art and design and the record-breaking engineering that made her a 20th century marvel. The museum’s exterior design will incorporate major architectural features from the vessel, including her funnels, radar mast, propeller and other iconic elements.”

Lawsuits notwithstanding, the ship is scheduled to be docked in Mobile for the next 12 months, where some 200 workers will do the necessary remediation. So while I’ll obviously have time to get my fishing gear ready, my hope is that I and thousands of other boaters and anglers will get to experience the world’s largest artificial reef.