Comments on: The Marine Industry is Changing… Do you need to as well? http://bensherwood.net/index.php/the-marine-industry-is-changing-do-you-need-to-as-well/ Thoughtful commentary on issues facing the marine industry Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:44:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dani Gorgon http://bensherwood.net/index.php/the-marine-industry-is-changing-do-you-need-to-as-well/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Dani Gorgon Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:11:08 +0000 http://bensherwood.net/?p=620#comment-119 Hello Skip, great post!. Though I am a very young dirt, I am from a 40 year old company dealing with marine electronics. Although, its afar from boats and engines, we cover everything else related with electronics. I agree with the comments of Senior John Underwood based on solid experience. I see that only the best service can give a dealer an edge over the competotors when all are on the run for discounted deals! Best Regards Hello Skip, great post!. Though I am a very young dirt, I am from a 40 year old company dealing with marine electronics. Although, its afar from boats and engines, we cover everything else related with electronics. I agree with the comments of Senior John Underwood based on solid experience.
I see that only the best service can give a dealer an edge over the competotors when all are on the run for discounted deals!

Best Regards

]]> By: Larry Carr http://bensherwood.net/index.php/the-marine-industry-is-changing-do-you-need-to-as-well/comment-page-1/#comment-88 Larry Carr Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:17:44 +0000 http://bensherwood.net/?p=620#comment-88 Skip, Well put. I have always respected you opinion in the business, Skip. Times are a changin and we all have to change with them. IMO, just one of the hurdles from the dealers perspective will be for them to take that 'good look in the mirror' and see what they see and can change...and then decide to follow through on these changes. But rom a perspective of 25+ years in the marine business on both sides of the equation I would say the BIGGEST hurdle of all in the Marine Industry will be for the major marine power and boat builders to realize that the marine dealer is their Primary Customer and to not loose sight of that when things start to change for the better. The relationship between the power and boat manufacturer and the marine dealer HAS to be one of mutual benefit. If it is not mutually benefical, and the manufacturers continue to dictate the volume a retailer must buy and force inventory on the marine dealers, and the retailers ignore what they need to do improve, nothing will change (and boy have we seen this over the past economic cycles). The relationship between the boat builders/marine power builders and the marine retailer/dealers has to be MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TWO WAY RELATIONSHIP. If it is not, we are doomed to continue to repeat the whole cycle and see more manufacturers and marine retailer/dealers fail. Larry Skip,
Well put. I have always respected you opinion in the business, Skip. Times are a changin and we all have to change with them.

IMO, just one of the hurdles from the dealers perspective will be for them to take that ‘good look in the mirror’ and see what they see and can change…and then decide to follow through on these changes.

But rom a perspective of 25+ years in the marine business on both sides of the equation I would say the BIGGEST hurdle of all in the Marine Industry will be for the major marine power and boat builders to realize that the marine dealer is their Primary Customer and to not loose sight of that when things start to change for the better.

The relationship between the power and boat manufacturer and the marine dealer HAS to be one of mutual benefit. If it is not mutually benefical, and the manufacturers continue to dictate the volume a retailer must buy and force inventory on the marine dealers, and the retailers ignore what they need to do improve, nothing will change (and boy have we seen this over the past economic cycles).

The relationship between the boat builders/marine power builders and the marine retailer/dealers has to be MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TWO WAY RELATIONSHIP. If it is not, we are doomed to continue to repeat the whole cycle and see more manufacturers and marine retailer/dealers fail.
Larry

]]> By: Jeff Thurston http://bensherwood.net/index.php/the-marine-industry-is-changing-do-you-need-to-as-well/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Jeff Thurston Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:07:07 +0000 http://bensherwood.net/?p=620#comment-86 Always good to hear from you Skip. I'm afraid my dirt is even older than John's, but here goes.Thanks for saying what many of us dealers have been focused on the past 24 months. Getting a plaque for buying the most boats or motors each year isn't really worth much in the long run. Our signage here at the marina states "The Sales Dept. sell the first boat. The Service Dept. sells the rest." Great products are nice, but great service is the answer, and the salvation in a purchasing downturn like this one. I look forward to hearing from you and Ben in the future. Thanks. Jeff Thurston and family Thurston's Marina. Always good to hear from you Skip. I’m afraid my dirt is even older than John’s, but here goes.Thanks for saying what many of us dealers have been focused on the past 24 months. Getting a plaque for buying the most boats or motors each year isn’t really worth much in the long run.

Our signage here at the marina states “The Sales Dept. sell the first boat. The Service Dept. sells the rest.” Great products are nice, but great service is the answer, and the salvation in a purchasing downturn like this one. I look forward to hearing from you and Ben in the future. Thanks.

Jeff Thurston and family
Thurston’s Marina.

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