Posted on March 21, 2014

Why Premium Boat Dock Dealers Should Add ShoreMaster Docks and Lifts to Spur Dealership Growth

Written by ShoreMaster Marketing

A logical consideration for growth-minded marine dealerships looking to grow their revenue or expand their business is deciding whether or not to add another boat brand to their existing product mix. The decision to add a new boat brand to the existing product mix is one that marine dealerships do not take lightly; considerations need to be made at every level of the decision process from space requirements; both on the lot and in the show room, to marketing impact, sales training, advertising, promotions, to market perception, accounting integration and more. Adding another boat brand may have some merit for a marine dealership that is currently offering top-of-the-line boat brands, yet feels they might be missing out on some of the mid-level, or entry level recreational boating customers that their competitors are currently capturing. However, the biggest difficulty that these high quality boat dealerships need to overcome is that of perception. When a market recognized premium marine dealership makes the decision to take on an entry-level boat brand, what happens to that dealership’s premium status in the eyes of their boating customers and prospects? The answer is purely speculation, and will vary from dealership to dealership. One way that some premium marine dealerships have been able to increase dealership sales without diluting sales of their existing boat brands, and without risking their dealership’s premium status in the eyes of their respective geographic markets, is by adding a premium side-line brand that is closely associated with recreational boating, but not a direct part of it. ShoreMaster’s premium line of docks and boat lifts, and their related accessories fit this persona nicely. It’s no secret that ShoreMaster offers the best business opportunity in the marine industry by providing it’s dealers with access to the most comprehensive floor plan arrangement, the best customer service, training, and some of the highest quality products in the dock and lift industry.

ShoreMaster Offers Floor Plan Financing For Docks and Boat Lifts

“ShoreMaster essentially invented the floor plan program for the waterfront equipment industry back in 1985”

The best boat and marine dealerships are well versed in how dealer floor plan programs can work to help grow their business by ensuring that the dealership always has the right products in stock, and on the show floor at the right time. When managed properly, floor plan programs help marine dealerships manage their cash flow and grow their sales. ShoreMaster essentially invented the floor plan program for the waterfront equipment industry back in 1985, and today ShoreMaster continues to offer extremely competitive, and perhaps the only floor plan programs in the industry. ShoreMaster’s floor plan programs help our dealers grow their business, manage their cash flow, and make it extremely easy to have the right product mix on the showroom floor at the right time. ShoreMaster offers multiple discount structures and payment terms so that dealers can match their business needs with the right ShoreMaster dealer program.

ShoreMaster Customer Service Is Regarded As Industry Best

“Providing a premium experience for our dealers and consumers is critical to the success of ShoreMaster and its dealer network and is one of the reasons that we invest so heavily in both the human and technological aspects of customer service.”

To some dock and lift manufacturers, an investment in customer service means adding a part-time, temporary employee for a couple of months, in-season, to handle the increased call volume of their potentially unsatisfied customers. ShoreMaster, on the other hand, has consistently invested in both the human aspect, and the technological aspects of customer service through the retention of long-time employees in customer service, sales, and operations, and by implementing technological upgrades in telephony, software, and business intelligence. ShoreMaster’s investments in the human aspects of customer service mean that ShoreMaster’s dealers benefit from close contact with industry veterans within ShoreMaster’s call center. ShoreMaster’s investments in the technological aspects of customer service now allow a ShoreMaster Customer Service Agent to literally bring together a consumer prospect, and a local dealer to find the best ShoreMaster product for the consumer’s needs. This simple, yet sophisticated process improves the consumer experience with the ShoreMaster brand, and leads to more sales for ShoreMaster’s dealers. Not many dock and lift manufacturers have the capability, or the desire to be such an integral part of their dealer network’s success as ShoreMaster does. ShoreMaster is also in the process of further expanding its call center hours to further bolster services to its nationwide dealer network, and truly set the customer service expectations for the rest of the waterfront equipment industry. ShoreMaster’s expanded call center hours, ensure that a veteran call center staff member is available to assist our dealers from 7am to 6pm central time, Monday through Friday, and from 8am to 3pm on Saturdays, during the busy months of spring and summer. The additional Saturday coverage is to ensure that ShoreMaster dealers have access to a ShoreMaster representative on Saturday’s; a day in which nearly every ShoreMaster dealer remains open during the busy summer months. Providing a premium experience for our dealers and consumers is critical to the success of ShoreMaster and its dealer network and is one of the reasons that we invest so heavily in both the human and technological aspects of customer service. It’s no coincidence that customer service scores are incredibly high across all of the top 100 Marine Dealerships year after year, marine customers expect a high level of customer service from premium dealerships, and ShoreMaster fits that expectation very well. The addition of the ShoreMaster brand, and the high level of customer service that ShoreMaster provides to its dealers and it’s end users make ShoreMaster a perfect fit for premium marine dealerships looking to improve their bottom line and grow their business without sacrificing a high level of service by partnering with a dock and lift company other than ShoreMaster.

ShoreMaster Provides High Level Dealer Training

ShoreMaster offers the highest level of training in the waterfront equipment industry. Every year, ShoreMaster brings its dealers together for a comprehensive ShoreMaster University (or SMU for short) for an unparalleled level of training on everything from the best dock and lift sales practices, to distributor prospecting methods, to side-by-side competitive product comparisons, dealer awards, factory tours, and more. ShoreMaster is one of very few dock and lift companies that invest so heavily in the success of its dealer network. Then again, there are very few dock and lift companies that are as loyal to their dealer network as ShoreMaster. ShoreMaster helps to grow each dealer and distributor in its dealer network by offering unmatched, relevant and insightful training that positions each dealer for growth in the areas that they serve.

ShoreMaster Offers Only The Highest Quality Products

“Premium boat dealerships do not need to compromise on the positioning of their own brand to add revenue through the sales of docks, boat lifts”

If there is one thing that most dock and lift manufacturers are not known for, it is premium product positioning. This is primarily due to the fact that most dock and lift manufacturers are mom-and pop type outfits that operate literally out of their garage or shop selling products directly to consumers and dealers, at the same time, while managing a temporary and revolving door workforce, with little-to-no sales, marketing, or customer service capabilities. ShoreMaster was founded on the principles of high-quality products and services, and ShoreMaster carries those principles today, and into the future. The addition of the ShoreMaster brand, and the high quality products that ShoreMaster provides to its dealers mean that premium boat dealerships do not need to compromise on the positioning of their own brand to add revenue through the sales of docks, boat lifts, and their related accessories.

ShoreMaster Sales Team Is Professional and Consultative

ShoreMaster’s sales team is prepared to help you manage your dealership’s growth potential by sitting down with you to understand your business, your customers, your market, and your personal goals in both the short-term and the long-term. No other dock and lift manufacturer provides such quick and easy access to their customer service and sales team than ShoreMaster. Take one look at any other dock and lift brand and compare the difference in the accessibility of their sales and customer service team, and you’ll quickly see the ShoreMaster difference. We make it incredibly easy for you to find and contact our sales and customer service representatives, and they’ll make it easy for you to schedule an appointment with them so they can find out what your business is all about. If you determine that ShoreMaster fits within your dealership’s growth plans, we make it incredibly easy to understand our dealer and distributor programs, co-op marketing plans, place your first order, and more. Then, we’ll continue to follow up with you as you gain confidence and grow your business. In short, the ShoreMaster process that steps you through becoming a dealer is more informative and exploratory as you move through each step, and you’ll never feel rushed or pushed into becoming a dealer. We seek out partnerships that will be mutually beneficial in the long-term and we value quality over quantity, because our customers expect it from us. You’ll appreciate our consultative approach to selling as your business begins to grow and expand, and you’ll really like our industry best approach to dealer programs, customer service, training, and quality products.

Please feel free to schedule an appointment at any time with one of our Territory Sales Managers if you would like more information on whether or not your market, or your business, could benefit from the growth potential of becoming a ShoreMaster dealer or distributor. You can also fill out our contact form on the Become A ShoreMaster Dealer page.

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