Latest News

MRAA Partners with Boat Trader to Create Lead-Generation Perk for Certified Dealers

Mon, 6 Jun 2022 20:11:00 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, June 6, 2022 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas today announced its expansion of offerings for Marine Industry Certified Dealership (MICD) Program participants through its strategic partnership with Boat Trader.

The new benefit includes banner ads (sample below) for MRAA Certified Dealers on Boat Trader, the largest online boating marketplace in America, who are also Boat Trader members. The banners will be paired with dealer listings on boattrader.com, directing consumers to the dealer’s website while reinforcing the message to “Buy with Confidence from a Certified Dealer.”

“By partnering with Boat Trader, MRAA Certified Dealers can proudly promote their MICD recognition on all of their boat listings across the site,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “This gives Certified Dealers a competitive advantage in an accelerated market and gives consumers more confidence when shopping for boats.”

Boat Trader draws more than 7 million visits per month and nearly 16 million boat listing views, providing significant brand exposure for Certified Dealerships.

“As the demand for boats remains strong and first-time boat buyers hit historic highs, connecting buyers with professional dealers is more important than ever for the long-term health of the industry,” said Courtney Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing, Boats Group. “Dealerships often provide the initial opportunity for shopper engagement. We’re excited to promote Certified Dealers to further reinforce the value of their professionalism and service in the boating industry.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Boat Trader
Boat Trader is the largest online boating marketplace in the United States, creating simple solutions for anyone looking to buy or sell a boat. Founded in 1991, Boat Trader expanded from a weekly classifieds publication found in local markets nationwide to an online marketplace in 1996 and now offers boat dealers and private party sellers comprehensive options for selling their boats online with ease. Boat Trader reaches more than 9 million online boat shoppers and delivers over 170,000 leads each month to its sellers. Boat Trader is based in Miami, FL, and is owned and operated by Boats Group. For more information and to experience the marine industry’s leading classifieds marketplace, visit www.boattrader.com or download the Boat Trader app on the iOS App Store and Google Play.

MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program Launches 2022 Education

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 22:01:34 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS, January 18, 2022 — The Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program has released its 2022 Continuous Certification Curriculum.

For 2022, Certified Dealers will be earning credits for four courses. The first, launched January 12, is “The Key Performance Indicators of a Profitable Dealership” by Bob Clements and Sara Hey of Bob Clements International. The second course, coming in April, is “The Five Red Flags that Derail Your Recruiting and Retention Effort” by Kelly McDonald of McDonald Marketing. Certified Dealerships enrolled in the 2022 Continuous Certification program have exclusive access to these courses.

For their other two credits, dealers can choose from a selection of courses on Parts & Accessories and a selection of courses on Sales. Some dealers already earned their credits in these categories at Dealer Week in Austin, Texas, in December, and January 11-13, at Dealer Week Online. Other Certified Dealership staff can view the courses in the spring.

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership program, run by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, requires that dealers complete this education, plus five other annual requirements to maintain their Certified Dealer status in the years following their initial Certification. The other requirements include: an Assessment & Affidavit, Facility Check worksheets, an Employee Satisfaction Survey and staff meeting, a CSI Tracking & Trending evaluation and a Performance Planning exercise.

Being a Certified Dealer gives them access to this high-level education, time with a consultant, discounts on some programs and other benefits.

“The 2022 Continuous Certification Curriculum addresses dealers’ needs. Our first course, on key performance indicators, has been requested for years. April’s course, on recruiting and retention, could not come at a better time, because dealers are running into obstacles keeping a full staff,” said Liz Keener, MRAA’s Certification Manager. “We are offering Parts & Accessories courses for the first time since we launched the program in 2018. And of course, Sales is always a hot topic, so we included it.”

The Continuous Certification curriculum strengthens the already solid foundation dealers formed during their initial Certification process. The education is focused on the three pillars of Certification: Operations, Employee Engagement and Customer Experience. Leadership can share the education with their entire workforce to foster employee development and to reach those whom the topics resonate with the most.

Dealers enrolled in the program have exclusive access to the Continuous Certification Curriculum through MRAATraining.com. The courses are on-demand, video-based education, allowing dealers to login and complete the requirements any time between their release and the November 30, 2022, program deadline.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Marine Industry Certified Dealership Employee Satisfaction Survey Reaches 15,000 Responses

Wed, 3 Nov 2021 22:10:01 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — The MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership program has collected more than 15,000 responses from dealership personnel in its Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS).

The ESS is a survey taken annually by dealership staff at Certified locations. It asks employees 33 questions about their dealership’s culture, in which the employees rate the dealership on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. It also allows the employees to give open-ended responses to questions about what the dealership is doing well and what the dealership could do better.

More than 1,140 surveys have been conducted on behalf of hundreds of dealership locations since 2017. Among the data, employees at Certified Dealerships have reported:
• 94.8 percent report that they know their job is significant and important to the dealership’s success.
• 92.8 percent know the core values and principles they are expected to follow at work.
• 92.3 percent say the employees at their dealership recognize the importance of their customers.

Dealers in the Certification program conduct the ESS annually to better understand the working culture at their dealership. After receiving a robust report of the results, dealers have the opportunity to work with their Certification Consultant to analyze the feedback. Each dealer then hosts a meeting with their staff, celebrating the dealership’s strengths and working as a team to develop solutions to meet employees’ workplace needs.

“Every year our employees score our dealership higher than the year before,” said Lou Cecchini, owner of Off Shore Marine in Branchville, New Jersey. “The reason why is that we take the results from the ESS and find our weaknesses. As a group we discuss and brainstorm new ideas to create a better work environment. This is a group effort and we have buy-in from every employee. It also helps when interviewing new hires as we are able to explain the ESS process and how important our employees are to the dealership."

The Certification program also uses the ESS to determine the Great Dealerships to Work for each year. This December, 21 Great Dealerships to Work for will be honored at Dealer Week in Austin, Texas.

“The Employee Satisfaction Survey is one of our Certified Dealers’ favorite features of the program,” said MRAA Certification Manager Liz Keener. “They appreciate getting honest feedback from their staff and then working with their team to overcome any obstacles in their culture. I’ve seen some dealers make huge strides from year to year, as they continue to work with their staff to improve the workplace.”

She added, “This is especially important, considering our industry’s current workforce challenges. The dealerships that can demonstrate that they are a business that will listen to employees and work to develop a desired culture will retain their strong performers and attract new talent.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

10 Dealerships Achieved Marine Industry Certification Status in 2020

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 20:59:21 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, FEBRUARY 10, 2021— The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce and celebrate the 10 dealership locations that achieved Marine Industry Certified Dealership status in 2020.

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program provides marine retailers with a customizable blueprint to help establish efficient and effective processes. The program not only brings accountability to marine dealership across North America, but it also provides retailers with the processes to maintain the practices needed to deliver a world-class retail experience to today’s boaters.

“These dealers have committed to improving their customer experience, employee engagement and dealership operations,” said Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “They put a huge effort into improvement in 2020 by getting Certified and will continue to learn and grow through the Continuous Certification program.”

Dealership locations that achieved Certified Dealer status in 2020 include:

· Port of Egypt Marine, Southold, New York

· Union Marine — Pacific Nautiques, Pacific, Washington

· Strong’s Marine — Southampton, Southampton, New York

· Strong’s Marine — Yacht Center, Mattituck, New York

· Strong’s Marine — Water Club, Mattituck, New York

· Eric’s Outboard Marine Service, Miami, Florida

· SkipperBud’s — Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

· Watercraft Sales, Three Lakes, Wisconsin

· Manitowoc Marina, Manitowoc, Wisconsin

· Norfolk Marine, Norfolk, Virginia

They join more than 300 other dealership locations across North America that have already been Certified.

In order to maintain their Certification status, Certified Dealers must complete and pass an annual Continuous Certification curriculum. This year-long education program teaches marine professionals how to improve upon their already premier operations. Continuous Certification delivers relevant, timely, high-impact, in-depth education customized exclusively for those who have been through the initial MICD program.

Enrollment for the 2021 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Certified Dealership Program Revamps Continuous Education

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:22:09 GMT

As rollout of the fourth year of the Continuous Certification Curriculum approaches, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program team has taken feedback from participating dealers and worked to develop continuing education courses that are more customizable and flexible to the business needs of today’s marine dealers.

The updated program will require current Certified Dealers enrolled in Continuous Certification to complete two in-depth courses, “How to Raise Your Game as a Leader & Follower” with John Spence, and “Become a Trusted Dealership in the Eyes of Today’s Customer,” with Marcus Sheridan. These courses will be similar in composition to those offered in the 2018-2020 Continuous Certification Curriculums.

Where the 2021 program differs, is that dealers will have the opportunity to choose two additional courses in the areas of Service Efficiency and Marketing. Both topic areas offer 5-6 courses that dealers can choose from in order to customize their learning. Dealers are welcomed to watch as many sessions as they want, but only one from each topic area will be required.

“While dealers tell us they’ve appreciated the high level of education we’ve provided over the past three years with Continuous Certification, they have also expressed that they each have unique needs and would like to tailor their dealership-wide training to those needs,” said Certification Manager Liz Keener. “This revamped program will allow us to share two exclusive, high-impact courses with dealers annually, and then give dealers the flexibility to choose from a number of courses on specific topics that will best benefit their business, their employees and their customer experience.”

Additionally, dealers will have the opportunity to get a head start on the 2021 Continuous Certification Curriculum through MRAA’s 2020 annual conference, Dealer Week. Four educational sessions that will be featured as part of this year’s educational line-up will be eligible to fulfill two of the program requirements. Register for the conference here.

“The Continuous Certification program was launched in 2018 as a continuing education program in response to dealers looking for more value from Dealership Certification. While the program has been extremely successful, one of the cornerstones of this format is that we can continually adjust to dealer feedback, and the program can evolve as they evolve,” said MRAA President Matt Gruhn. “This improved program is the result of the MRAA responding to their needs but also to the needs of today’s market place with timely, relevant and impactful topics. Dealers will continue to find this program valuable as they seek solutions to their individual challenges.”

The 2021 Continuous Certification program will kick off January 1st with the course “How to Raise Your Game as a Leader and a follower,” with subject-matter expert, John Spence, and those dealers who attend Dealer Week 2020 can work ahead by attending “How to Catch-Up in Service” (for the Service Efficiency Credits) and any one of the following educational sessions (for the Marketing Credits): “How to Build Your 2021 Marketing Plan With or Without a Boat Show”; “Grow Your Customer Base with Facebook Ads in 2021”; or “Using Digital to Personalize the Customer Experience.”

Dealers who are interested in the Certification program and how it can improve their business can reach out to MRAA Director of Business Development Allison Gruhn at 763-458-8036 or allison@mraa.com.

Bonnier, MRAA Partner to Promote Certified Dealers

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 14:18:20 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has announced a partnership with Bonnier Corporation, one of the largest consumer-facing, special-interest publishing groups in America, in order to promote the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program and the retailers who are Certified.

With this year’s influx of boat buyers, especially new boat buyers, saturating the market, it has become more important than ever to promote and explain the importance of working with a Certified Dealer.

“Our Certified Dealers put in a lot of work to become Certified, and much of that effort is focused on the customer experience. We’re entering into this partnership with Bonnier to tell consumers all about Certified Dealers and how Certified Dealers can serve them,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager, “Our hope is that as consumers see these marketing efforts, they’ll make a larger effort to seek Certified Dealers when they’re ready to buy.”

Readers of Boating and Salt Water Sportsman will experience marketing campaigns through various channels, including print magazines, websites, email sends and social media platforms.

"Bonnier is committed to growing participation in boating and the enjoyment of the boating lifestyle. Nothing is more important than having a great dealer get you started in boating and guide you along the way,” says Glenn Sandridge, Vice President and Managing Director at Bonnier Corporation. “Choosing an MRAA Certified Dealer is the best way to ensure you are choosing a trained professional partner to maximize you and your family's fun on the water."

The MRAA continues to build and evolve the Certification program to help boat dealers establish efficient and effective processes that lead to an exceptional retail experience for everyone. Certification offers dealers the blueprint to developing a world-class business.

This partnership and the promotion of the Certified Dealer program will run through 2021 and 2022.

Sales Process Course Now Available Through 2020 Continuous Certification

Thu, 9 Jul 2020 16:55:21 GMT

MRAA’s Continuous Certification program has released its third quarter course: Fill the Gaps in Your Dealership’s Sales Process. The goal is to help dealers improve their customer experience by following a consistent process.

Certified Dealers are already required to have a sales process in place before earning their Certification, but this course asks them to go back to that process and their process map and review them, to assure all of the important factors are embedded in the process, trained upon and used.

Jim Million, of Million Learning, leads Certified Dealers through his B.R.I.D.G.E. sales process, while MRAA Lead Certification Consultant Bob McCann demonstrates how B.R.I.D.G.E. can apply to each of the 15 steps in MRAA’s example sales process map.

Fill the Gaps in Your Dealership’s Sales Process Map is available now to enrolled dealers and their staff within the 2020 Continuous Certification Curriculum.

If you don’t have access to Continuous Certification and would like to learn more, contact Certification Manager Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com, or 763-333-2417.

26 Dealerships Achieved Marine Industry Certification Status in 2019

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 15:23:34 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that 26 dealership locations achieved the Marine Industry Certified Dealership status in 2019.

The Marine Industry Dealer Certification Programs provides marine retailers with a customizable blueprint to help establish efficient and effective processes. The program offers tools to engage your employees in a business’ success and create a world-class retail experience that leads to higher levels of customer loyalty.

“Congratulations to the 26 dealerships who completed the MICD program in 2019,” said Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “The participating dealerships were committed to improving their relationships with their customers, bettering their workplace culture and securing the success of their day-to-day dealership operations.”

Dealership locations that achieved Certification status in 2019 include:

Action WaterSports Colorado, Commerce City, Colo.
Action WaterSports Arizona, Mesa, Ariz.
Alpin Haus, Amsterdam, N.Y.
Aquaknox Marine, Knoxville, Tenn.
Buxton Marine Sales, Lewisville, Texas
Emerald Coast Marine, Niceville, Fla.
Fred's Marine, Layton, Utah
Idaho Water Sports, Burley, Idaho
Lake Cumberland Marine, Somerset, Ky.
Lakeview Marine, Webster, Mass.
Norris Marine, Norman, Okla.
Silver Spray Sports, Fenton, Mich.
Taylor Marine Center, Milford, Del.
The Boat House, Cape Coral, Fla.
The Boat House, Chicago, Ill.
The Boat House, Nashotah, Wis.
The Boat House, Lake Geneva, Wis.
The Boat House, Elkhorn, Wis.
The Boat House, Naples, Fla.
Tommy's, Golden, Colo.
Tommy's, Waterford, Mich.
Tommy's, Clermont, Fla.
Tommy's, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Tommy's, Walloon Lake, Mich.
White Lake Marine, Elizabethtown, N.C.
Willey's Marine, McGregor, Minn.

These dealers analyzed 15 different areas of their businesses and improved upon them as necessary, relying on best practices and templates built over the 15 years that the Certification program has existed.

In order to maintain their Certification status going forward, Certified Dealers must complete and pass an annual Continuous Certification curriculum. This year-long education program teaches marine professionals how to improve upon their already premier operations. Continuous Certification delivers relevant, timely, high-impact, in-depth education customized exclusively for those who have been through the initial MICD program.

Enrollment for the 2020 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit contact us at 763-315-8043.

MRAA, MICD Launch 2020 Continuous Certification Curriculum

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 17:01:26 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has announced the lineup for the 2020 Continuous Certification curriculum, as part of the Marine Industry Certified Dealership (MICD) program.

The Continuous Certification program is a year-long education program that teaches marine retailers how to improve upon their already premier operations that were improved throughout the initial MICD process. Continuous Certification delivers relevant, timely, high-impact, in-depth education customized exclusively for Certified Dealers to maintain their Certified status.

“The MRAA Certification team is looking forward to another great year of valuable-packed content for Certified Dealers,” said Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “Each quarter, subject matter experts will deliver a message that marine dealers across North America told us were topics that they needed more information and guidance on. We are thrilled to announce the lineup for 2020.”

The 2020 courses include: Maximize Your Boat Show Sales by Don Cooper; Take Your Employee Satisfaction to the Next Level by Bob McCann and Liz Keener; Update Your Sales Process for Today’s Marine Market with Jim Million; and Improve Your Service Shop from the Inside Out with Valerie Ziebron.

The MICD program has already kicked off the 2020 Continuous Certification Curriculum with the first quarter course, Maximize Your Boat Show Sales, with Don Cooper of the Sales Heretic, available to those who have already enrolled in the program for 2020.

Maximize Your Boat Show Sales kicked off in early January, just in time for most dealers to get a fresh dose of education before their first boat show of the season. In the first quarter, Don Cooper, a former MRAA Conference & Expo speaker, covers the during and after stages of the boat show, helping dealers better qualify their leads and follow up with those prospects to increase sales and get more consumers enjoying the boating lifestyle.

For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

MRAA Creates “The Guide to Phone Skills” White Paper

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 21:09:25 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas published its latest white paper, “The Guide to Phone Skills,” powered by the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program.

This 10-page digital publication provides marine retailers with tips on hiring and training staff members, auditing a dealership’s phone responses, advice on scripting calls, and how to market a phone number.

“It isn’t a secret that today’s customers are not the customers of the past,” says MRAA Vice President, Liz Walz, “The Guide to Phone Skills not only discusses how today’s customers have evolved, but also provide a guide for retailers to implement in order to create a positive customer experience as soon as they pick up the phone.”

“The Guide to Phone Skills,” was developed as supplemental material to the 2019 Continuous Certification course, Align Your Dealership With Today’s Customer, presented by, MRAA Vice President Liz Walz and Jim Million, of Million Learning.

“The 2019 Quarter Three Continuous Certification curriculum is focused on providing marine dealerships with the guidance they need to better align themselves with the shopping and ownership experience of today’s customers,” says Liz Keener, MRAA’s Certification Manager. “This white paper offers retailers with a how-to guide to connecting with today’s technology-empowered customers.”

MRAA members can login and access the full publication at MRAA.com/guides. “The Guide to Phone Skills” and Quarter Three of the MICD Continuous Certification program are available now.

Grady White Partners with MICD Program to Promote Dealership Education

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 20:36:44 GMT

Grady-White Boats and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas have partnered together to bring the Grady-White dealer network a path to a delivering a greater customer experience through the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program.

MRAA’s Dealer Certification program provides boat dealers with a proven roadmap for dealership success, focusing them on continually improving their organizations through an emphasis on operations, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.

“We are excited to announce the partnership with Grady-White and its dealer network through the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program,” says Liz Keener, MRAA’s Certification Manager. “Grady-White has invested in creating a culture of continuous improvement for its dealer network by incentivizing and encouraging education and training, specifically through the MICD program.”

For more information on the program, please visit MRAA.com/Certification or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Continuous Certification Launches Q4 Course on Customer Experience

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:38:33 GMT

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership’s Continuous Certification program has released its fourth quarter course “Supercharge Your Customer Experience” with Theresa Syer.

In Q4, Syer teaches dealers about customers’ Emotional Motivators and how dealers can influence those motivators using Key Emotional Drivers. The goal? To improve your customer experience; create loyal, raving fans; and sell more boats.

This course, partnered with the annual Performance Planning course, marks the last elements of the 2019 Continuous Certification program. Dealers in the program learned about coaching and mentoring, productivity, today’s customer and customer experience throughout the year.

With the release of these courses, Russell Marine The Ridge became the first dealership location in Continuous Certification to complete the program in 2019. The deadline for all dealers to complete is December 31.

For dealers wanting to experience this Q4 course in person, Continuous Certification has announced an all-new option, allowing dealers to attend the “Supercharge Your Customer Experience” workshop at Dealer Week for course credit. The workshop will be offered on the final day of Dealer Week, December 11, 2019, in Tampa, Florida.

Continuous Certification Goes Live at Dealer Week

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:04:19 GMT

The Certification program is happy to announce that the Q4 Continuous Certification course: Supercharge Your Customer Experience will be available live at Dealer Week!

The course, taught by Theresa Syer of Syer Hospitality, will be offered as a two-hour workshop during the final morning of the MRAA conference and expo. Dealers in Continuous Certification will be able to attend this course in person as an alternative to watching the video course online, though the online version will be available to dealers in Continuous Certification as well. Those who are interested in Continuous Certification, or simply interested the customer experience, are also welcome to attend.

To attend this course, visit DealerWeek.com and get registered before Early Bird pricing ends Sept. 30. Dealer Week is scheduled for Dec. 8-11 in Tampa, Florida.

Chupich, Stevenson Join MRAA Team as MICD Program Consultants

Fri, 6 Sep 2019 20:39:25 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas welcomes industry experts, Rallee Chupich and Zane Stevenson, as the association’s newest Marine Industry Certified Dealership program consultants.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rallee and Zane to the MRAA Certification team,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager, “We have been working tirelessly to promote and demonstrate the value of the Certification, and we are confident that our new consultants will continue to elevate the program.”

Rallee Chupich comes to the MRAA with more than 35 years of marine retail experience, most of that time spent as a third-generation team member of Gordy’s Lakefront Marine in Fontana, Wisconsin. She has worked in various roles throughout the dealership, including in service, dealership operations, human resources, restaurant operations, marina and pro shop. Chupich approaches dealership consulting with a high level of integrity with the goal to collaborate, optimize success, and proactively provide results in a detailed, genuine manner.

“I am excited for this adventure and honored to be a part of the MRAA team. I look forward to continuing to promote, support and give back to an industry that I love with people I admire.”

Zane Stevenson is an experienced operations expert with nearly 30 years in the retail sector, a majority of that time being in the marine industry. Stevenson’s most recent experience was managing MarineMax locations both in Missouri and in Georgia. He is skilled in retail operations, store management, marketing management, qualifying prospects and business planning.

"This role with MRAA allows me the chance to be a part of the whole industry, not just one organization or dealership. During my time in retail, I found that the Certification process allowed me and my team to acknowledge what we were doing right, and equally as important, bring opportunities to the forefront, create a new standard, and improve from there."

Chupich and Stevenson will offer numerous marine dealerships enrolling in the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program across North America insightful and implementable guidance. They join MRAA’s current team of Certification consultants, which includes Lead Certification Consultant Bob McCann and Consultant Jim Million.

The Marine Industry Certified Dealer program provides a customizable blueprint to help boat dealers establish efficient and effective processes. The program offers you the tools to engage your employees in your business’ success and create a world-class retail experience that leads to higher levels of customer loyalty.

Tiara Yachts | Tiara Sport Makes Three-Year Commitment with MRAA on Dealer Certification

Tue, 6 Aug 2019 16:36:50 GMT

Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport along with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas have partnered together to bring the Tiara dealer network a pathway to delivering a greater customer experience through a 3-year commitment to the Marine Industry Certified Dealer program.

To encourage participation by their dealer network, Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport will offer a per boat incentive to dealers who complete the Certification process and maintain their status through the Continuous Certification program.

“We are very excited to partner with the MRAA on this program and launch it to our Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport dealer network at our 2019 Dealer Summit. Working towards continuous improvement, education and training helps to build an all-around stronger Tiara Dealer network,” says Dave O’Connell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport.

MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program provides boat and engine dealers with a proven roadmap for dealership success, focusing them on continually improving their organizations through an emphasis on operations, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. In addition to commiting to the Certification program, Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport have signed on to be an MRAA Platinum partner.

“We are ecstatic to partner with the Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport dealer networks through the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program and MRAA partnership,” says Liz Keener, MRAA’s Certification Manager. “Tiara continues to put focus on creating a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging and rewarding marine retailers who invest in education and training, specifically through the MICD program.”

The MRAA team will be in attendance at the Tiara’s 2019 Dealer Meeting to highlight the partnership with Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport and the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program. For more information on the program, please visit MRAA.com/Certification or contact us at 763-315-8043.

MRAA Releases "Job Descriptions That Amp Up Productivity" White Paper

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:40:01 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas published its latest white paper, “Job Descriptions That Amp Up Productivity,” presented by the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program.

This digital publication was developed to empower employers to craft internal and external job descriptions that create a more productive, accountable and satisfying work environment. The white paper directs readers to use their job descriptions to outline employee job roles, prioritize responsibilities and measure success in order to create better clarity and accountability across their team.

“We’ve been offering our dealer members sample job descriptions for years, but this white paper teaches them how to take those job descriptions a step further,” says Mike Davin, MRAA’s Director of Education. “It’s a step-by-step references that shows dealers exactly how to create job descriptions based on results.”

“Job Descriptions That Amp Up Productivity,” was developed as supplemental material to the 2019 Continuous Certification course, Boost the Productivity of Your Leadership Team, presented by Ty Bello.

“Our Certified dealers focused on productivity in the second quarter of this year. This white paper shows them how to take what they’ve learned about productivity and build it into the culture at their dealership,” says Liz Keener, MRAA’s Certification Manager.

MRAA members can login and access the full publication at MRAA.com/guides. “Job Descriptions That Amp Up Productivity” and Quarter Two of the MICD Continuous Certification program are available now.

Certification Program Launches Q3 Course

Mon, 8 Jul 2019 21:04:46 GMT

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program has released its third quarter Continuous Certification course: Align Your Dealership with Today’s Customer. This course is part of the requirements for dealers to maintain their Certification status and to continually improve their dealership.

Align Your Dealership with Today’s Customer teaches dealers about consumers’ needs and wants and how they’ve changed in recent years. It also shows dealers how to address those shift and make their dealership the retailer of choice for modern boat buyers.

Helping dealers achieve success are a variety of subject matter experts knowledgeable about the marine industry and consumer trends. MRAA’s Liz Walz and Jim Million, of Million Learning, lead dealers through the course, which also includes interviews from Sam Dantzler of Garage Composites, Rich Delancey of Level 5, John Spader of Spader Business Management and Bob McCann of the MRAA.

After dealers learn how consumers have changed, they have the opportunity to choose how they’ll adapt their dealership to the changes. Like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, after dealers take a self-assessment to determine their needs, they will choose one of three pathways to complete the course. The Culture Pathway offers dealers advice on adjusting their culture to meet the needs of today’s customer. The People Pathway helps dealers adjust their staffing needs to best serve the customer, and the Process Pathway walks dealers through new processes that can improve the customer experience.

Though dealers are only required to complete one pathway to fulfill their quarterly Continuous Certification requirement, they are welcome and encouraged to go back and watch all three pathways when they’re ready to continue improvement in how they serve their customers and prospects.

“This course offers a unique opportunity for our Certified dealers to learn about new retail trends, assess how they’re addressing those trends now, consider where they have gaps to fill and learn from the pathway that best assists them in filling those gaps,” says Liz Keener, Certification Manager for the MRAA. “We’re glad to give our Certified dealers this customizable e-learning course for the third quarter of 2019.”

Certified Dealers can access Align Your Dealership with Today’s Customer at MRAATraining.com. If you’re not currently Certified and want more information on the program, reach out to Nikki Duffney at 763-333-2420 or nikki@mraa.com or visit MRAA.com/Certification.

Dealer Shares His Certification Story

Tue, 4 Jun 2019 15:25:19 GMT

Jim Armington of Buckeye Sports Center has been a part of the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program for about a decade, and he recently shared his experience with us.

“Originally, we signed up for dealer Certification, to be honest, to get the dealer Certification merit badge, to get the sticker in the window, not knowing how much we’d get out of it,” he explained. “And after even going through the program the first year, we learned quite a bit about follow up and procedures that we wanted to have in place, and every year since then, it’s really been a benefit.”

Armington participated in the inaugural Continuous Certification program in 2018 and has already completed some of the requirements for the 2019 program.

“I really think Continuous Certification has most changed our dealership by making us continually focus on what we can do to get better,” Armington said. “And the topics they bring up help kind of start that discussion, start that first step for us to work with the employees, to work with the rest of the team every year on what can we do to get better every year. And Continuous Certification, as the name would indicate, just kinds of directs us towards that.”

Watch Armington’s full Certification story.

MICD announces 6-Week Program

Fri, 17 May 2019 20:37:32 GMT

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership program has launched a new path to help dealers complete the initial Certification process in just 6 weeks.

The 6-Week Certification Completion Plan breaks down the formal 15-part checklist into manageable weekly steps that allow dealers to achieve their Certification status in a shorter period of time.

Dealers will still start the Certification process with a Pre-Certification Assessment and a call with their Certification Consultant. The Consultant will then guide them through the 6-week process that helps the dealer establish effective and efficient operational systems and process, create a culture focused on employee satisfaction and generate not just satisfied customers but loyal fans.

The Consultant will work with each dealer to develop a plan that works for them, offering space for the dealer to complete all requirements on and path and timeline that will work for their specific location’s needs.

Interested in the 6-Week Certification Completion Plan? Contact the MRAA’s Nikki Duffney at 763-333-2420 or at Nikki@mraa.com.

Continuous Certification Launches Employee Satisfaction Survey Process

Mon, 6 May 2019 22:35:08 GMT

As seasonal dealerships are ramping up for their peak season, the Continuous Certification program has kicked off Employee Satisfaction Survey season.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program recently received links to their Employee Satisfaction Surveys (ESS). The ESS process allows dealers to survey their employees anonymously to get a clearer view of the culture within their business. The dealership’s entire staff then works together to develop a process improvement plan to address any issues uncovered up by the ESS.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program are given the entire year to complete the survey. However, those who complete the survey by Sept. 16 are eligible for the 2019 Great Dealerships to Work For Awards, which recognizes the dealers with the highest Employee Satisfaction scores.

120 Marine Dealerships Completed Continuous Certification Program in Inaugural Year

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:34:04 GMT

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that more than 120 marine dealerships completed the inaugural year of the association’s Continuous Certification program.

The all-new Continuous Certification program was launched January 2018 as a powerful revamp to the previous “Re-Certification” process. The new program was built specifically for Certified Dealers and not only qualified dealers to maintain their Dealership Certification status, but also strengthen the dealership operations that were addressed in the initial Certification Program.

The 2018 educational curriculum focused on how dealerships could improve their customer relationship management processes, how to create a stronger customer experience, how to develop an accountable workforce and how to decide which growth or stability strategy marine retailers should focus. The courses included:

Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM, by Sam Dantzler
Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset, by Theresa Syer
How to Create a High Accountability Dealership, by John Spence
Strategy: A Path to Improved Performance, by David Spader

“Each educational course introduced new and challenging lessons and best practices that marine retailers should be integrating into their dealerships, in order to reach their greatest potential,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “The participating dealerships were truly focused on improving their relationships with their customers, bettering their workplace culture and securing the success of their day-to-day dealership operations.”

In addition to the educational curriculum, dealerships participated in the Employee Satisfaction Survey process, which addressed the current culture of their company and encouraged retailers to look into ways on how they could improve the overall satisfaction of their employees. They also assessed their compliance with Certification standards, evaluated their facilities and completed a performance planning process.

“We were thrilled with the level of engagement that was demonstrated by the first year Continuous Certification participants,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Committing to continuing your education year after year is the best way that marine retailers can ensure continued growth and success as a Marine Industry Certified Dealership.”

Enrollment for the 2019 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Boating Industry Representatives Testify at EPA Hearing on Year-Round E15 Sales

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 19:51:43 GMT

On March 29th, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public field hearing on its proposed rule to lift the restriction on summertime sales of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol (E15). Many in the recreational marine industry has long opposed increasing the volume of ethanol in the fuel supply, and are weighing all options to thwart EPA’s proposal.

Tim Reid, vice president of product development and engineering at Mercury Marine and David Slikkers, director of government relations at Tiara Yachts were joined in testifying by NMMA senior vice president of government relations and legal affairs, Nicole Vasilaros. Jim Stewart of the Michigan Boating Industries Association and Jim Coburn of the National Marine Lenders Association and MBIA also testified.

According to Vasilaros, "The EPA's rule allowing year-round sales of E15 is an affront to consumers who use gas-powered products and expect the EPA to look out for their best interests. With year-round sales of E15, the risk of misfueling will lead to potentially disastrous consequences and jeopardizes the safety of the consumer. In the interest of consumer safety, the agency should consider abandoning the rule.

"In certain products, E15 use is prohibited by law due to safety concerns. In fact, the use of E15 can destroy engines in a wide-range of consumer products including boats, generators, motorcycles, and others. What's more, many Americans are unaware of the dangers of high ethanol fuels. A recent Harris Poll commissioned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute shows that more than 3 in 5 Americans mistakenly assume any gas sold at a gas station is safe for their gas-powered products. Additionally, many gas stations have E15 labels smaller than a pack of gum. Boat owning Americans who have small, towable boats that they fill up at their local gas stations remain at increased risk of misfueling.

"Lack of consumer knowledge about the new rule in addition to the demonstrated harmful effects of E15 on certain products make a clear-cut case for the EPA to abandon its proposed rule and protect consumers. While the EPA's decision to potentially allow additional consumer education and protection measures is welcome news, the agency's desire to hasten the roll out of the rule achieves the opposite effect. We hope to continue working with the EPA and other industry groups on improving labeling, strengthening consumer education, and otherwise mitigating the disastrous effects of this new rule."

MRAA is planning to submit testimony on this rulemaking in the coming weeks, and encourages any interested party to do the same.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

First Year of Continuous Certification Receives Rave Reviews

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 15:52:17 GMT

The Marine Industry Certified Dealership (MICD) program recently wrapped up its first full year of programming, and dealers have shared extremely positive feedback for the curriculum.

The Continuous Certification program replaces the previous Re-Certification process. Instead of simply checking the same boxes each year to remain Certified, dealers now complete a year-long education program that teaches them how to improve upon their already premier operations. Continuous Certification delivers relevant, timely, high-impact, in-depth education customized exclusively for Certified Dealers.

The 2018 courses include: Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM by Sam Dantzler, Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset by Theresa Syer, How to Create a High Accountability Dealership with John Spence, and Strategy: A Path to Improved Performance with David Spader.

After completing the courses, which include videos, skill check quizzes, discussion questions, activities, a final skill check and implementation-based homework, 95 percent of dealers reported that the information in the course was useful, practical and relevant. Ninety-three percent of dealers reported the courses were worth their time and money; 92 percent said they were likely or highly likely to improve their business as a result of the courses. And 91 percent said they’d recommend the course to their dealer friends.

“I am super impressed with Dealer Certification,” said Fred Book, director of customer relations at Marine Center of Indiana in Indianapolis. “Great content. Great speakers. MRAA in my opinion is doing an excellent job with this program. Our dealership has been doing this for many years and to see it evolve into this is super amazing.”

The MICD program has already kicked off Year 2 of the Continuous Certification program with the first quarter course, Develop Your Dealership’s Workforce Outside In by Jim Million, available to those who have already enrolled in the 2019 program.

MRAA, Tiara Yachts and Tiara SPORT Partner on Dealer Development

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:22:52 GMT

HOLLAND, MICH. – Tiara Yachts, Tiara SPORT and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas have partnered to help deliver their customers an incomparable and intensely satisfying ownership experience, through the introduction of the Tiara’s Flagship Dealer Program.

Last week, at the same time that Tiara introduced its highly anticipated entry and brand into the outboard market with the Tiara Sport 38LS, Tiara also rolled out the Flagship Dealer Program in an effort to further strengthen its position as a brand leader. The Flagship Program was developed as a baseline that both Tiara as the manufacturer and its dealer network can use to build a culture of continuous improvement. Tiara has decided to use the MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program as a business template to build upon with this program.

“We view the Dealer Certification Program as an excellent foundation upon which we want to build operational enhancements that will help elevate our dealers to the next level in overall customer satisfaction and profitability,” explains Tom Slikkers, CEO of S2Yachts, Inc., the parent company for Tiara Yachts, Tiara Sport and Pursuit Boats.

MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program provides boat and engine dealers with a proven roadmap for dealership success, focusing them on continually improving their organizations through an emphasis on operations, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. Tiara requires its dealers to become a Certified Dealer in order to achieve “Flagship” status within its dealer network.

The Tiara Flagship Dealer Program guidelines are focused on improving and recognizing exceptional performance in dealership sales, service and marketing. The overall goal of the program is to drive Tiara dealer performance to consistently higher levels and to add value for their customers.

“The Dealer Certification Program aligns incredibly well with Tiara’s approach to elevating its dealers,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. “Incorporating Dealer Certification into Tiara’s Flagship Program will accelerate their ability to exceed customer expectations. Tiara already boasts an established network of A-level dealers, and we are honored to work with Tiara and its dealers to develop a culture of continuous improvement that we know will help them strengthen their foundations for growth and success.”

“We feel this program demonstrates our commitment to supporting the retail segment of our business,” explains Slikkers, “and will help us strengthen the partnerships we have with each of our dealers.”

About Dealer Certification
The MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program provides a blueprint for boat and engine dealers to create a culture of continuous improvement within their businesses. Dealer Certification focuses on enhancing dealership performance through three key pillars of building a competitive advantage: Operations, Employee Engagement, and Customer Satisfaction. The program unites the best and most effective tools, resources and educational programming offered by the MRAA into one package that offers dealers the most direct route to growth and success in today’s market. For more information, please visit MRAA.com/Certification or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Tiara Yachts
Tiara Yachts, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, manufactures inboard powered yachts ranging from 31 to 53 feet. Tiara Yachts line comprises the Tiara Series, Flybridge, Convertible, Coupe and Q models. Parent company S2 Yachts also manufacturers the Tiara SPORT and Pursuit Boats brands. Tiara Sport focuses on luxury cruising while Pursuit Boats is centered around the luxury fishing boat market. Tiara SPORT will debut their premier model, the 38 LS, during the 2017 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Tiara SPORT brand will grow to include as many as 7 models in the 29-42 foot range. Pursuit Boats are manufactured in Fort Pierce, Florida in lengths of 23 to 40 feet. They are available in Center Console, Dual Console, Offshore, Sport and Sport Coupe configurations. All three S2 Yachts brands participate in the NMMA CSI program. As long standing participants, Tiara Yachts and Pursuit Boats are repeat recipients of the NMMA CSI Award, for excellence in customer satisfaction. Tiara SPORT will be joining the process for the first time during model year 2018. S2 Yachts, Inc. is one of the oldest privately held boat manufacturers in the United States. For more information, please visit tiarayachts.com, tiarasport.com and pursuitboats.com.

Certification Marketing Creates 800,000 Impressions

Wed, 7 Sep 2016 15:15:56 GMT

A multi-pronged marketing partnership with Boating magazine intended to promote and educate consumers on the benefits of buying a boat from a Marine Industry Certified Dealer netted nearly 800,000 digital impressions this summer.

The world’s largest consumer powerboat publication, Boating magazine’s print and digital properties reach a monthly audience of more than 920,000 people — all of whom had a chance to see for themselves what sets a Certified Dealership apart from the competition. This was the second consecutive year the MICD Program has teamed with Boating on a consumer marketing campaign.

“We have placed a renewed emphasis on educating potential boat buyers about how doing business with a Certified Dealer not only enhances the purchasing experience but also ensures their continued care and attention long after taking delivery,” Liz Marsha, MICD Program Coordinator, said. “Becoming a Certified Dealer isn’t easy. We want the public to see that and appreciate the time and effort required to attain Certified status, and we find that partnering with Boating to be an excellent way for us to share these benefits.”

Blending newsletter content, Facebook posts, digital display banners and print advertising, the campaign ran from early April until late June and included custom content across multiple Boating properties. A series of cheeky comics intended to draw distinctions between Certified dealers and their non-Certified counterparts were also created and posted to social media and the Boating website — capturing more than 2,500 unique visitors.

“Educating the consumer prior to making one of their most important investment purchases should be a top priority of the entire industry, and buying from a Certified Dealership helps ensure a customer will stay on the water for many years,” Kevin Falvey, editor-in-chief of Boating, said. “We view buying a boat from a great dealer, like Certified dealers, as an important element in the buying process.”

The June 2016 print edition of Boating included a full-page color ad exploring the value of Certified dealerships, and digital banners were prominently featured on the Boating website from April 1 through June 30. Additionally, a pair of custom eNewsletters were sent in May and June to more than 140,000 confirmed email addresses — resulting in nearly 1,000 visits to the MICD homepage.

The only standardized curriculum designed specifically for marine retailers, dealerships enrolled in the MICD Program routinely capture higher CSI scores and report higher employee satisfaction. More than 75 dealerships have earned Five Star Certified status in 2016.