// MARKET TRENDS
get one boat to do both things,” he said.“ A boat that can do a little bit of everything, like take rough water, offer plenty of room, use larger gas tanks and cruise long distances, that versatility is key to attracting more people to the sport.”
Chessie Marine Sales is located in Cecil County, Maryland, and carries new and used boats.
The versatility
Consumers also want to do a little of everything, and that might mean pulling a skier after a wakesurfer, or entertaining family and friends after a cruise around the lake.
“ With where the performance towboat segment has gone in terms of price, the expectation is also that, if I’ m buying this boat, it can’ t just do one thing,” Palma explained.“ When we talk about versatility, it’ s broader than just the sports behind the boat. Our customer is now just as concerned with how they can use the boat as an entertainment vessel.”
Aside from MasterCraft’ s ProStar model, the engines in its boats are located at the stern, allowing for spacious and comfortable cockpit areas.
In 2015, the company released its first dedicated surf towboat, the X23. The model offered high performance but was also designed for entertaining guests.
“ When surf started really becoming more popular and it was less about core competition product, we started realizing these boats can still be used to train by the best in the world, but that’ s not who our customer is,” Palma said.
He said the versatility of boats has become more and more important over the last five years.
Buckland also pointed out that, after Malibu bought Cobalt Boats, the company was able to integrate technologies developed by Malibu and Axis into Cobalt models.“ People couldn’ t decide if they wanted a surfer boat or a cruiser boat. Now they have an option to
The sale
To retain new boaters, both dealers emphasized the importance of getting customers out on the water in the boat they are considering or have already purchased.
At Chessie Marine Sales, demo rides are a standard practice before the sale.“ Once you put them on the water and get the excitement going, first of all, it makes the sale easier,” said Buckland.“ Number two, they get a feel for that boat, how it performs, how it turns, how much room is in it. It really helps us pick the right boat for people to make sure they are getting what best suits their needs.”
These demo rides also provide the opportunity to educate customers on boating safety and etiquette.
“ Last week, we had two first-time boat buyers, and we ended up taking them down to the local school and spent about an hour teaching them how to back up the boats and everything,” Buckland said.“ Education is important so people understand proper boating etiquette. Once they understand it, they respect it.”
Silver Spray Sports also requires a“ Check Ride” for every boat sold. The customer and a salesperson go out on the water to learn about all the features of the boat.
“ That ride is basically customized to every family and their needs,” Burnash said. The goal is to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase, understand the features, and know what the boat is capable of.
Burnash added that consumers seek reliability in both the product and the dealer.“ So we focus very heavily on communication and customer service and adding that value to their purchase,” she said.
“ We try to make it easy for the first time buyer,” Buckland echoed.“ We take care of any maintenance, winterization, storage. You want them to enjoy their ownership experience, so we try to make that happen.”
Chessie Marine added StarCraft, Barletta and Sea Pro to its lineup a few years ago.“ Now we have offerings that can get people into our showroom, have that relationship build, and then we help them along the way so when they do upgrade, they’ re familiar with us,” he said. The dealership also accepts trade-ins, entry points for first-time buyers.
“ You try to get them into a boat that’ s in their price range, knowing if they fall in love with the market, the boating and all the activity you can do out on the boat, in a couple of years they’ re going to come back and trade that boat in and go to a newer style,” he explained.
Increasing awareness
According to Buckland, some customers still have little or no awareness about the wakesurf segment. He stated that awareness of the sport needs to be broadened through marketing efforts and partnerships with OEMs.
To help bridge the awareness gap, Chessie Marine Sales uses video displays in its showroom and boat show booths to showcase wakesurfers in action.
Both Chessie Marine Sales and Silver Spray Sports participate in local parades and host demo day events.“ Just getting the boats in front of people attracts a curiosity and our goal is to get them into the dealership,” Buckland said.“ And more importantly, get them on the water. I stress that.”
Silver Spray Sports relies on customer referrals and word of mouth as part of its marketing strategy. And to enhance the customer experience, the dealership celebrates sales with social media posts.
“ That’ s really the experience we’ re trying to give,” Burnash said.“ That original
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