Has not sold a boat in six months

[Chisox]

Wolakrab,

You are absolutely correct. I could probably be good in sales (the wife says I would), but I do know 2 things about being successful in that field. The first is to believe in your product. The second, of course, is to KNOW it!

The "belief" part? Yeah, O.K., ya gotta have a job. The "knowledge"? No excuse!

[redneck joe]

I am buying a new (to me) boat but not the big expensive ones like some of you have. However I am moving up in size to 30+ feet and I have been contacting brokers - pretty non responsive/agressive generally as a group. I have found one that seems pretty willing to help a redneck buy an old cruiser where he won't be making much money - maybe that just because me and my ilk are the only ones really buying right now.

[auguste]

Good luck but be very wary . . . most brokers are starving out there . . . but there are still a lot of good brokers doing great things

[welder]

The ones who aren't worth a spit fall under this description. Don't lump "all salesmen" under it, though. My chosen career is in sales....my bread and butter is in repeat business from a select few customers. So, I'd better know my stuff about what I sell, because if I can't answer a customer's question, he'll go to my competition to get the answer. I've been doing this for over 15 years, so I must be good at it.

While I may agree with your statement to a degree, please don't use such a broad brush to describe "all salesmen".

Didn't mean to offend you, sorry, but I used the words ...........most and some .

Not , all.

And yes a GOOD salesperson is GREAT to find .

[CoveHunter]

I visited a local dealer last year in Wilmington (Pages C..) three times with my wife to inquire of certain boats they sell. They showed no interest in spending anytime with me, nor qualified me. I said nothing wrong that I knew of. The last visit they quickly suggested a boat totally different than what I was looking for. I worked in sales years ago, and trust me, he could have sold me the boat I thought I wanted that very day. Two other dealers were pretty close to the same with no follow-ups.

In Maryland a Albemarle dealer did set up a appointment for a sea trial on a new '24 express. When we showed, they didn't have the boat ready. So we did run the '26, great boat and did make us a offer we weren't that far apart on, and yet they never followed up. Only the manufacture sent a message how the sea trail went. We said the hell with them. Than thought "new" wasn't right for us (besides the depreciation loss)

So we decided used was a better move and stuck with the other forum, and made a great choice at the time. My mistake moving from Northern Virginia to Wilmington,NC. over looked slip pricing! Now have a great boat in everyway except for it's bigger than I want to trailer, so we might sell her and look for something a little smaller.

The point is the dealers I saw need to focus on the customer in front of them and go back to the basics. I know there are a lot of tire kickers, and they'll lye too (cause their scared and your close to hitting their buttons) ya gotta work em all with respect. Not a fun experience.

Got that off my back.....

[rchanner]

I can understand not selling boats in a market like this....What I don't understand is not trying. You would think that these guys would be falling all over themselves to return phone calls.

[venture34]

Hey Rich et al, OP Gus etc..

The only thing I can add in the defense of the brokers is that for the past 6 months boat sellers have been smoking crack for what they wanted for their boats and buyers were on hold. Those that were around knew prices would come in and I can just see how many times their chains were jerked in the past 6 months. So why they are not returning your calls- prob b/c the last 200 calls resulted in NOTHING. Not making excuses but I can just see it - tire kicker buyers and unrealistic sellers with very few boats trading.

I am entering the fray and will report my findings - I am only doing so because sellers are FINALLY being a bit more realistic in the past month or so....

I am guessing that on that front more calls will be returned in the coming months as transactions pick up

[KillerB]

Wolakrab I hear ya but the world has changed. I have a building full of salesmen who are great at milking their cash cows. But guess what?? Their cows are dying and the salesmen are starving. They've lost their prospecting and cold calling edge. I'm hiring kids off the street who are hungry and giving them the tools they need and they are opening new business at the rate of 3 to 1 versus the guys who've been around 10 years. Yes you have to take care of the good customers but you have to realize 20-40% of them won't be around this time next year.

There are no more good ol' cash cows. They are dead or not spending. Unless you have a lot of federal government business, you can't count on anything. Even the local governments are cutting way back.

It's a new world, don't let it catch you by surprise.

As far as the attitude of brokers and sales people who don't call back, I don't get it. They have to be on commission and they have to be hurting. It's not like they don't have the time. It's more like they've given up and are just hunkered down waiting for the world to change. Which it's most likely not going to do. I'd be on every prospect like a flea on a doberman. Don't care how they are dressed or what they are driving. If they are out looking it makes them a possibility and till I prove otherwise, they are next month's mortgage payment. The customers are out there, the money is out there (if you have 20% down, a job and credit not in the toilet). You just have to work harder for it and I think that's clearing a lot of the weak sisters out of the business. You see it every where. Cars, houses, boats. The customers aren't standing in like throwing money at you any more. You have to bust your ass for it and a lot of people aren't used to that I'm afraid. Welcome to 2009.

[Wolakrab]

Didn't mean to offend you, sorry, but I used the words ...........most and some .

Not , all.

And yes a GOOD salesperson is GREAT to find .

No offense taken. Based on the last time I bought a car, I'd agree with your summation 100% when it comes to some salesmen. It was sad to ask a question and not hear a knowledgeable answer. Mostly all I heard was BS trying to steer me away from the subject at hand.

As a whole, most people in sales are looked upon as untrustworthy, unknowledgeable, and pushy. And I knew this before I started my current career.....just a glutton for punishment, i guess.

KillerB,

My industry is suffering like so many others. The successful sales person doing what I do is having to reinvent themselves.....including reviving the art of the cold call. I make it a point to see at least 5 prospective customers a week that I don't currently do business with. While the vast majority will not respond as I like, I have found that they will remember my name when it comes to them making a change.

I know many who are having an extremely difficult time doing exactly this. That makes my job easier, because they will not be my competition for long.

[sneakypete]

Owners and buyers are both being unrealistic putting the brokers in precarious situtations. It is very tough right now to make both parties happy. I am sticking with selling the cheap stuff right now, but yeah anything over 100k is tough. There is alot of people looking but no one coming through. I have been stood up by a buyer at least 10 times this year. I drive to my clients boat to show it and the buyer never comes, they dont pick up thier phone, and I never hear from them again. This did not happen that much last year.