Miami Boat Show: image from The Hull Truth

A week ago today marked opening day of the 68th Miami International Boat Show. It was my 5th Miami show and the first one as an independent public relations  professional. I had planned events and meetings on my schedule but I was also looking forward to the unplanned aspects of the show.

What would the exhibits on the dock look like? How would consumer traffic be at Sea Isle Marina? Would the Convention Center halls look like empty bowling alleys or be jam-packed with buyers? What influence would the economy have on conversations between buyers and sellers? Would the spirit of boating still be alive and well?

Attendance

Sea Isle Marina as far as the docks are concerned looked pretty much the same at first glance. It has a unique horseshoe-shaped center dock arrangement and had mostly full slips all around. Seeing the marina from the causeway, it certainly looked like a boat show. The outer end of the marina, however, normally has several hundred feet of additional docks added to it and this is where I saw the stark contrast from previous years. The extended dock space had been reduced and there were a good handful of boat manufacturers missing from the typically overwhelming trawler section of the show. Miami is without a doubt an expensive show to participate in so it makes sense that some companies might have cut the exhibiting expense from the budget.

Traffic all around was also lighter than in previous years. But what seemed to be missing were the stiletto heels, the gold chains, the hords of baby strollers, and the beer-toting vacationers. My interpretation of this is that serious buyers were still at the show. Attendance was reported down 26 percent from last year but when you see that there were still over 96,000 people checking out boats and gear, the potential for follow-up sales remains strong. The NMMA who runs the show believes attendance was from quality consumers and that those who purchased at the show were pre-financed. For individual dealers, only weeks and months of follow-up will indicate how serious their boat show leads are.

The Conversations

I love talking to people at boat shows because something about being on a dock, in 80-degree weather, surrounded by boats that fulfill people’s dreams creates a common bond. What I love more than talking, is listening. Builders, suppliers, salesmen, marketers, everyone I listened to was talking about the future. They were not dwelling on today’s economy. Today’s poor economy is a reality and everyone has to deal with it as best they can and what I heard was excitement for doing more. I found it encouraging that companies are working on their websites, sending out press releases, creating new display banners, focusing on new ways to promote their product, connecting with their customers, and defining their place in the market. This all sounds very vague, but the circumstances are different for each company in the industry, and I was hearing folks identify their focus. Every little thing counts.

I heard consumers asking questions, seeking education. Sure, there were a few lamenting over financial timing, needing to sell a house or a business before buying a boat, but even these consumers were there with a plan and to learn how to make their dreams happen. At the display of one of my clients, potential buyers were talking with current owners and asking questions about where they’d been, where they’re headed, wanting to know how they’ve used the boat. Potential buyers were putting themselves in the shoes of those out there doing it and learning how to follow in their footsteps. I listened to a couple ask a manufacturer endless questions about batteries, power supply, renewable technology, and hull construction and he was genuinely digesting every answer he received. The conversations I heard were not about the down economy, they were about boating.

I think the buzz that the Miami show created is all about timing. Being on the water is something that people who attend boat shows love whether it is in a kayak, a RIB, a Hobie Cat, performance sailboat, fishing boat, expedition yacht, or trawler. Their passion for being on the water does not crash with the stock market, though that might affect when they move on to the next boat. For most people, it’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.”

And it’s the industry’s job to be ready for them.

Post from: Chesapeake ProCon

This saying has stuck in my head quite a bit recently with regard to things we as an industry can do to better promote our brands, to foster new relationships in the industry, and to help boating as a whole. I’m not necessarily talking about marketing or boat shows so much as having brand awareness, offering remarkable customer service, and keeping an open mind to try new things. Branding and customer service are SOP in business models so my suggestion is to reevaluate your approach to them. If there’s something we‘re surely looking for right now, it’s things we can do that don’t cost anything! So what are they?

Brand Awareness

What is the mission statement of your company? Do all your employees know it and somehow integrate it into their actions and interactions on behalf of your company? Your mission statement should support your brand whether that is your company name, a specific product, or your service, and brand awareness is knowing how the brand is actually being received, recalled, and passed along as a result of your branding efforts. Ideally your branding efforts, communication with consumers, and ad campaigns are educating the industry on your product to enhance their understanding of the value of your brand. Taking the time to understand how people are receiving your brand is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily “cost you anything.” It might cost you time, but in the long run it will allow you to improve your branding. Do you ask people where they heard of you when they call? Knowing where people come from will provide insight on who is spreading the word about your brand and confirm which of your branding efforts are most effective. Do you monitor message boards, Twitter, blogs, and news feeds to see how the public is discussing your brand, if at all? If they are talking about you, feel free to respond. Engage. I used to shy away from responding on message boards to defend my brand because I just didn’t want to deal with the “after-effect” good or bad, and so I would ignore posts that wouldn’t have cost me a thing to reply to. Big mistake. If you see that people love your brand, thank them. If you see that folks are bashing it, misrepresenting it, or are confused, treat it as an opportunity to resolve, educate, and protect your brand. So long as you know your brand, its value, and are confident of its place in your company then you should have no problem responding to how others perceive your brand.

Customer Service

Though I don’t have any hard facts at my fingertips (I’m looking though!) I believe it is widely accepted that good customer service is key to keeping customers which means that outstanding customer service will not just keep customers but grow business. Customer service has to be a two-way street. Simply waiting for people to come to you with compliments or complaints is not enough to make your service stand out. There is no question that responding positively, in a timely manner, with knowledge of the problem and the solution will be to your advantage when called upon to handle customer complaints. Handling things in the best possible way for the customer will usually mend any threatening brand damage and also doubles as effective public relations and marketing for your company. However, if you reach out to your customers before they need or want to come to you, you can create a positive customer experience rather than waiting for one to happen on its own. It sure doesn’t cost you anything to check-in with your customers every now and then. Ask them how they’re doing, what’s working, if they need anything else. Give them an opportunity to share their experience with your product with you, share your own experience with them; it’s all about building a relationship and offering personalized customer service.

Step Outside The Box

It is very, very easy to get into routine, to stick with what works, to trust in the path that has been created and tread upon, and to trust what you know. I am not suggesting that abandoning the familiar is a great strategy to propel you forward during tough times. However, I do not believe in the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Just because something isn’t broken doesn’t mean it can’t be better. So much of business is interrelated that by trying new things with marketing you may improve your sales which may improve the visibility of your brand which may influence your customer service. When it comes to new things that it usually doesn’t cost to try, I lean toward strategic partnerships and building your online presence.

Strategic partnerships can range from sharing ad campaigns to joint sponsorships to cross-promotions to customer referrals to combination events. Identify companies you work with on a regular basis who either support or sell your brand. Put yourself in an “Amazon” state of mind and think “if you like this, you might also like…” and approach companies that complement your product. You might also go the opposite and consider teaming up with companies in an entirely different niche or market but whose customer demographic matches the one you are seeking to connect with. By combining forces with others you can increase your visibility to a much broader audience than you can capture on your own. If nothing else, it can’t hurt to ask.

You might think that having a website equates with having an online presence, however, it only scratches the surface of the digital, viral, and social media available today. The internet is an endless resource of information and therefore provides infinite ways to reach your customers. From adding content to your website to writing a blog to creating and using a Twitter account to joining online social networks and virtually communicating with others in your industry as well as consumers, the list of things it doesn’t cost you anything to try is seemingly endless.

What have you tried that’s new? What worked? What didn’t? And other than time, what did it cost you?

I strongly encourage you to link through to the various articles as they all have something to share, will provide a fresh perspective, and can be applied to any business model.

Post from: Chesapeake ProCon

My browsing and shopping styles are certainly not the same as everyone’s and I respect the fact that those in sales have quotas and goals to reach which requires engaging a customer, educating them, and giving them a call to action. I also understand that different consumers will react to varying styles of sales pitches. For me, if that pitch does not begin with a smile, you have lost me.

There is no question that spending all day on your feet is exhausting and that talking to hundreds of strangers is draining, but when it comes to boat shows, it’s part of the deal. Each person that walks down the aisle or the dock is an opportunity and I think the offer of a simple smile can be a determining factor in whether or not someone stops to talk to you. If you do not look like you are interested in what you’re doing or in talking with anyone, chances are the consumer will pass you by. Sure, when it gets to be 5p.m. and traffic slows down it can be difficult to stay enthused about your product, but if you have the chance to greet someone with a smile, it certainly can’t hurt.

If you’re having a hard time mustering up a grin, here are some entertaining things to keep in the back of your mind whenever coming up with a smile seems to be a struggle (we are human, after all):

Flight of the Conchords on YouTube

Comedian Jim Gaffigan

Articles on The Onion

Talking Cats on YouTube

Boating Blooper Photos

What keeps you laughing?

Post from: Chesapeake ProCon

• Reciprocation: When you get a lead, what do you automatically send your potential buyer? Brochures, marketing materials, a DVD of how your product is made, maybe a hat or a t-shirt. At boat shows we put out candy and every tchotchke under the sun with our logos emblazoned on them in order to stand out later as consumers sift through their bags of collected items. On a larger scale, you might give a sea trial or a sample product to try out. The author suggests that simply giving something away is enough to make people want to give back, but I would like to take this one step further. Before you start ordering pens, branded water bottles, and blocking off days for sea trials, determine what it is you’d like in return. Giving someone something is certainly a way to help them remember you, but what do you hope to gain from it? An email address, a referral, a sale? I believe the reciprocation technique is only effective if you know what you hope to gain from it.

• Commitment and Consistency: The basic principle here is that if you can get someone to first agree to something small they will be committed to you which then makes it easier to get them to commit to something larger or more often down the road. This is the concept of customer loyalty. How did you attract your initial customers? What have you offered them or asked of them that has made them loyal to you? Do those same things to gain new leads. In the case of a boat purchase, there are not many options for an initial “small purchase” but you may get people to commit to you by having them agree to join you for a sea trial, a boat show, or a rendezvous. Their small investment in doing those things will keep them committed to your brand until they are ready to buy. Once you have owners, offering them service, warranty work, parts, and invitations to company events are regular sales to help create consistency in their purchasing practice with you.

• Social Proof: Rendezvous events are a fantastic example of social proof; they are an audience who already love your product and are the best sales people you could ask for. Inviting prospects to events that feature your product is an opportunity for them to learn from others, see themselves as part of the community, and develop a stronger appreciation for your product without you having to sell them. Advertising campaigns and websites that feature testimonials, photos, or videos of real clients using and enjoying your product are other ways to offer social proof. If you have a good product and you know your clients agree, ask them to share their experience—happy people tend to naturally spread their positive vibe.

• Liking: This is one of those common sense techniques that I think can easily get lost in the “day to day.” If people like you and can relate to you, they will be more inclined to buy from you, remain committed to you, and share their experience with their peers. There are any number of boat show techniques that we use to engage consumers, but it’s critical to remember the simple act of being personable, welcoming, interested in, and understanding of the person you are talking to.

• Authority: The author recommends demonstrating authority on your subject or product with citing awards or presentations to show your credentials. In the boating world this means offering reprints of articles written about you, displaying special ad laminates or awards won at events, and I think, simply knowing your product inside and out. I think having the CEO on board, at the booth, or personally communicating with clients every now and then is impressive and shows the executive’s interest in and commitment to their clients. But I think that having extremely well educated associates and sales staff is much more valuable. If everyone on your team can discuss the history of your company, construction of your product, various uses or applications, and provide resources for more information you will have an advantage over competitors who are less educated on their own product.

• Scarcity: Invoke the fear of losing or missing something by attaching a deadline or “last chance” to what you have to offer. I am optimistic about people and like to believe that they are goal-oriented; you can appeal to those people by making their acquisition of your product something they want to do by a certain date. People are also busy—they use calendars, Outlook, Blackberries to organize life’s “to do list”—become part of their schedule and something they have to do by creating your own date-driven offers. Whether you are offering a discount, a product, a reward, or even a newsletter, try attaching a deadline to it so your client has to act in order to receive.

As I mentioned, many of these triggers are common sense and simple, but require effort to be effective. All of them can relate back to customer service and providing clients and prospects a personal and enjoyable experience from the very first moment they come into contact with your product.

Post from: Chesapeake ProCon

However, in today’s economy and with today’s selective and educated consumer, trade shows must blend elements of modernity into their traditional shows. I believe the consumer has high expectations of what their admission ticket will get them at a boat show and if the show does not deliver, then it’s up to the exhibitor to do so. In my mind, for product manufacturers and boatbuilders it’s tradition to exhibit at a boat show, for the consumer and media, it’s tradition simply to attend. When it comes to boat show traditions, I’m sure everyone has things that stick out in their mind as to what constitutes their “boat show tradition.” Perhaps it’s agonizing over what booth graphics to bring, what time to hold the cocktail reception on Thursday, which color company polo to wear, or how to best balance time at the show between your own booth and mingling with the rest of the industry. Depending on the show, there are also the traditions of where you park, where you eat, how you navigate the show, even the conversations you have could be considered “tradition” simply because they don’t change much from year to year.

With a handful of boat shows already complete, a couple under way, and several more on the immediate horizon, it will be interesting to see what works at this year’s shows. In the month of February alone, the NMMA will produce six shows and a quick Google search brought up at least a half dozen other national and international boat shows for the month of February alone. Though not all boats and products will be the same at each show, choosing which show to attend could be a tough decision for the consumer. What are the shows doing to attract new customers and how are they enticing previous attendees to return? Some reports are indicating positive attendance for this year’s shows and we all hope to see that grow. Winter boat shows have a bit of a leg up for higher attendance than spring or summer shows because they’re early enough in the year when boaters are not yet on the water, they’re itching to go boating, and they’re curious about what’s new. Ideally, a collective effort between show managers and exhibitors will give the consumer plenty to look forward to.

Boat shows in and of themselves are tradition so by adding in a few new components, all should see positive results. Seminars are a “modern” feature that many shows integrated long ago, but whether or not they are successful is dependent on the topic, the presenter, time they’re held, and cost for the attendee. Education is hugely valuable and whether it comes in the form of a lecture-style presentation, an interactive booth to test out products, a chance to sea trial a new boat, or spending one-on-one time with an industry expert for Q&A on their own boat, keeping consumers informed is a key element to a well-rounded show. Show features like live music, raffles, auctions, roundtable discussions, product-specific areas of the show (sailboats, fishing boats, trawlers, dinghies, etc), are all familiar forms of modern event techniques that shows use to engage attendees. How has your show experience been modernized? What would you do differently? There are many more levels of enhancing a traditional boat show event and the ultimate experience will be one that is fully customized for both the exhibitor and the attendee. I plan to focus on this during this year’s Miami Boat Show and will report on exactly what I think this customized experience should be all about.

There are surely many challenges that show managers face when it comes to changing the traditional format of their events. As the footprint of trade shows expand, diversity of exhibitors grows, attendance numbers increase, and new features are added to the event, there is one component that I hope does not get lost in revising the boat show experience, and that is customer service. If there is one thing about the old school, traditional boat show experience that should not change it is the relationship that show managers should have with exhibitors and that exhibitors should have with attendees. With online registration, online exhibitor lists, show maps in PDF format, customer “service” is easy to funnel into available technology which is a great modern tool but also one that should not replace traditional customer service.

There is no doubt a fine line that we all must walk when it comes to trade shows, but I do believe a balance of blending familiar festive show experiences with new education and services can be achieved.

Post from: Chesapeake ProCon