Tips For New Boaters

For years I have been using a marketing plan that included writing for magazines, authoring how-to books, giving webinars and offering seminars around the country at events/shows. This is my version of content marketing. It lets me put all the years of information that I have collected from my personal experience (along with the experiences of my customers) in front of people. It also offers people a chance to ask questions not only of me, but of other attendees. Of course, it is also fun for me to go to boat shows, air shows and car shows. And it’s also an opportunity to meet customers in person.

A lot of people attend boat shows because they want to get into boating, or they want to move up and are looking at what’s new on the market. And usually the types of people who attend my seminars or buy my books are new or newer buyers. For me it’s a great time to make a connection and start building a long-term business relationship as many of my customers started with me 30 plus years ago.

There are very experienced owners at the events I go to, and yes, experience is great, but there are just as many or more inexperienced. For these inexperienced people, going to a boat show is a way to learn a lot in a short period of time.

On a side note, “experience” is a subjective term. As I have mentioned before, I grew up in boating. So I consider myself experienced, but only in my type of boating, which is mostly lake, river and trailerable boats. I’m still a novice in boating such as “oceangoing” adventures. Personally, I look forward to attending boat shows to learn about new products and attend seminar to learn new things.

Every year I update my PowerPoint presentations for my seminars and webinars – you know, refresh the information for the upcoming year. That’s where the boat shows come in. I can collect lots of information in a “one-stop-shopping” experience.

But what I find is that not much changes. Sure, the prices change, the make and models of boats might change and of course the technology changes, but the basics of buying a boat are pretty much the same.

If you are new to boating or looking to move up the boat ladder, the process that’s the core of boat buying is still the same. You need to find a boat that meets your needs, does what you want, at the price you can afford. Seems easy, but once you go to a boat show you can become overwhelmed with options. What’s the best brand of pontoon, what size motor do I really need, will my vehicle be able to tow the boat I want?

So many questions and so little time. And that’s another problem: the pressure to get a “good deal.” Many times, a new boater shops at a boat show and feels the pressure to make a decision, or they won’t get the same “great” deal. But I have found that’s not always the case. Many times, a great deal can be had after the show and without the pressure.

So if you are thinking of buying a pontoon or deck boat, go to the boat shows and look at the offerings. Take brochures and notes. Ask lots of questions. Attend a few seminars on how to select your boat or similar topics. If you are new at boating, sitting through a seminar on single-handedly crossing the Atlantic might be more than you need. It would definitely be an interesting story, but if it’s boat-buying you are after, stick to the boat shopping path.

Use the boat show to narrow your purchases down. This is a great time to walk the floor plans and see what feels good to you and the family. Do you like the amenities offered? Is the price range in your budget?

And after all that research is done, decide to visit the dealer directly and negotiate on the boat you want. Oh, and if possible, get a sea trial in the boat or at least in a similar boat.