2011Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer Online Application Form
What does it take?
Managing a dealership to high levels of customer service, sales and, yes, profits, is no easy task, especially in today’s market. Simultaneously creating an atmosphere that exceeds high consumer expectations can be even more difficult. For the most professional of dealerships, however, these tasks have not only become second nature, they are firmly integrated in the business’ day-to-day operations. They understand that delivering on the promise of the boating lifestyle — as opposed to just a boat — is the No. 1 key to success.
If your company:
• Displays a consistent and clear understanding that the profitability of the organization is directly related to the extent that it focuses on customer satisfaction;
• Provides customers with an experience worth returning for and recommending to others;
• Prepares for future success with sound planning, marketing and training initiatives;
• Ensures an exceptional boating lifestyle…
Then you need to apply to be recognized as one of the top dealers in North America.
Application Deadline: June15, 2011
We will consider your application for entry into the 2011 Boating Industry Top 100 Dealers, a ranking of marine dealers that excel in selling and servicing boats and/or engines, on the condition that:
• Your application is based on the business of a single or multi-location dealership. Dealers with multiple stores should submit a single application with cumulative data and examples of best practices.
• Dealerships applying must have controlling ownership of all business operations.
To be considered as a 2011 Top 100 Dealer, please fill out an application form — preferably this downloadable version — and send either 1. An electronic version or 2. BOTH a hard copy AND an electronic version to the following address. We MUST RECEIVE an electronic version of your application.
Boating Industry Top 100
6420 Sycamore Lane, Suite 100
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Supplemental or supporting materials are encouraged and recommended. Please attach separate sheets as needed.
NOTE: For the quantitative questions, ranges are acceptable, but can adversely affect your rank; if submitting confidential data that is to be used for judging purposes only and not for publication, please submit the data and write “NFP” next to your answer. You can mark anything on this application as NFP.
Company Data
1.Full dealership name: (As you would like it to appear in print):
2.Street address:
3.City: State: Zip:
4.Your full name:
5.Title:
6.Telephone: 7. E-mail: 8. Fax:
9.Alternative contact: Name: E-mail:
10.Your Web address:
11.What is the total number of sales, service and/or marina locations (including satellite locations) that you have? Please include the total number.
12.Describe your location(s) (On the water, in town, on a major highway, square
footage, etc.) and please submit photos of the outside and inside of your store(s),
service areas, etc.
13.What year was your company founded?
14.Explain your dealership’s succession plan (do you have a legal plan and/or an employee development/cross training plan?).
15.Current number of employees:
Full timePart time
Sales______
Service______
Rigging______
P&A______
Office______
Marina______
F & I______
Rentals______
Storage______
Delivery______
Cust. Service______
Other______
Total______
16.How many new boat brands do you offer (and please list them)?
17.How many new engine brands do you offer (and please list them)?
18.Other products and/or services you offer:
19. What type of dealer management system(s) do you use and how do you use it?
20.Does your dealership have a specific dress code? If so, is it written out, and what is it?
21.Do you have an organizational chart that reveals the structure of your company and/or each of your departments? If so, please include it.
22.Please list the association(s), 20 Groups, dealer councils, etc. that you belong to.
23.What did you do in 2010 to improve and/or change your business?
24. What is your strategy for growth in the coming year?
25.Please define the three primary metrics you use to evaluate the success of your business and how you performed according to those metrics.
26.What are the short-term and long-term goals for your company (metrics, sales growth, strategy, expansion, new product lines and services, etc.)?
27.How many of your facilities are certified through the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program?
28.Please list ALL 2010 company and personnel certifications and accolades.
Sales and Profits
REMINDER: If you circle the “NFP” or write it in, anywhere on this application form, we will not publish the number or information you provide in relation to that NFP. However, you must provide the information or number for the purpose of evaluation.
1.Do you have a written business plan? If so, please include a copy.
2.Explain your budgetary process. What methods do you use to establish a budget? How do you forecast? How often do you review actual results vs. your budget?
3.What was your total revenue for 2010? ______NFP
4.What percentage increase or decrease does this represent over 2009? ______
(circle either increase or decrease)
5.What percentage of revenue do the following departments account for?
Sales % ______NFP
Service % ______NFP
Rigging % ______NFP
Finance & Insurance % ______NFP
Parts & Accessories % ______NFP
Storage % ______NFP
Rentals % ______NFP
Marina % ______NFP
Restaurant % ______NFP
Other % ______NFP
% Total must equal 100
6.How many units did you sell for each category?
New I/O boats______NFP
New outboard boats ______NFPUsed I/O boats ______NFP
New inboard boats ______NFPUsed outboard boats ______NFP
New sail boats ______NFPUsed inboard boats ______NFP
New outboards ______NFPUsed sail boats ______NFP
I/Os for re-power ______NFPUsed outboards ______NFP
7. What was your gross profit margin (as a percentage) for boats in 2010? ______NFP
For service (as a percentage)? ______NFP
Overall (as a percentage)? ______NFP
8.What actions, if any, have you taken to maximize your gross margins on boat sales?
9.What were your total operating expenses as a percentage of sales in 2010? ______NFP
10.What was your net profit as a percentage of total revenue in 2010? ______NFP
11. How many times did you turn your new unit inventory in 2010? ______
How many times did you turn your used unit inventory in 2010? ______
12.What is your strategy for managing inventory turns in all market conditions?
13. Are you current with all of your lenders? If not, please explain.
14.Explain how you incorporate F&I products/services into your business, including the products you offer.
15.What was the profit margin of your F&I department?
16. Explain your strategy for selling pre-owned boats.
Service and Customer Satisfaction
1.Do you service all customers who come to your dealership or only those who bought boats from you? Explain.
2.How do you track and use technician efficiency to operate your service department?
3.How do you compensate technicians and do you reward them for efficiency?
4.What is your service department’s average technician efficiency (how many billable hours per technician hours)?
5. Besides technician efficiency, what else do you track in your service and parts departments?
6.Does your dealership use a scheduling and dispatching system? If so, how does it work and what does it include?
7.What is your dealership’s average (including all brands you sell and service) CSI score? ______(Please remember to provide documentation)
8. What is your strategy for improving or maintaining your CSI scores?
9.Please explain how you ensure customer loyalty and retention through a customer relations management strategy.
10.What process do you use to deliver new and/or pre-owned boats? (On or off water? Tools you use? Who delivers the boat, trains the customer? Etc.)
11.What type of additional (ON- and OFF-WATER) training opportunities do you provide customers?
12.What unique customer service initiatives do you use that set you apart from your competitors?
Training and Education
1.What is your company’s philosophy for ongoing development of employees across all levels of your dealership?
2.Explain the types and frequencies of training opportunities you offer employees in each department:
Sales:
Service:
Rigging:
Parts & Accessories:
Finance & Insurance:
Management:
Boat delivery:
Office personnel:
3.Do you budget for training? Y or N What did you spend on training in 2010? (Note: Please indicate if that figure includes travel and/or salaries.)
4.What types of incentives and recognition do you offer employees for outstanding performance?
5.Please explain how often you conduct employee evaluations and the process you use.
6.Please explain the types of benefits packages you offer employees (types, contributions, etc.).
7.Please explain the internal training systems you use to ensure your sales team is knowledgeable of your processes, your product lines and your inventory.
Marketing
1. Describe your 2010 business development and marketing plan strategy (i.e. types of media used, frequency, content, etc.).
2.What percentage of your sales did you budget for advertising and marketing?
3.How do you research the needs and desires of boating consumers in your area?
4.How do you track the return on investment of your marketing and advertising dollars?
5.What percentage of your new boat sales are made at boat shows?
______% of units
______% of dollars
6.How many boat shows do you display at each year?
7.What is your strategy for boat shows and how is it evolving?
8.Please list and describe your in-store and/or community-related events.
9.What special promotions do you use to encourage customers to do business with your dealership? Please specify promotions used for all revenue centers: service, storage, parts, accessories, marina, F&I, etc.
10.How do you use your Web site, social media, e-mail, and other online resources to build sales, traffic and your brand awareness?
11.Describe your lead-fulfillment process from the time a lead arrives to the time it is converted to a sale. Please include processes for in-store, online and phone leads (dedicated person, response time, etc.).
12.What sets you apart from your competition?
Final thought: Please highlight and explain any additional areas of your business that we should consider in the judging process.
See Submission Checklist on next page
Check list: Before submitting your application, make sure you have included:
__ Answers to all questions
__ High-resolution photos of your facilities
__ CSI documentation
__ Business plan
__ Process maps
__ Org chart(s)
__ Marketing plan
__ Other supporting documents
Bringing The Top 100 To Life:
The 2011 Top 100 Leadership Alliance Member Companies
GE Capital
BoatTrader.com
Volvo Penta
Global Marine Insurance
Manheim Specialty Auctions
Marine Retailers Association of America
Through their unwavering and unsurpassed dedication to all marine dealers and their financial support in underwriting the Top 100, the 2011 Leadership Alliance Members are key to advancing the fundamental mission of our Top 100 Program, and we at Boating Industry magazine are grateful to them.