I remember the time when we excitedly headed out for our traditional 2-week summer family vacation? It was an important time of rest and renewal. They were much-anticipated days. How sad that they’re disappearing!
The frantic pace 24/7 life in the 21st century seems to preclude scheduling much vacation time at all. Literally, millions of vacation days reportedly go unused annually because they can’t be scheduled in! They’ve gone the way of the 1 hour lunch, now observed by just 15 percent of the workforce. Many lunch breaks are down to 15 minutes.
Today, we’re in the age of “time stacking” i.e. doing two or more things at once. For example, driving and talking on the phone, texting while watching the kid’s soccer game or computing while flying at 30,000 feet. So, what do we do when we want to renew and rejuvenate? ‘Escape weekends” have become the popular, fashionable answer.
What a perfect script for us in the boating industry. We’re not in the boat business – we’re in the renewal business. By their very nature and environment, our boats are really places where our prospects and customers can experience rejuvenation.
Historically, we’ve been an industry that has succeeded by selling our excellent “hardware” but not necessarily the “experience.” That won’t get the job done any more. Now, when we fail to make the sale, the problem is not the boat. If the boat doesn’t represent something specific in the prospects mind, we’re going to lose!
We don’t have to look far for a prime example. Check out today’s auto ads. We don’t see ads for 12 models in the Nissan line. Rather, our attention is focused on1 model and the experience it will bring to its driver! They’re playing to the prospect’s fantasy, the dream, the experience, the renewal ownership promises!
Our boats, then, are ideal for delivering the “escape weekends” that are now replacing the old 2 week vacation. Focus your next prospect’s attention on that and good things could come of it!
