MDS Brand Blog

Customer relationship management software, or CRM as it is commonly known, is a staple in modern organizations. Not only are CRMs linked with successful contact management, sales management, organizational productivity, etc., they also serve to improve relationships with prospects and existing clients. A CRM system can give you a clear overview of your consumers, which is why Gartner predicts that by 2021, CRM will be the single largest revenue area of spending in enterprise software.

However, the current business landscape is completely different from when CRMs initially started gaining popularity in the early 2000s. From how you produce, to how you sell – everything has undergone drastic changes in the past decade. This has inevitably affected how CRMs optimize your productivity and sales.

Please excuse the underwhelming title… we thought it best to get straight to the point.

Hello again, it’s so nice to see you back - and if you are just tuning in, welcome. In our last article, we discussed the basics of the mean stack and how it greatly improves website load times. As promised, we will be elaborating on that in this page.

Welcome reader to our first-ever Blog series. The next few articles of ours will expand on the newest trends in website technology and how they will directly – and indirectly – effect your dealership website. If tech doesn’t tickle your taste buds, fear not; it's written lightheartedly to soften the otherwise rigid topic because we feel that it's really important to stay on top of web trends. As you know, your web presence plays a vital role in your overall business performance and our job is to help you be the best dealer you can be. So, sit tight, grab a cup of tea, water, scotch… whatever feels right for the occasion, and stick with us through this adventure into the latest trends in website technology.

You did it. Everything is set up and ready, the boat show has begun, and people of all kinds are entering your booth by the dozens. Ideally, each and every adult there could become a lead but it can be a challenge to A) gather a person’s contact info if they didn’t walk in already planning on giving it to you, and B) get in contact with quality leads who are truly looking to buy.

As a dealer, participating in your local boat show is a no-brainer. The trick though, is to be the shining beacon in a sea of other booths that your customers (and hopefully others) flock to when they arrive. In this article we will be sharing some important tips, gathered from veteran boat show participants, on how to have the best booth at a boat show.

Live chat services entered the business realm in 2002 with the launch of LiveChat. This program allowed customers to communicate directly with a representative in the company through the website, no phone calls necessary. The concept was slow to gain traction among companies as it was commonly thought of as unnecessary and not worth the cost. Customers were still more accustomed to picking up the phone or going to the store to have their questions answered.

Rates to market through third party trade sites are on the rise, often consuming hundreds of dollars per listing per month and ultimately is no longer worth the cost. It may be time to consider other options for posting your listings. One alternative is maximizing your own website’s marketing capabilities with a simple addition of targeted microsites. The shift towards the use of microsites is gaining traction with the realized ability to target specific audiences and have full control of marketing campaigns.

Depending on the level of which you need live chat to assist customer service in your business you have the ability to select the specific features that match your regular needs. With this, you can start an evaluation of the customer calls and emails that your customer service team receives on a regular basis. From there you can determine how often your visitors ask which types of questions. You will find that many inquiries are ones that never lead to a sale, but to retain excellent customer service they must be answered with the same degree of care as your buyers. 

A Post-Boat Show Event is one that acts as a follow up event after a local boat show. Often times they are planned in accordance with the boat show and promoted during as a way to attract serious buyers that may still be on the fence about their purchase. Post-Boat Show Events are typically much more personalized and serve as a nice accent to the more public boat shows.

A boat is a major investment. It helps if your customers know what kind of boats you offer and their needs and preferences made before making the final decision of buying one. Your customers will choose based on design, size, brand, intended use and many other features. So, it is important to have your sales and customer service team prepared to walk the customers through every step of the purchase process, at whatever point they walk into your store. Whether they are in the initial search stage or as far as the final decision stage, the best decision can be made with the assistance of your professionals.