Lead Generation: Yachts
Discussion
Have just had a chat with a yacht broker friend of mine working in the Med. I got the feeling he was guageing if I was interested in working for his brokerage selling Motoryachts. I have my ICC, a little yacht and engine knowledge and 17 yrs as a PADI Dive instructor, which is how we met.
It would seem that most of his sales come from advertising the yachts, both new and used in the press and net. With a few more sales coming from skippers he knows recommending his yachts to the owners. (I know 100's of skippers around the Med who spend massive amounts of owners cash, which is why he is talking to me).
How would you go about getting sales leads to company directors etc. How can you pro-actively generate sale leads for high end liesure items like yachts, surely you cant just cold call companys and ask do you want to spend a million or two on a Sunseeker, Fairline etc. Anybody got any ideas, I'd be very interested on your thoughts.
It would seem that most of his sales come from advertising the yachts, both new and used in the press and net. With a few more sales coming from skippers he knows recommending his yachts to the owners. (I know 100's of skippers around the Med who spend massive amounts of owners cash, which is why he is talking to me).
How would you go about getting sales leads to company directors etc. How can you pro-actively generate sale leads for high end liesure items like yachts, surely you cant just cold call companys and ask do you want to spend a million or two on a Sunseeker, Fairline etc. Anybody got any ideas, I'd be very interested on your thoughts.
I suppose a lot of it may come from networking and the who you know not what you know fraternity, depending on the budgets of those involved. However ( and I hate to say this)do you think that many people will be spending that sort of money "in the current economic climate"?
I thought people would be selling, not buying..
When I was looking at boats a while ago, most of my browsing was done on the web, with a few visits to brokers.
I thought people would be selling, not buying..
When I was looking at boats a while ago, most of my browsing was done on the web, with a few visits to brokers.
Edited by Obiwonkeyblokey on Friday 20th June 10:19
GPSS said:
Have just had a chat with a yacht broker friend of mine working in the Med. I got the feeling he was guageing if I was interested in working for his brokerage selling Motoryachts. I have my ICC, a little yacht and engine knowledge and 17 yrs as a PADI Dive instructor, which is how we met.
It would seem that most of his sales come from advertising the yachts, both new and used in the press and net. With a few more sales coming from skippers he knows recommending his yachts to the owners. (I know 100's of skippers around the Med who spend massive amounts of owners cash, which is why he is talking to me).
How would you go about getting sales leads to company directors etc. How can you pro-actively generate sale leads for high end liesure items like yachts, surely you cant just cold call companys and ask do you want to spend a million or two on a Sunseeker, Fairline etc. Anybody got any ideas, I'd be very interested on your thoughts.
Get yourself into the correct 'tents' at this, and every future, summers' leading sporting and social events.It would seem that most of his sales come from advertising the yachts, both new and used in the press and net. With a few more sales coming from skippers he knows recommending his yachts to the owners. (I know 100's of skippers around the Med who spend massive amounts of owners cash, which is why he is talking to me).
How would you go about getting sales leads to company directors etc. How can you pro-actively generate sale leads for high end liesure items like yachts, surely you cant just cold call companys and ask do you want to spend a million or two on a Sunseeker, Fairline etc. Anybody got any ideas, I'd be very interested on your thoughts.
Buy a few drinks, shoot the breeze, keep at it for a few years and soon they start to come to you as a trusted 'face'.
mattgarnham said:
the "current economic climate" does not affect the ultra rich in such a big way (i.e. people with truck loads of cash). Dont think this will be a problem. Spoken to several yacht builders recently, and they dont seem to see any slow-down in sales
+1 There are more and more people buying at the moment, and demand for crews is huge.You are talking about getting sales for your friends company, through your contacts? I suppose if you spoketp the right owners they may always be interested in what you have to offer, they may fancy x powerboat, or y yacht etc?
I appreciate that networking is probably the best way for me personally to go. I also agree that the people who are wealthy enough to spend 1 or 2 million on a yacht which they will probably only use 6 weeks of the year, are far more recession proof than most of us.
But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
GPSS said:
I appreciate that networking is probably the best way for me personally to go. I also agree that the people who are wealthy enough to spend 1 or 2 million on a yacht which they will probably only use 6 weeks of the year, are far more recession proof than most of us.
But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
If you rang me and told me you had a x y z or a sunseeker predator 72 for £x, you may get my interest, may be worth a viewing, or you atleats coming to see me, or then again it may not.But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
How does your college raise sales from his office - surely you could follow his style, or are you thinknig of different ways of selling for him?
I very nearly got into the brokerage game recently.
With the big yachts ie 2 mil plus (used) sales are made by networking with professional crew, or by teaming up with a charter broker to pursuade a 'renter' to become a 'buyer'.
My charter and yacht broker friends don't tend to be very busy whilst 'at work'. Most of the cruicial stuff is done whilst socialising in the right places.
I'm not sure what the powerboat scene is like but certainly with sailing yachts this size you do need to know what you're talkiing about and not just spin a good line.
Ultimately people either like the boat or they don't (like private home buying). There isn't much you can do to influence their purchase. If you do and they don't have a good experience then you've lost a repeat client, and bad reputations spread in a matter of hours in this industry.
With the big yachts ie 2 mil plus (used) sales are made by networking with professional crew, or by teaming up with a charter broker to pursuade a 'renter' to become a 'buyer'.
My charter and yacht broker friends don't tend to be very busy whilst 'at work'. Most of the cruicial stuff is done whilst socialising in the right places.
I'm not sure what the powerboat scene is like but certainly with sailing yachts this size you do need to know what you're talkiing about and not just spin a good line.
Ultimately people either like the boat or they don't (like private home buying). There isn't much you can do to influence their purchase. If you do and they don't have a good experience then you've lost a repeat client, and bad reputations spread in a matter of hours in this industry.
I would add that the superyacht market (100ft +) has been growing at 10% per year for the last 7/8 at least and shows no signs of slowing. People are now contacting yards before designers when building, and build slots have a very real tradable value.
60-100ft range I wouldn't expect to be unduly affected by the current climate. Under 60ft may well be. Remember there is a long leadtime for new boats, and hence a lag in the market.
60-100ft range I wouldn't expect to be unduly affected by the current climate. Under 60ft may well be. Remember there is a long leadtime for new boats, and hence a lag in the market.
GPSS said:
I appreciate that networking is probably the best way for me personally to go. I also agree that the people who are wealthy enough to spend 1 or 2 million on a yacht which they will probably only use 6 weeks of the year, are far more recession proof than most of us.
But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
I have two friends who have 100ft+ boats sitting in the Med.But my question is, how would you cultivate or contact potential new owners, is a yacht something you could pro-atively sell. ie how would you cultivate a lead out of thin air, or would a lead have to contact you first.
5 yrs ago they had 50 footers. Business has been good but what got them to upgrade several times in 5 years were the following key points:
The broker contacted them with a boat which was in build but the buyer wanted out so was at a discount.
The larger the boat the more easy it is to charter.
Tax write offs.
Charter seems to be the key forward factor.
So, in essence, it is very unusual for someone to suddenly go out and buy a 100ft boat. The norm is that they have a smaller one and a good broker talks them into trading up.
In a market which is economically slowing in Europe then it is probably fair to say that while the rich will be getting richer, those chaps already have the big boat, the chap with the smaller boat will not now feel so comfortable about trading up.
I would investigate the tax and income angle for if those sums add up then those are the clauses that will get a new purchase out of someone who is not currently on the water.
To be completely honest, the brokerage market is pretty well saturated and you have to ask why someone is looking to farm out sales at this moment in time.
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff