For the past several years i (reynolds marine) go and set-up a "boat repair shop" We take our roll-around tool boxes, workbenches, engines in midst of repair, and set it all up in a 20'X30' booth, it looks just like a "smaller" version of an actual boat repair shop, And we are actually there performing repairs to boat motors while you watch. I take a few of my technicians, and we usually take in a blown-up outboard and tear it down and rebuild it during the course of the show, then offer it for sale towards the end of the show. This allows the boatshow goers to see the internal workings of an outboard motor and how they get toredown and reassembled better than new! I usually have pretty heavy crowds around my booth, most with lots of questions about how and why and how to prevent. Some just come to us with questions about a particular boat they are getting ready to buy from another dealer at the show. We do not offer new boats for sale at the show, so our answers are un-biased and appear to be helpful and appreciated by the prospective boat buyer. Have any of you guys seen my booth, or did you miss it, or did you just not find it interesting or helpful?
Do any of you have any suggestions for what i could do to make it better? (other than selling tackle-i am just a boat repair facility and dealer for mercury-yamaha-honda-nissan-mercruiser)
last year i gave out business cards with a big discount on the back.
for first-time customers with warranty repair needs, you got a $40 in store credit.
(in other words, if it was your first time here, and your new merc, yam, honda, nissan, or mercruiser you bought elsewhere "broke down" and needed me to fix it under factory warranty i gave you $40 to spend on anything in my store!the other offer was for first-time customers who had a insurance repair to there boat, I gave them $250 off there out-of-pocket expense.
alot of new people responded by bringing the cards and redeeming them, but i am wanting to increase that volume of response.
Maybe i will try a drawing for something like a new all-star rod (that was the king-daddy when i used to fish--Is it still??) or maybe a drawing for a GPS or fishfinder?? Maybe a drawing for free boat repair Labor??
How bout a vote, what kind of give-away or other promotion would attract you or other boat-owning fisherman/recreational boaters the most to visit my booth?