Boat buying is often an intimidating process, especially for first time buyers. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there to consider, from the brand, to the dealer, to the options, to the styles, etc. On average, the time it takes for an individual or family who decides to purchase a boat to actually pull the trigger is between 30-60 days. It takes time to sift through all of the information and choose a path to go down. But even then, the final question remains -- When is the best time to buy?
For many years, boaters considered the winter boat show season as the best time to buy. And for a long time, the dealers and manufacturers felt so, too. Vendors, dealers, and manufacturers invest large amounts of time and money into their trade show displays, and incentivized purchases to close sales. However, as the market for new boats has grown, it has been difficult for many manufacturers to meet the demands of boat show season and deliver all sold units in time for the kick off of boating season, Memorial Day Weekend. Enter the Smart Buyer Program.
Teaming up with boat dealers across the country, our manufacturers, Cobalt, Chris Craft, and Malibu, have recently established a program that offers significant discounts to customers who choose to preorder their boats in the fall, rather than wait until the winter boat show season. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for all parties involved. Boat buyers can take advantage of substantial discounts on preordered 2019 model year boats. The manufacturers and dealers earn less than they would on a sale at the boat show season, but due to limited production availability during that time, the sales that occur in the fall may not have happened at all during boat show season, which in turn gives them more business overall.
This is especially beneficial for boat buyers who own a boat and are looking to trade up into something new. In addition to the substantial discounts on the new boats, trading in the fall also saves buyers money in the following ways:
- Higher NADA Book Values on their trades in the fall. Waiting until boat show season officially makes boat trades a model year older.
- No storage and winterization costs. Any costs associated with storing and caring for an old boat can be applied to the new boat purchase instead.
- Cancelling Insurance policies until the new boat comes out of production.
In addition to the savings, fall orders allow boat buyers to custom pick their colors and options, and of course, guarantee delivery by Memorial Day Weekend. In some cases, boat buyers with trades can sign over their titles and place a small deposit to submit their orders. Payment isn't due until the boat arrives at the dealership from the manufacturer.
Since the creation of the Smart Buyer Program, an increasingly large number of boat buyers have decided to skip the boat show and order in the fall. This trend is expected to continue as more boaters learn about the benefits of fall ordering versus waiting until boat show season to prepare for the next summer on the water.
About Adam Pensel
Adam Pensel is son of Boats By George President and founder, George Pensel. He has 10 years of experience in Sales and Marketing, and a lifetime of experience boating on the water. Questions? You can email Adam at Adam@BoatsByGeorge.com.