Manta Display at Miami Show 2008, why I was turned off

[pilot]

MARC,

I am visiting boatshows (most Europe) since decades. Sail shoes are ok, if not take a cover for street shoes.
I would not let anybody with normal street shoes on my boat! Why? Because I am taking off my street shoes before entering my boat!
For Motorboats? Rarely have been on one.

[schoonerdog]

Many boats in the boat shows are also privately owned, new vessels. It's a sacrifice for someone to take a new boat and to open it up to hundreds of people walking around. Gravel stuck in the shoe treads and scuffing soles mean that it would take hours to clean. Damage to gelcoat could cost hundreds. A friend whose been a successful broker here in Annapolis sums up the differences well. Power boaters tend to be a different type of crowd, they are looking for a weekend play toy. A sailboater comes, takes two months looking around, asks a million questions, goes to seminars, etc and then buys something else. A power boater typically would come on board the boat, spend 5 minutes and suddenly say "I'd like this next week, and can I have it in blue?".

[GordMay]

It’s an important part of a salesman’s job to collect, then follow up on, sales leads.
Boat dealers cull about 23% of their total sales from boat shows, which also represent their largest marketing expense. Most of these sales are not closed at the show, but through subsequent follow-up.
It would be foolish for them to spend many thousands of dollars on their boat show presence, then throw most of that money away, by not collecting contact information for those sales leads (visitors), that they spent so much time, effort, and money attracting to their display.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by ty135

I was at the Miami show also, and the Seawind 1160 has definitely moved to the #1 spot on my list. I am close to pulling the trigger on it and would appreciate any advice on why I should take another look at a different boat before I do. Any shortcomings of the Seawind that I may have missed, or factors that rule it out of your personal cat searches?

Sailed on the 1160 quite a few times, once in reasonably tough weather - the boat behaved admirably, I am crewing on one in the Brisbane to Gladstone Cruise rally that accompanies the race next month so I'll get a little more of a view then. One thing they do do very well is tack, they tack way better than most cats and I did a 720 turn on one with a self tacking jib in low wind/boat speed without touching a line. Really impressive.

Personally I wouldnt go with the self tacker or the screecher on the bowsprit, I would run a 120 % genoa on the furler and a spinnaker in a sock tied to each bow, but thats just me.

For me its seawind 1160 or lightwave 38, but alas no money so its kite (which is still a fun boat and faster than most cats). A few years time perhaps when the stock market recovers.

And if you want to carry 87 ton of stuff buy a mono. - thats not a smart comment - its me accepting that any cat needs to be kept light.

[Turnone]

Originally Posted by GordMay

It’s an important part of a salesman’s job to collect, then follow up on, sales leads.

Sales leads are great. I have done sales professionally, so I can understand. I have also 'worked' many trade shows (different industries). What I felt was more important are Qualified Leads. Not just the name of everyone who came by your exhibit/booth.

So I agree that it would be foolish not to follow-up, but I would think it to be more foolish to call everyone who stepped aboard.

Kind Regards,
Chris