SIBS Photos

The Marlow is being mentioned in a lot of posts.
Can you get a few shots please so I can see what everyone is raving about /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
OK, Claire has just come back from the Marlow. Unfortunataly they are not happy letting any more people on the boat to take photos. We will get some exterior shots up shortly, and go looking for the Faroe. We'll have another go tomorrow.
 
Just to explim why entry on the Marlow is by appointment - they really do take about an hour to do justice to the features on the boat and want those looking to have unhindered viewing.

Even mags are turned down and have to make an appointment outside client hours because they want to provide a detailed inspection. The detail and thought in that boat does blow your socks off and they just want to do justice to that.

I am going to post a video and a pile of still shots in a video montage.

The video will be of the SIbs boat - I have to edit it. so that will take some hours hence it will be Wednesday before I can post it. I will put a voice over with it to explain what you are looking at.
 
Stewart
Make an appointment to go on the marlow at 9 am before the show is open to the public that is when they shows the mags. During the day they are giving priority to clients. You will get a fantastic tour.
 
Thanks Paul. That sounds like the best way of going about it. One of the roving MBM team will get to the boat before the gates open and get the full tour. From what I've seen, it looks like an incredible boat. Congratulations.
 
Hmmm

I wonder if you would be understanding if it were Fairline/Princess etc taking that attitude.

Personally I can't see the point in taking a boat to a boatshow if you are then going to stop people looking around it, might as well just stand there with a few brochures and hand them out. Bizarre treatment of potential customers that will have done more damage than good IMHO.

Unless of course the Marlow Salespeople have such finely tuned sales knowledge that they can spot and select the really serious buyers. So at an hour an appointment and the show being open for eight hours a day for nine days, I make that 72 people able to "enjoy" a look around this boat.

What a shoddy, arrogant and pompous way to treat the Boatshow public who had paid to visit the show.
 
MedDreamer
I can partly see your point. Anyone can make an appointment at the show but I already know of one serious buyer being turned away and they did not make an appointment to come back. So I am not saying that have it right.

I saw one chap who asked could he see it now and as there was no clash the answer was yes he could - he was given the full tour without any sales pressure.

Its also a customer's boat - not their boat and so they have to operate to an agreement with the owner. Their own boat will be here next Spring.

As a balancing factor they are very keen to show the many features - and in truth there are almost too many - so that anyone who does see her understands the depth of design and depth of quality.

If it was me, I would have been a bit more liberal. In fact I stood there with Major Catastrophe and was not in a position to invite him on the boat. I did not want to offend anyone.

I know that MBY editor tried to get on and was told to make an appointment for 9 am which he did - he spent 1.75 hours on board and so departed with a pretty cleatr initial impression - i think that policy is right.
 
I agree with MedDreamer on this. Very poor behaviour.

Boat shows are not private viewings. They are public events designed to give a large number of people a taste of what they are looking at. Hour long tours should be conducted privately. Can't see the point of even having the boat there for the benefit of a handful of people.
 
[ QUOTE ]
They are public events designed to give a large number of people a taste of what they are looking at.

[/ QUOTE ]True, in theory. In practice, from the builders viewpoint, they are just a substantial expense, acceptable only as long as there is a return in terms of boats sold, either immediately or afterwards, either directly or indirectly.

And this applies to ANY builder - but of course there are different approaches.

When you're selling a 25' cuddy, you're targetting hundreds of potential customers.
Most (if not all) of them are willing to consider either your boat or many others as well.
The more you'll get to look at your boat, the better the chances to sell.
And it just takes minutes for each visit anyway.

A million+ quid boat is in a different league, particularly if it's a rather peculiar one, as in this case.
The number of your prospect customers is a fraction of the previous ones.
Most of them, if really interested in your boat, would never switch to another one just because it takes time to arrange the visit, also because there aren't so many other boats suiting their wishes, anyhow.
And your chances to sell are pretty much connected to the time and attention spent during the visit, hence making it impossible to host more than a certain number of visitors.

They're probably aware that many people will perceive the approach as arrogant, but they know as well that (most likely) such people would have been timewasters anyway.

I'm not saying that's fair towards anyone who paid the entrance ticket, but let's face it, what would you have done if you were in their boots?
 
I've spent 4 days out of the last week at boat shows - 2 at Cannes and 2 at SIBS. At both shows I was able to look at every single boat I wanted to without an appointment. The longest I waited was 5 minutes.

Yesterday I placed an order at SIBS. It is subject to sea-trial but the first time I set foot on this boat was last Friday. No appointment was required then or yesterday. I was introduced to members of the design team, technical staff and detailed photographs of the layout in sold boats were produced within minutes.

That is how business should be done.
 
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