When selling a boat you need to be aware of special requirements needed to effectively sell your boat. Here are 13 tips that I have found work to assure that the transaction goes smoothly for you.
Reach out and touch someone - No one expects you to take out an ad on the Super Bowl to sell your boat, but you do need to spend money if you intend to sell your boat. Determine what you can afford to spend to market your boat and commit to an effective marketing program. Use a combination of the Internet, local shoppers and boat classifieds listings in local papers.
Mr. Clean - A clean boat is much closer to sold than a dirty one. It's amazing how much money some boaters will spend to market their boat then they don't even clean it up properly. If your not willing to do it right, pay a professional detailer a few hundred to clean it up right.
Whisper Sweet Nothings - Many boaters over look those little things that make a used boat appealing to a used boat buyer. Remember that most new boats don't come with all the frills. These little things can go far in securing a sale for your used boat. Keep in mind that mentioning that you include a radar, fish finder, downriggers etc. often spur a new boat buyer to think twice about the new vs. used market.
One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingy - Have you ever called a seller and found that they weren't home or they had an answering machine. If you are serious about selling your boat, answer the phone. If you're not going to be home, then forward your calls to a cell phone. Don't have a cell phone ... get one! If you don't answer the phone when the prospect is ready to buy, you just wasted a whole lot of money for nothing...
the Price is Right - More boaters make mistakes in pricing their boat too high for the market. Do a search on the internet for similar boats and be sure yours has some advantage over the others. It may be price, or it may be features. If it isn't one or the other then you're keeping your boat for another year!
Fun, Fun, Fun - When the customer comes out to see the boat, make the experience fun. Have a poster on board with photos of your fun experiences on the boat. People buy based on emotion, so give it to them. If you are selling a fishing boat, don't take all the equipment off the boat, have the rods in the rod holders, have photos of all the trophy fish you caught out for them to see and discuss. Share your experiences with your customer.
Say Cheese - If you don't show photos on the internet of your boat, don't bother. Very few people will buy a boat without seeing photos first. Would you look for a boat with just text? Take four photos and have them included in your listing. Photos should be exterior side view, rear shot, helm and interior.
That's my line,, and I'm stickin to it - If your boat has had repairs, list them. Every used boat has seen it's share of dings and dents. Ignoring these will only create suspicion amongst your potential buyers. By listing your repairs, you avoid potential blunders later when a survey brings the problem to surface.
Cool hand Luke - If you don't have the stomach for people climbing all over your boat, only to criticize the condition or worse yet say nothing, then you need a Boat Broker. Brokers don't have emotional attachments, and they have more available time to meet with potential clients than you do. So if you don't have the stomach for it, hand it off to a cooler hand.
Don't be an Average Joe - Every other seller of used boat all say the same thing. My boat has a heater, fish finder, radar, etc. Use words to describe why these things are important. Remember many used boat buyers are inexperienced boaters and many are first time buyers who don't understand what these features do. Use words like "Eagle II fish finders identifies the depth of each fish and comes with temperature gauge and speed control allowing you to control your lure depth and speed" or "Heater provides three minute warm up of interior cabin for early morning or late fall cruising."
A Three Hour Tour - If your boat is in the water at the time you are selling, offer to take the potential buyer for a ride. State this in your ad and entice them to come out for a ride. Nothing works better to get the customer emotionally involved with your boat than a free ride.
And the Survey Says... - If you've owned your boat for more than 5 years, it is strongly suggested that you have a survey done on the boat before you list it. A survey can point out potential road blocks in the sale of your boat. This is especially true for Yacht and High Performance boats. Lets say you spend $500-$1000 to market your boat only to find out that a potential buy could not get financing because your boat have a problem due to their survey. Not only have you lost your advertising investment, but now you need to make the repairs. Doing a survey first can bring potential problems to the surface.
As The World Turns - Every boater who places an ad thinks that it will sell quickly. The reality is that boats take about 3 months to find a partner. That is provided the right person sees the boat. Be patient and most of all, be sure that when you get that opportunity to show your boat you haven't misplaced all the other tips we shared with you.
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