(0:53) I would say that fewer than half of the marinas we visit have a Welcome Packet for their transient boaters. It's an important tool to help ensure that boaters have the best experience possible. And we all know what a good experience leads to.(0:46) Keeping you customers satisfied means more will return, tell their friends, and write positive reviews. Do you have a quality, up-to-date Welcome Packet?
(0:41) I first wrote about this a couple of years ago when I did a series of Minutes on Welcome Packets. You can find them on my blog here:
The Welcome Packet
The Welcome Packet - Start at Home
The Welcome Packet - Check Out the Neighborhood
The Welcome Packet - What's Happ'n
The Welcome Packet - Extras
(0:33) Your Welcome Packet can provide you with marketing benefits beyond a single transient's visit. Some boaters will pass the information along to other boaters as they talk about the positive experience they had at your marina. Others will file it away as a reminder of a place they wish to visit again.
(0:26) In the past I've had marinas tell me they were discouraged to find their packets in the trash. Don't be. Some boaters will dispose of the contents as they leave to maintain order within a limited space. So finding your packet in a trash bin does not mean it was not used. Quite the opposite. Most boaters I speak with find a good Welcome Packet invaluable.
(0:18) The often missed potential is putting some or all of the contents of your Welcome Packet on your website. Now you have a terrific and practical sales tool. Boaters can see what you have to offer at your marina and in the surrounding area. They can plan their stay, maybe even deciding to stay longer to take it all in.
(0:10) As many of you are approaching your off season make it a priority on your to-do list to create a dynamite Welcome Packet or to update your existing one.
(0:05) The effort you put into it now will payoff well into the future.
(0:02) And that's the marina minute.
