How to sell a Rib?

[brucehawsker]

What do you think is the best route for selling the two ribs we had at Ribex?

We are intending to change engine manufacturer and console design for our final production Rib, especially since we are negotiating a key 'brand' endorsement from a High Street name, and will be selling this product to non-marine experienced buyers.

We have two ribs for sale which are in excellent shape. One has been the test bed on which we have carried out demos and ironed out all the bugs. The other has effectively zero hours but has been kept in development lock step with the demo.

They provide a great secure and soft ride, and are fully equipped with six jockeys. They would make an ideal family boat for this summer, or a great training boat with centre throttle, GPS / fishfinder etc.

Quite honestly, I would rather take a small loss on the sales and know that a family was having loads of fun out in them, or help out a training school by providing low cost boats, than have them sitting in a workshop!

Any help on how to sell them and what pricing strategy to adopt for a quick sale would be much much appreciated.

Thanks

Bruce

[andymp2000]

Got any pictures?

[nugent]

Prime Ex Demo £23,000 inc VAT

[Hugh Jardon]

always ensure the engine is set up correctly on the boat rather than just rushing it out there for a show as i know that put some folks off, never go out there half cocked so to speak

[RIVA]

call me cash waiting

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by RIVA

call me cash waiting

Originally Posted by brucehawsker

I would rather take a small loss

John

[RIVA]

L. O. L .

[brucehawsker]

RIVA's humour is duely noted, as is JK's riposte.

And I accept Hugh's chiding! We learn from our mistakes!!

I won't comment on the reasons we had cavitation at the show, but rest assured it was a function of tight deadlines and less than perfect delivery times, rather than anything fundamental. The problems are cured - she has been tested exhaustively by two different helms since then, and everyone is comfortable the problem has gone - a function of propellor 'difficulties'!

I am in this game for the long term, and am happy to prove the naysayers wrong over that long term. But in the short term, for primarily business relationship reasons, we are keen to sell one or possibly both of the exisitng boats, and thus have the risk capital to build, based on our commercial experiences to date, a probably lower powered boat more accurately targetted at the newbie market. This will be sold in an entirely different way from the majority of the industry - excepting our good friend RIVA who is aleady ahead of us in this market and will prove worthy competition.

I was actually being serious about willing to take a loss - even a bigger than little one. It is not my aim to have capital tied up in boats in a workshop. I am open to offers - even from (especially from, to prove no hard feelings!) RIVA! I want people to use the boats and enjoy the summer!

But I genuinely want advice on how to sell the boats to the already marine audience OUTSIDE (yes there is a world outside) of RibNet!

And some advice on price to shift them!!



Cheers

Bruce

PS At least I am being open and honest about the realities of the business, and about our objectives and plans.

[ADS]

-Decent informative website with specs/ package prices on and keep it regularly up to date.
- Become a trade member on www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk perhaps have a banner on there.
-Advert is Sportsboat and RIB, RIB Int, BIBOA Riblines and maybe buyaboat or whatever its called.
-Lifestyle magazines, we get one called compass through our door, glossy magazine with houses for sales, articles, motoring and restaurant reviews, currently someone advertising package prices for the Stealth H2 boat which is basically the Stealth speed boat.
-Knock out a few letters and see if you can get it reviewed in any of the top rib magazines, Practical Boat Owner may also be worth a try.
Best of luck with it,

[roycruse]

hi bruce

I'm glad to hear you sorted out your ventilation problem you had at the show - it was a great looking boat - I really wanted to see how she handled now you got the problem sorted...

hope I'm not stating the obvious but have you advertised them in boats and outboards... pretty much anybody looking for a boat tries on there.

a small tip when placing ads with them - every week or few weeks - drop the price by a few pounds and you ad will be put back to the start of the listings rather than disapearing off into the distant high page numbers

if I didn't have such a new boat I would have been interested myself - subject to a sucsesfull sea trial (thrashing)

good luck...