The brokerage industry may be giving itself a virtual high-five with the recent sales numbers reported in YachtWorld's SoldBoats Report, but let's keep their "good news" in perspective. With a year that has seen sales numbers drop month over month, many brokers must have been relieved to experience just a 1% drop in October, the smallest decline seen for any month in comparison to 2013 numbers. While the overall number was 1% less than last year's, boats over 36 feet saw sales increase by 10%, and vessels in the "superyacht" category actually saw a sales increase of 91%, according to the report. Once again in October, while the number of sales basically stayed flat, the price per boat increased, especially in the smaller boat sector, which saw the largest drop (6%) in the total number of sales. What does that mean to buyers? They're paying more for fewer boats, to the tune of 10% higher prices than they paid in 2013. So how do those numbers compare to POP Yachts' sales? The percentage of boat sales increased 71% in 2014 when compared to October 2013. Just take a look at how our sales have stacked up over the past four years: October 2011: 10 units soldOctober 2012: 48 units soldOctober 2013: 86 units soldOctober 2014: 121 units sold So what is it that sets POP Yachts apart from the rest of the industry? How do we continue to outperform everyone else? We asked some of our most successful team members that exact question. "You have to put in the hours," says Newport, RI, regional sales executive Steve Fischer. "And you've got to be comfortable with your phone, and you have to call people back. The No. 1 complaint in this industry is that brokers don't return phone calls - you have to return phone calls. "A lot of times a listing may no longer be available so a broker will think that caller is worthless to them. No. That person wants to buy a boat - most people are flexible on the type of boat they want to buy." League City, TX, regional sales executive Gregory Stanton says when it comes to follow-up, the quicker and more thorough, the better. "In this day and age with computers and mobile communications, you have to be on your feet and able to respond – be quick to follow up," he says. "The correspondence of getting back to people with answers to their questions and also searching well for their vessels based on the parameters that they've set is the key thing. That's why my sales are good – because I focus on what their needs are. When I find the matching vessel, I send them photos and information on the vessel, rather than just a link." If you're looking to sell your boat or purchase one, let POP Yachts set you up with a sales representative who knows what it takes to beat everyone else in the market. Give us a call today at 941-257-0111. Graphic: YachtWorld SoldBoats Report