Customer Spotlight: Mare Sailing

by | Oct 17, 2024 | Customer Spotlight, News

Mare Sailing

Amid the bustling atmosphere of the Cannes Yachting Festival, Boats Group sat down and spoke with Mare Sailing Owner, Cristian Calin, about his experience using Boats Group’s platform and tools to grow his business internationally.

Which Boats Group package are you subscribed to?

We are on the YachtWorld SELECT package, advertising our 25 listings across all of 15 Boats Group’s platforms.

Tell us a bit about you and Mare Sailing?

Cristian Calin: I live and operate in the seaside town of Constanța, Romania. Years ago, I built sail boats and dinghies—both Olympic and International Status recognized by ISAF. I had a small boatyard and had to be there constantly, which I didn’t really like. In 2016, I decided to pivot and open my own brokerage. Today, I have exclusive dealerships with shipyards such as Invictus Yacht and Cranchi Yachts, as well as brokerage with Palumbo Superyachts.
Though my company is registered in Romania, it’s not my largest market. We operate in Romania, Italy, and the Middle East and now I’m expanding into the U.S. market. I’ve been working with Boats Group for over 2 years now, and I was very open to the switch to packages because I was interested in investing highly to ensure the largest amount of exposure online to support the expansion of my business into international markets.

Which of the above digital tools do you find most valuable for your business and why?

Performance Reports in Inventory are incredibly useful for seeing how my listings and advertising efforts are performing, hence helping me gauge my return on investment. I find LeadSmart Premium particularly helpful because it gives me deeper insights into client profiles and their specific interests. The ProSeller Platform is also a great asset, especially when I’m working on co-brokerage deals or printing brochures. I occasionally use Professional Boat Shopper (PBS) by setting filters to get notifications when something interesting comes up. Lastly, use Featured Boats and Sponsored Boats for extra visibility.

I also use Premium Featured Boat and Display Advertising to boost my visibility in front of buyers, and I’ve found that they add tremendous value to my marketing efforts. I’ve seen an impressive increase in leads, traffic, and impressions since joining the subscription packages. The tools have significantly enhanced my visibility online, particularly for larger boats. I also run banner campaigns on the homepage, which have contributed to increased exposure and brand recognition.

How has your package contributed to the growth and success of your business?

Since subscribing to this package, I’ve experienced a significant boost in buyer engagement and lead conversions. The exposure I get from Boats Group has really helped drive qualified leads, especially for bigger boats. With Invictus, for example, we’re working in the Emirates and and I’ll soon be exhibiting in Abu Dhabi. We now plan on expanding into Saudi Arabian markets as their boating industry begins to take off.

Since the YachtWorld SELECT package is so comprehensive, I don’t invest in any other type of marketing or advertising- we are exclusive to Boats Group and spend our entire marketing budget here. The results have been clear—there’s been a substantial improvement in overall impressions and buyer engagement.

I’ve seen an increase in interest in my boats since joining the packages- a huge jump in impressions and traffic so there is quite an improvement in the results I was receiving. I’m currently running banner campaigns on the homepage, and I believe that the exposure and branding activities on the website ultimately help me attract the right buyers, particularly for my more niche, larger boats.

Can you share a specific success story or achievement that you attribute to using our tools and platforms?

Absolutely! The first immediate sale after joining YachtWorld was a 1.2 million euro Prestige Yacht sold to a client from Milan. The leads I’ve received through the platform have been of high quality, and it’s great to see quick conversions like that.

I’m happy with the results I’ve seen so far since I started using the YachtWorld SELECT package, and I’m looking forward to even more growth. Boats Group has been a crucial part of my marketing strategy, and the tools continue to deliver results.

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