NOTED INDUSTRY TRAINER JD SCHMID JOINS SEA RAY
Well-known marine trainer JD Schmid has joined Sea Ray as Director of Product Training. Prior to joining Sea Ray, Schmid was a partner at the Sales Institute for Excellence. A longtime member of the recreational boating community, he has successfully started and operated a boat dealership before deepening his involvement with professional training.
As a professional trainer, Schmid would often deliver up to 200 presentations a year with audiences as large as 2,000 people. He’s delivered marine-specific training to more than 1,000 marine sales professionals.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity at Sea Ray, and their commitment to provide dealers not only with the industry’s leading products, but the tools and training to maximize dealer sales opportunities,” said Schmid. Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Dave O’Connell, echoed Schmid’s enthusiasm: “Sea Ray is delivering on our Next Wave promise of incorporating innovative technology through inspired execution. In addition to our enormously successful L-Class launch earlier this year, Sea Ray will introduce nine, all-new products between now and the end of the calendar year, with an even more aggressive product introduction schedule next year. With the investment of providing dealers the most desirable products, the next logical step is to make sure that we equip them with the sales training to maximize the retail opportunity.”
One of the key focus areas for Schmid will be Sea Ray’s launch of the broadly affordable SPX series later this fall, comprised of 19- and 21-foot models in several power and option configurations.
“Sea Ray has already had remarkable success with the dayboat and yacht flagships, the 350 SLX and L650 Fly, respectively,” said Schmid. “I’m really looking forward to this next chapter where together, with dealers; we bring the Sea Ray experience to more boating families than ever. There’s a lot of positive momentum at Sea Ray, and I’m so proud to support the industry’s best, most award-winning dealer network in taking Sea Ray to new heights.”
