In conversation with our Used Boats Manager, Mark da Costa.
Working in the marine industry had never featured heavily in Mark’s post university wish list. But a lifetime growing up around his father’s successful yacht importation business in the eighties and nineties clearly rubbed off, and a position as Trainee Sales Executive with Sunseeker Sales in Poole was Mark’s springboard into a successful career that has taken him around Europe and seen him represent some of the biggest names in the industry. Working with both manufacturers and dealers, Mark has been in sales and marketing roles for nearly twenty years, and brings a wealth of experience to his new role within Princess Motor Yacht Sales.
As Used Boat Manager, Mark is responsible for overseeing the entire used stock boat business, a sector that he sees as vital for growth. Mark tells me. ‘Not only is our sales turnover growing, but the new boats are getting ever bigger. We now promote a range that starts at £300,000 and reaches past £15 million. The ability to take in high quality part exchange stock and present and market it professionally and profitably is a very crucial part of that. And it is important to note that we’re not just interested in Princess yachts. We’re very happy to discuss potential part exchanges with whatever marque is offered to us, in fact we see it as a key element in expanding our market share’.
PMYS’s used boats sales fall into three distinct channels. Princess Brokerage International is the world’s leading
Princess brokerage organisations and sells on behalf of the owner. But the second two categories are company owned stock, and this is where Mark comes in. The first category is ‘Pre-owned Direct’. These are boats that have been taken into stock, normally as a result of part exchange. They will be fully serviced and prepared, come with a three month warranty, and include a comprehensive handover all backed by the comfort of dealing with the largest and most established Princess dealer in the world.
The second category is ‘Princess Approved’. These boats are the very cream of the used boat market worldwide. Every boat is independently surveyed before going through a Princess factory approved 280 point check. It will be serviced, antifouled, thoroughly valeted and sold with a full insurance backed 12 month guarantee (with the option to extend or renew for total peace of mind). ‘Our committed aim’, says Mark, ‘is to deliver a similar standard of quality and care that you would expect from a new boat purchase, and to deliver a service second to none in the industry’.
With a Europe-wide network of dealers to call on, Mark can position used boats stock internationally, accurately placing boats into suitable markets. His job is to bring focus, commitment and drive, not just into maximising returns for the business but also into ensuring that every customer gets the ultimate service. As a direct result, it allows Princess to welcome new boat customers with potential part exchanges, and offer realistic and competitive trade-in values, simplifying and improving the entire boat buying experience whether new or used.
