Top Salespeople: The Storyteller

Top officials and board members at the Sarasota Yacht Club are fiercely protective of their yachting tradition, which dates back to 1926.

Yet they also realized yachting and economic downturns are a toxic mix. So much so that membership growth from 2006 through 2010 stalled, at about 450 total members. Membership rolls at country clubs and yacht clubs across the region, and nationwide, were also flat or in retreat.

The Sarasota Yacht Club, on Sarasota Bay, decided to counter the situation with a new strategy. The overall idea was to balance the traditions of a yacht club with the realities of attracting new members. The first step was a $12.5 million renovation project, which culminated in a new opening in April 2010.