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Channel Blade's Rapid Lead Entry Solution Captures 6,127 Sales Leads at the 2009 Miami Boat Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CHANNEL BLADE'S RAPID LEAD ENTRY SOLUTION - QUICKSTEPS-
CAPTURES 6,127 SALES LEADS AT THE 2009 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Feb. 23, 2009 - Channel Blade, a leading provider of online lead generation, lead management and sales education solutions in the marine, RV and powersports industries, announced today that Quicksteps captured, routed and responded to 6,127 sales leads for its clients at the 2009 Miami International Boat Show, Feb. 12-16.

Quicksteps, a rapid lead entry tool powered by Channel Blade's widely used lead management solution Footsteps, is
designed to quickly and automatically capture, route and respond to leads in real time at boat shows and events. The easy-to-use solution enables exhibitors to remotely enter, view and update customer and prospect information.


This year, Channel Blade enhanced Quicksteps to increase overall performance, security and functionality. Exciting new features included the ability for OEMs to print sales worksheets about each customer at the booth. Filled with useful information, these worksheets enabled salespeople to immediately attend to customers inquiries with a better understanding of their needs.


Despite a drop of 26 percent in show attendance, Carver and Marquis Yachts experienced a lead increase of 16
percent compared to last year. Both luxury yacht builders attribute their lead generation and capture success to Quicksteps.

"Quicksteps was an integral part of every sale," said Dick Nocenti, director of marketing at Genmar Yacht Group, one of Channel Blade clients using Quicksteps at the show. "Our salespeople immediately received the leads which were generated at the Carver and Marquis greeting desks. They were able to locate their customer in the booth and take control of the product presentation in a very timely manner. Quicksteps eliminated the 'shark tank' situation where all the salespeople hover around the entry of the display looking for prospects from their territory. Quicksteps is a must if you want to have a seamless sales process for any show. We can't do without it.

Quicksteps enables users to securely recall complete contact information across the OEM's entire pre-loaded database of customers and prospects. It works seamlessly as an online reservation system for pre-registering customers and prospects attending the show.

Fountain Powerboats and Baja Marine also used Quicksteps at the Miami International Boat Show and were very impressed with the functionality and ease-of-use. The companies generated 1,391 leads in five days.


"Our boat show receptionists captured customers' information as they came into the booth," explains Tom Kosto, director of business development at Fountain Powerboats. "We were able to identify their local dealer as well as the closest dealer working the show, and capture critical information in a matter of minutes. Despite slower traffic at the show this year, Quicksteps helped us zero in on serious buyers. An efficient lead capturing system is necessary, especially in this economy, and Quicksteps is the way to go."

"We¿re very excited about these results and we look forward to helping our OEM clients capture more leads at upcoming shows," said Chuck Lewis, president and founder of Channel Blade. "Quicksteps prevents lines outside of show booths or worse yet, mystery prospects that manufacturers and dealers lose the opportunity to engage with following the event. In today's increasingly competitive and difficult environment, solutions like Quicksteps provide clients with an edge that enables them to increase sales."

About Channel Blade

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., Channel Blade provides online lead generation, lead management and sales education solutions that drive customers from the Web to the showroom, increasing traffic and sales for thousands of manufacturers and dealers in the marine, RV and powersports industries.

Channel Blade supports over 60 leading manufacturers and 2,000 dealer locations worldwide with its easy-to-use, cost-efficient solutions and hands-on education programs-including more than 70 percent of Boating Industry's 2008 Top 100 Dealers.

For more information about Channel Blade, please visit www.ChannelBlade.com or call us at (877) 242-5233.

About Channel Blade and ARI

Channel Blade, an ARI company, provides online lead generation, lead management and sales education solutions that drive more leads and sales to manufacturers and dealers within the marine and recreational vehicle industries. Channel Blade supports its clients worldwide with its award-winning, cost-efficient solutions and hands-on education programs -- including 70 percent of Boating Industry's prestigious 2008 Top 100 Dealers.

ARI Network Services, Inc. (ARI) is a leading provider of electronic parts catalogs and marketing services to dealers, distributors and manufacturers in the manufactured equipment markets. ARI currently serves approximately 100 manufacturers and 190 distributors worldwide, as well as more than 25,000 dealers in several markets, including outdoor power; power sports; marine; recreation vehicle; appliance; agricultural equipment; floor maintenance; construction; and aftermarket auto and truck parts. Both of the companies’ products, as well as the websites designed for its customers, have received numerous industry awards, including Editor’s Choice Award for SearchEngineSmart™ in February, 2009 awarded by Powersports Business Magazine and this year’s Best Dealer Website of the Year for MarineMax.com.

For more information on Channel Blade and ARI, please visit www.channelblade.com and www.arinet.com.

Media contact: Lindsay Rapoport, (757) 222-6723; lindsay.rapoport@channelblade.

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