He said: 'Supporting a distributor is a complicated process; in effect we are managing a chain which requires a different attitude and sales skills to the classic sales operation. It is important to provide the distributor with as much information as possible so they can represent Lewmar when operating in local markets.

'This information can be broken down into some distinctive areas:

1. Marketing material - printed catalogues and technical manuals in the local language. Lewmar produce one main catalogue every two years in six languages.

2. Stock Availability - lead time and pricing information, on line and up to date.

3. Training – we train distributor salesmen twice annually.

'When selling a product via a distributor time is of the essence. The easier you make the process, the more time the salesman has to sell your product, rather than someone else’s.

'The website tends to act as the first port of call for distributors and we put a lot of hours into ensuring it is up to date. Although our site is in English, we also have the facility to download local language versions of catalogue pages.'

With regards to visiting distributor territory, Mr sevenson suggests there can be no set formula, but recommends support via boat shows and being there when it matters.

At boat shows, Lewmar likes to adopt a joint approach with local distributors; emphasising the importance of having the local team on hand to answer questions.