“He doesn’t talk much. He’s quiet and mild-mannered, never looking for much attention,” confirms fellow Sales Professional Carl Beale. Carl was another of Jud’s early hires, starting out as a detailer, and holding many jobs including delivery captain and salesperson, while also spending a chunk of his career as a financial advisor. “We have fished and worked together and become really good friends,” Carl says. When he came back from the financial sector to work full-time for Bluewater, he approached Jud with a novel idea. “In the finance world a lot of people partner up. I told Jud, ‘when you are busy or traveling, I can show a boat for you while you’re away,’ and he agreed to it. Since then, we have done all our deals, showings and sea trials together, and it has worked out great.” Balancing time as a salesperson working directly with customers while also managing other members of the team has always been an interesting dynamic, but one that Jud has handled with grace, fairness and professionalism. When Chris, Earle, Jud and Randy were the four primary partners in Bluewater Yacht Sales, he could often be found encouraging and coaching the sales team at company gatherings, a practice that continues to this day. As upper management, they urge their team members to set both lofty professional and personal goals and let them know how the company can help them succeed. When a team member has dreams of a new home or boat, they’re excited to help them realize those goals and keep everyone pulling hard for the betterment of the team. While each salesperson is essentially competing for some of the same customers, it still pays to help one another out. That’s because in a business where the sales cycle is so long, any individual’s numbers can rise and fall precipitously, but with a large team rafted together, Bluewater has found a rising tide will lift all ships. As Carl puts it, Jud’s leadership style has no peaks or valleys, just a steady commitment to greatness that rubs off on his peers. Over the years, Jud has presented seminars to the company on prioritizing relationships with potential new boat owners. Doing so not only provides salespeople with additional manufacturer incentives, but if they play their cards right, they would likely forge lasting friendships and a chance to represent the owner’s interests many times over—and perhaps for the life of the yacht too. Both are scenarios that Jud has routinely demonstrated by example throughout his career. If there’s a Viking that has been bought or sold in Virginia over the last 35 years, odds are that Jud and his team at Bluewater have had a hand in the transaction. In Jud’s view, this business is all about relationships and Bluewater wants to represent customers for life. “We live vicariously through our customers and value our personal relationships with all of them. Every choice we make must answer the question, ‘does this serve our customers?’” he said. And with that philosophy always in front of mind, both the customer and salespeople are rewarded. OLD-FASHIONED HUMILITY Being a quiet and curious student, observing and absorbing his surroundings has given Jud an edge in the sales and customer service world, but also contributed to his deep and diverse knowledge-base early in life. According to Ann, his parents gifted him a Sears Gamefish boat when he was very young, kicking off a lifetime of developing his boating acumen. “He was also very close to his grandmother, ‘Nanny,’ who taught him how to crab, fish and play cards while spending summers with her on Gwynn’s Island,” which is about 50 miles north of his childhood home in Hampton. There, Jud’s father owned a full-service gas station and service bay on King Street, where Jud often hung out as a child and learned how to repair cars with his dad. “His familywas verymuch of a do-it-yourself mentality,” says Ann, a reality that set up Jud with a background of skills and knowledge he has put to great use in his career in the marine industry. If his small townupbringing reminds youof the “Andy Griffith Show,” it’s his courteous behavior that has also drawn comparisons to “Leave it to Beaver” episodes. More than any other character traits, it’s Jud’s truthfulness and kindness that shine through in his day-to-day interactions. “It doesn’t matter who he’s talking to, there’s no difference in how he deals with people. Jud could be selling someone a 9.9 outboard for a Jon Boat or working on a big Viking deal—he’s going to give those two people the same respect. He’s always genuine no matter what, and he is the same way with employees,” explains John Bishop. Carl offers up an example of how loyal people have become towards Jud, “A customer was planning to list his small center console with Jud, but while the boat was getting cleaned up, a friend of the detailer wound up buying it [before a listing agreement was in place]. The owner still paid Jud a commission when he Synergy: Jud & Carl over twenty years. 28 BLUEWATER
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