Ringing in the new: five company owners want to hit new heights in the new year. Business experts suggest how that can be accomplished

Pool & Spa News, Jan 17, 2005 by Rin-rin Yu

It's a brand-new year, which means a fresh opportunity to hit new peaks in the selling season. The time is now to reset last year's priorities and make new ones.

From moving to a new location to changes in advertising strategies, pool and spa businesses are looking forward to achieving new goals in 2005. Here are five resolutions and experts' suggestions on how to stay on top of them.

RESOLUTION 1: Find new directions in direct mail.

Out with the old: Chris Callanan says if he's lucky, he can send out two or three direct mailings to regular and potential customers each year. Actually, getting them out at all is a challenge, says the president of North Shore Pool Supply in Wakefield, Mass.

Much of the problem can be traced to the difficulty of obtaining pool-owner address lists. Unlike many other states, where counties take charge of permits, Massachusetts allows each town and village to have its own set of rules for pool building. This makes gathering mailing lists a little tougher for Callanan, requiring him to visit every neighboring town.

In with the new: "My goal is to have four to six mailings, and to have them all written and ready for the printer by the first of February," Callanan says. "Well, this is the goal."

Two to three mailings cost less than one radio campaign, he says. Callanan also has found that direct mailing is the most effective advertising tool for him. He aims to use his mailings to better communicate with customers.

Don't drop the ball: Time management expert Valerie Young says Callanan needs to approach this project in a way that does not overwhelm him. "Any project that's high impact almost always has multiple steps," says the "dreamer-in-residence" at Changing Course in Northampton, Mass. Young suggests creating due dates and meeting those deadlines to hit his goal.

RESOLUTION 2: Increase sales of accessories.

Out with the old: Scottie Payne's retail store sells all things leisurely: patio furniture, aboveground pools, portable spas, fireplaces, barbecue grills, hammocks, candles, wind chimes, pool toys, music and water chemicals.

But that's not enough. "We would like to sell more than we're selling right now," says the vice president of Arkansas Pools & Spas in Jonesboro.

In with the new: Payne does not plan to increase the number of product lines she offers, but rather the amount of items sold. Currently, the company tends to sell more grill items, but overall, she says accessory sales are fairly equal.

"We intend to do more accessory advertising," says Payne, who promotes her products primarily in newspapers. "We'll just do some different sorts of ads to promote what we do have."

Don't drop the ball: Showroom setup is critical to selling lots of products. Experts suggest placing spas and pools in the back of the store and accessories in front to appeal to impulse buyers. "They'll see all the toys, and how to impress their neighbors and friends," says William Crookston, professor of entrepreneurship at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He also recommends playing a repeating video or PowerPoint slide show in the showroom that reinforces the company's product line.

RESOLUTION 3: Make your move.

Out with the old: For the past 25 years, Harbor Hot Tubs lived on a back road in the small Long Island town of Sag Harbor, N.Y. This year, the store is moving to a bigger road in a bigger town--Southampton, a tony summer retreat for social Manhattanites whose beachfront homes are lined with pools and spas.

In with the new: This spring, the larger retail location will feature more spa showroom, allowing even more products than before to be displayed. The showroom designs and layout were still in the works as of press time.

"Now we'll be exposed to everybody who comes into the Hamptons," says Ian Fyffe, president of Harbor Hot Tubs. He notes that the new store will be triple the size of the current one.

Fyffe anticipates a large influx of business. The new location's highway presence should draw more customers due to the number of people in the area. Word-of-mouth from long-situated homeowners who know about the store also should help.

Don't drop the ball: "Make a party out of it," Crookston says." 'We're moving! Thanks to all our customers.' "

His party idea: Hold a month-long event before the move and a month-long one after it. They could conduct a "Ms. Hot Tub" contest. Or get local organizations involved--coax the presidents of service clubs to spend a couple of hours in a hot tub, with members contributing to a local charity to keep him or her in hot water. "Turn your president into a prune!" he urges.

Use flashy ideas to attract local media. "Dare to be a little daring," Crookston advises. "You'll make some interesting press out of it."

RESOLUTION 4: Work smarter hours, not longer ones.

Out with the old: Mark Berns juggles a lot. As vice president of Palace Aids Fireplace Pool & Spa Center and past-chairman of APSP's Retail Council, he would like to spend more time with his family, and a little less time than he does now at the job. He has two daughters, but was only able to attend their soccer games once this year. That is a slight improvement from 2003, when he didn't go to any.