Silver lining - Close up: aboveground pools

Pool & Spa News, Dec 26, 2003 by Robbie McDonald

Inclement conditions can dampen an aboveground-pool sales season. Here's how some retailers try to ride out the storms.

Linda Butler is an eternal optimist. "The season started out great, and February and March sales were promising, says the self-professed workaholic.

However, when the clouds rolled in toward the end of March this year, even Butler, owner/president of Pools Plus Inc. in Elizabethtown, Ky., had trouble finding a silver lining in the foreboding gray skies overhead.

This year, retailers in numerous regions had to deal with one of the wettest seasons on record. Many realized they'd need to find creative solutions to the ever-present weather challenge--or watch their sales slump.

It's a reality: Aboveground-pool purchases are intrinsically tied to the whims of the weather. The peak sales season is typically compressed between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, and the weather can either make or break it.

Faced with this constant challenge, retailers say that a positive outlook, convenient installation offers, home shows and targeted advertising can provide a fighting chance against the dements.

Easy does it

As the dark days dragged on and the surrounding community grew apathetic to the thought of aboveground-pool ownership, Butler knew she had a challenge on her hands. "For some reason, most people have a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel," she says. "It's hard to motivate people when the weather isn't cooperating."

Butler knew she needed to make the process as painless as possible for would-be customers. With the cooperation of installers Jason Kessler and Richard Downey of Poolworks Unlimited, Butler's company offered a guaranteed seven-day installation at the first sign of good weather to those placing orders during the wet period.

Sure enough, rain-dickered customers started showing up to do business. In addition to a convenient installation turnaround, Butler also sweetened the pot by conducting individual pool-care classes at customers' homes.

Not only did people learn about general pool operation, vacuuming procedures, filter operations and basic water chemistry, but they also were able to become integral parts of the creative team responsible for the projects.

In the end, the plan generated respectable sales. Still, Butler is quick to admit that the battle was a tough one. "Our season was short this year. There were only three days [with temperatures] in the 90s, so it was hard to create a sense of urgency," she says.

As July approached, Butler's group sold the remaining pool packages at a discount and offered a choice of economy liners designed to save the customer a few hundred dollars.

Putting on a show

Eric Schupbach, manager/owner of Gary Pools & Leisure in Cheektowaga, N.Y., relies heavily on a yearly home and garden show to ensure healthy aboveground-pool sales. This two-week show results in an average of 60 to 100 such sales, regardless of the weather, he says.

"Traditionally, March is cool and rainy, but thousands of people travel downtown to the Buffalo Home and Garden Show," Schupbach says. "The event transforms the convention center into a backyard paradise that allows the public to see what is available in the market: decking, home improvements, swimming pools, patio furniture, etc.

While Schupbach admits to a large number of "tire kickers," each evening still brings in approximately 10 to 20 serious prospects. "The key is to follow up with thank-you letters and post-event sales," Schupbach says. He characterizes the two-week period following the show as a limited window of opportunity.

Most people don't buy at the show, but his experience tells him that a final decision comes within those first two weeks. As such, Schupbach places added emphasis on the follow-up process.

A special program allows him to offer gift certificates to referring and referred customers. "I have many loyal customers who have taken advantage of the program many times," Schupbach says.

Incentives such as these certainly boost sales, but he stresses the importance of the basics: a quality product, good service and attractive pricing. A stickler for the personal touch, Schupbach has worked hard to build a strong reputation for his company. "Having a good product at a competitive price is your best bet," he says. "Most educated consumers will find you on their own. Having a solid reputation in your marketplace helps."

Upping the ante

Pennsylvania retailer John Rozanski recalls a pivotal day this past season. "I looked at the in-house inventory and thought, 'Uh-oh. If things don't turn around soon, we will be carrying a lot of leftover pools into 2004,'" says the co-owner/aboveground pool manager of Crystal Pools in Elizabethtown.

Despite one of the wettest seasons on record for the mid-Atlantic region, his company posted record sales for 2003. Rozanski attributes the success to targeted advertising and complimentary accessories--and a highly successful home show season. Using in-house survey results, Rozanski identified newspaper advertising as the No. 1 source of leads, aside from referrals. When the season threatened to stall, Crystal Pools chose to allot more revenue to a series of ads in high-circulation newspapers, increasing the ad size and frequency. The approach was costly, but Rozanski believes the ad campaign may well have turned the season around.