Not all pool covers are the same
To avoid any confusion with other cover products, pool professionals should take the time to explain how auto covers differ from other pool cover options.
For instance, with an automatic cover, homeowners can close and lock their pools when they are not in use, which offers year-round safety, as opposed to a seasonal mesh or solid cover that only secures the pool when it is closed for the winter. In the case of the latter, once the cover is removed, the pool is no longer safe.
Allan Horwood, owner of Pool Patrol in B.C., says, he emphasizes safety when talking to pool owners.
“I look the customer in the eye, explain the advantages, and tell them—if you’re building a pool without an auto cover, it’s like building a house without a roof,” says Horwood. “I highlight the benefit—safety—and the bonus—convenience—and lead them down the path to make the right decision. It’s really a no-brainer.”
According to Hill, an essential part to closing an automatic cover sale is to sell the safety aspect of the product as some homeowners are not necessarily aware of this asset.
“When they discover a four-digit code is needed to open the cover, they instantly fall in love with the added security benefit,” says Hill. “In fact, we explain the keypad is located in full visibility of the pool, so the homeowner can ensure everyone is out of the water when they close the cover.”
Further, homeowners can be at peace knowing the pool is secure when they are away or go on vacation. It is this peace of mind automatic covers offer pool owners that make the sale much easier for pool professionals.
Selling convenience
The safety features an automatic cover can offer pool owners are many; however, one should not look past the convenience factor. Simply put, an automatic cover also makes owning a pool much more satisfactory.
“As soon as you sit down with a customer and talk about how they plan to use their pool, almost all will agree they want the luxury of being able to open and close their pool quickly,” says Hill. “For many of my customers, owning an auto cover is one of the main reasons they are always pleased with their pool investment. “As soon as they hear it will only take them 30 to 45 seconds to open their pool and another 30 seconds to close it—they are sold.”
Mike Dominci of Long Island Pools, N.Y., says most of his customers are looking for alternatives to traditional mesh safety covers.
“An auto cover’s ease of operation is unmatched by other products,” he says. “Traditional mesh safety covers, though safe, can be tedious to install and remove from one’s pool.”
According to Dominici, more customers are willing to spend the extra money for this type of convenience and, as a result, he is selling more automatic covers on both the pools he builds and renovates.
Some pool professionals are selling automatic covers against traditional, winterizing mesh safety covers, while others are selling them against manual or solar covers with reels.
According to Wlodarczak, selling auto covers is easy compared to traditional solar blankets with reels.
“The number-one reason for this is because many homeowners don’t want to manually remove a cover when all they want to do is just get in their pool,” he says. “As a result, we now put auto covers as an option on all of our quotes and, since doing this, we are selling a lot more of these products.”
In addition to focusing on safety and convenience, it is important pool professionals do not forget to promote the many other benefits automatic covers offer pool owners. For instance, over a three-to-five-year period, they can help reduce the customer’s pool operational costs by retaining heat when the pool is not in use, as well as prevent chemicals and water from evaporating.
Conclusion
The market demand for automatic covers continues to grow each year. As a result, pool professionals have tremendous profit potential when perfecting the sales technique for these products, which includes emphasizing the benefits of safety and convenience. Whether a dealer chooses to install and service automatic pool covers or simply sell the product and subcontract the installation and service, pool professionals are leaving money on the table by not including an automatic cover as part of their product offerings.
Jacob Bloss is the director of operations at Cover Care LLC, which specializes in the installation/repair of automatic pool covers and services more than 32 major markets across the United States. Bloss can be reached via email at jbloss@covercare.net.
