How to make money when accessorizing pools this summer

by jason_cramp | March 3, 2017 2:30 pm

By Kathryn Varden

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There is always money to be made anytime a pool contractor enters a backyard—whether opening/closing a pool, starting a new project, or taking on a renovation. One of the best ways to do this is to offer products that do not shutdown the pool for a prolonged period, but rather can be easily added in a few hours or even one day. Products such as new designer rails, ladders, sun-shelf seating and tables, basketball and volleyball nets, even slides, diving boards, wateaur features, lighting, automation, automatic covers, and pergolas are all items that can be installed quickly without affecting the customer’s ability to use their pool this summer. As a result, these products provide the opportunity to increase profits every year.

Pool rails are all the rage

Ladders and rails are one of the fastest, most profitable products to add onto a pool. They provide an immediate makeover, but will not interrupt the customer’s use of their pool. Rails and ladders can rust due to salt chlorine systems and make the entire pool area look terrible. Replacing these items with powder-coated or thermoplastic coated rail goods that co-ordinate with the customer’s outdoor décor can improve the overall look of the backyard. Thermoplastic coated rails are salt pool safe. This procedure typically takes less than an hour with a return of approximately $200 per rail. Similarly, ladders may take an hour to replace with a profit of $300 to $400 per ladder.

New ‘designer rails’ are also available which provide a high-end look, but are just as easy to install. These products command a premium price and, as a result, provide higher profits. Designer rails are the fastest way to give a pool a facelift. That said, these products can be kept on service trucks and offered to clients while performing service calls.

Designer rails can help modernize the look of an older pool while still providing functionality and safety. Further, they can be installed into the existing holes of traditional rails, which helps make them an easy sale and quick to install. The perfect time to offer these rail options is during pool opening service calls.

Have a seat in the pool

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As the backyard living trend continues to grow, more homeowners are maximizing their pool investment. The advent of having a table and seats within the pool itself is another extension of this trend.

Jeff Kjelland, owner of Recreational Concepts in Oregon, Wis., agrees. “This year, we have prepped all of our new pools and renovations with anchors for tables and seats,” he says. “It costs the homeowner very little money to sink the anchors in during the initial pool build and this way I know they will be calling me to install the table and seats within the next couple of seasons. We can make great profits while the pool is open, in addition to making the customer even happier.”

Sports pool

Selling built-in basketball and volleyball nets are another great profit centre, as they are essentially another rail good. In-deck games look much more attractive than the plastic versions on the market, and setting the anchors for them is easy.

For example, the basketball net is a terrific product to sell once the pool is up and running. Many owners are not aware they have an option other than the plastic, water-filled hoop that needs to be replaced at the end of every season. Therefore, it is important to show consumers the option of a high-end basketball net that installs directly into their pool deck.

This can also be a great product to sell as part of a renovation project. The installation takes roughly one hour and, depending on the system installed, can return a profit of up to $350 per unit.

Including anchors for in-pool features as well as basketball and volleyball nets in the initial drawings presented to the homeowner—even if they have not expressed any interest—is a great idea. If the client is unsure and does not want one of these products initially, it is cost worthy for them to spend a few hundred dollars during the initial construction phase, while the deck is ripped up, so they can leave their options open for the future.

Water, fire, lighting, and automation

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Depending on the size of the project, some tend to be staged over two to three years to accommodate the homeowner’s budget and/or the project’s time constraints. With this in mind, it is savvy business thinking to prepare for future sales at the time of the initial pool construction or start of a renovation.

For example, Chase Mariano of Blue Diamond Pools & Landscaping, a pool design/build and landscaping company in Barrie, Ont., finds water and fire features, in addition to lighting and automation products, are now in high demand by clients who had their pool built five to eight years ago when these products were not readily available.

“Our company services all the pools we build and every summer our clients ask us to add coloured light emitting diode (LED) lighting and automation systems to their pools because the technology was not as common when they had their pool built,” says Mariano. “We can set-up an automation system in half a day. Our service technicians will also offer a chemical automation system while they are at it, which results in a job worth $5000 in profit and only requires one person on-site.”

These products not only return a profit, but they also help bolster the client’s enjoyment of, and satisfaction with, their pool without experiencing  any downtime.

“We always try to include a waterline that is buried and capped at the time of the initial build,” says Mariano. “We mark it on the plans, even if the customer doesn’t initially want a slide or water feature on their pool when it’s being built.

“Many customers tend to call a year or two later inquiring about a water feature; therefore, by preparing in advance for the likelihood of this happening, it makes for a profitable opportunity in the near future. With the waterline already installed, the addition of a slide or water feature can be completed within three to five hours.

“Towards the end of the first phase of a pool project most customers feel over-budget so it’s important to help them plan for future options, which results in additional profits for our company.”

Kjelland agrees and says customers do not want to feel pushed into spending all of their money on the project upfront; therefore, providing the ability to add these products in the future, without any downtime, makes them feel even better about their initial investment. This is also true for fire and water features.

“Running a gas line or waterline for a future fire or water feature is not a hard sell,” he says. “In fact, running a gas line is much more inexpensive than adding propane-powered fire features later on—even if the client thinks there is a remote chance they will want a fire feature near the pool.”

With the huge trend in outdoor living spaces today, it is easy for consumers to see they will be spending more time enjoying and entertaining in their backyard and their pool will be the centre of it all.

Slides, diving boards, and grottos

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Slides are another product that is easy to install during construction or even when the pool is up and running. Standalone slides can make the pool more appealing and fun for children; therefore, adding one in the middle of summer instantly increases the pool’s entertainment value without having to close it down.

At a retail price of approximately $3500, many of the slides available today take less than five hours to install and offer a return of approximately $1400.

Similar to rails and ladders, diving boards or bases can also experience corrosion. Old, corroded diving boards, bases, and bolts can be easily removed and replaced without having to rip up the deck. Roughly $500 can be made on each replacement which typically takes less than two hours to complete.

By removing the unsightly, worn out diving boards and rusted bases, the homeowner’s pool gets a new look with minimal effort. This can also be a good time to suggest upgrading the diving board to a colour or a model that features a waterfall which spills out of the end.

“It is surprising how many people want diving boards,” says Mariano. “Many feel a pool isn’t complete without one. Perhaps it’s because they grew up with diving boards, but now they want something that is more attractive.”

Taking the time to explore diving board options with the client to find one that meets their needs will not only make the customer happy, but also increase profits.

Grottos and caves can be considered a ‘super’ waterfall feature. These products provide all the benefits of a waterfall (visual beauty and the calming sound of cascading water), but also add fun and excitement to the pool—especially for children. Misters can also be added to heighten the mystery of the cave, while at the same time making them even more exciting for children.

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These products are available in component kits which can be customized to suit a wide range of customers and budget constraints.

 

While quoting on a project, these products are typically sold via brochure to show the consumer what the final product will look like. Once a kit is ordered, it comes complete with all the parts required to install the feature. Grotto and cave water features are designed to ensure proper water flow and weight distribution and can typically be installed within a day.

Even if a client does not specifically ask for a cave, grotto, waterfall, or slide on their pool, these features should be discussed, not only as a way to enhance the homeowners’ enjoyment of their pool, but also as a way to increase profits on the pool build and/or renovation.

Sanitization systems

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Salt chlorine pools have become popular over the past five years so be sure to continue to offer this product in season. Installing one of these systems—for some—can improve the bathing experience.

“I was offering salt chlorine generators 15 years ago and it was a hard sell, but now everyone knows about them, so it’s an easy, in-season job,” says Kjelland.

Similarly, those who have already experienced the improved water quality a salt chlorine generator offers, there is a new group of consumers who want to continue to improve their water quality while reducing chemical usage in the water. This is where ozone and ultraviolet (UV) light systems come in to play. These are high-profit, add-on products that can be installed while the pool is in use.

“Our clients tend to be very affluent and are always looking for the best options for their pools,” says Mariano. “UV and ozone are the next step up for improving pool water quality.”

Indeed, consumers are very savvy with respect to acquiring information about sanitizers whether by attending home shows and/or performing research on the Internet. They are the perfect product to sell during the summer, as consumers can actually feel the difference in their water quality while using their swimming pool.

Automatic pool covers and pergolas

Automatic pool covers are another product that can be added to a finished pool in the summer. In most cases, an automatic pool cover can be installed in one day. Profits on these products can be high, depending on the model sold, and the pool owner gets immediate gratification from their purchase.

Similarly, the interest in pergolas continues to grow as outdoor kitchens and seating areas increase in demand. These can be custom-built or assembled in kit fashion. Either method looks great and provides another means to making more money on a project.

Looking to the future

Never stop looking at the various pool products that can be sold and installed throughout the summer; it does not have to be a new build, nor does the pool need to be closed to take advantage of these money-
making features. The opportunity to sell and install these products presents itself every time a pool contractor enters a homeowner’s backyard.

For example, Kjelland shows the customer everything they may want to include on their pool or in their backyard, including the furniture he sells at his retail stores.

“I always include the unique patio furniture we sell in my drawings,” he says. “As a result, many customers inquire about the furniture and they often comeback to purchase it.”

[7]Kathryn Varden is the western regional sales manager for Inter-Fab Inc., in Tucson, Ariz. She has worked with pool builders for 17 years providing them with tips on selling and installing rock water features, landscape slides, rails and diving boards for new construction and renovation projects. Varden has a master’s in landscape architecture and bachelors of science in regional development from the University of Arizona. She can be contacted via e-mail at kathryn@inter-fab.com[8].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/how-to-make-money-when-accessorizing-pools-this-summer/

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