The Importance Of Educating Your Pool And Spa Customers

by Matt Giovanisci March 14, 2012 15:40 PM

When I worked in a pool store, I was considered “The Golden Child.” I was a know-it-all, and everyone came to me with their pool questions: “How much shock do I need to add?” “Why does my pool look like a black lagoon?” “How do you keep these darn ducks out?” They all came to me.

Why? Because knowledge is power! I knew how to solve all their pool problems. 

In some cases, I was able to convey this knowledge to my customers. This worked so well some no longer needed to speak to me. They just came into the store, I tested their water, they read their own results, and bought the things they needed. 

As a marketing director, I know that one of the biggest keys to a successful marketing campaign is knowledge. If I can teach my customers the correct way to take care of their pools, then I will start to build an army of loyal customers. That’s because I’m providing them with more than just some chemicals and equipment, I’m providing them with something of real value — knowledge.

I want you to really look at your retail stores and ask yourself, “Am I teaching my customers anything?” If you’re not, you need to start. If you are, you need to capitalize on it. Here are a few suggestions I have for educating your pool customers.

1. Hold a pool school event. 

We use to hold just one pool school event each year. Our chemical supplier, BioGuard, gave us the materials we needed. When we put the word out, we got over 50 people to attend at each store each year. Then after the two-hour school, they were invited to take advantage of discounted pool supplies. So they gained knowledge, and we increased customer loyalty and made some sales. Everybody won.

You don’t really need BioGuard’s help to do this. I’m sure you have a few knowledgeable people and enough store space to organize a good pool school. Just make sure you reward your attendees for coming out, either with coupons or after-pool-school discounts.

Pool schools are something I recommend doing at least once every month. Your customers will appreciate your trying to educate them, and I guarantee they will tell their pool-owning friends about it.

2. Make education signs for your store. 

If you don’t know how to make an attractive sign yourself, and you don’t have anyone on staff that can do it, don’t worry. You can find someone to design a simple sign easily enough (craigslist is a good place to start). What’s really important is to create signage that teaches. It could be as simple as illustrating what a pH scale looks like and why it should be in the proper range, or how add calcium hardness to pool water. Maybe you could make a sign illustrating the energy savings associated with an automatic pool cover. The possibilities are endless. 

If you can create fun and engaging posters, then you have reached a higher level of customer service and satisfaction by taking some of the fear and mystery out of pool and spa care.

3. Start a blog. 

This is one of the easiest and cheapest things you can do. You already have a website, so just install blogging software such as Wordpress on your server or hosting account. You can have a blog set up in less than an hour.

Once you get off the ground, start spreading the word about your blog to your customers. Let them know that you’ll be blogging about pool care, and they will check it out. Wantto make sure of it? Offer discounts for subscribing to your blog. 

Each blog post can turn into a sales pitch, but you shouldn’t be too obvious about it. For example, you could write a blog post about shocking your swimming pool and promote the shock you sell in your store simultaneously.  Rather than being a straight sales pitch, however, make sure you’re spreading some useful knowledge. Another idea would be to write about an under-utilized specialty chemical you offer. After all, if your customers have no idea what a chemical is designed to do, why would they buy it?

Also, you could use your blog to inform your customers about upcoming events and sales or new products that you’ve introduced to your lineup.

I would love to hear some of your ideas for educating your customers or about the benefits that you’ve experienced by doing so. Just write it in the comments section below.

Matt Giovanisci is the creator of Swim University (www.swimuniversity.com) and has over 15 years of experience in the swimming pool and hot tub industry. He is also an award winning web designer and has been featured on Martha Stewart Radio as a pool & spa care expert.

 



Matt Giovanisci is the creator of Swim University and has more than 15 years of experience in the swimming pool and hot tub industry. He is also an award-winning web designer and has been featured on Martha Stewart Radio as a pool and spa care expert.

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Permalink | Comments (6)

Comments (6) -

3/20/2012 8:31:41 PM #

Matt, I agree with you totally! As a retailer for 39 years, I also built my business on being the go-to place to solve their problems.  However, I added a component as well because I got so much demand for it from my customers- I semi-retired from the stores and wrote a book on swimming pool and spa care, and now sell it to other pool companies all over the country. I sell it  in cd form, too, to read in the computer.

I totally agree with educating the customer, holding pool schools and the opportunities a blog offers, but I also suggest we need to not always give away our knowledge, but sell it. Reach for the book when they ask the question, and add an extra 10 bucks to your profit every time you do. Include it with evey pool you build. Sell it as the textbook at your pool schools. Knowledge is power, but it also is profit.  Include it every time you replaster a pool, or replace a liner, or replace a pump or filter system.

We are a generous industry and love to help our customers, and that is great, and it is also good business. But we sometimes give away something we could and should sell, and it also educates them to buy additional products, such as enzymes or metal  sequestering products- if they have read, and know what they are. 10 bucks times 100 is an extra thousand dollars every time you do this- and we can all use those extra thousands, and our customers can also use the education in written form.

Merry

3/29/2012 7:12:39 PM #

I'm interested in the book you mentioned. Where can I check it out. I'm new to the retail side
Of the pool and spa business. I've been doing service for ten years. I want to give customers as much info as they can handle. A book would be perfect. How many people remember what you tell them.
John

John

3/30/2012 12:33:19 AM #

John, my book is available at SCP or SPP for sale to retailers and I would be glad to send you a free sample copy first to check out if you are interested. I agree it helps make better customers to give them something in writing and my own customers asked me for one so many times I decided to write this. It seems to help.

Merry

4/3/2012 2:18:43 PM #

I agree - a better educated pool owner benefits everyone in our industry.  Our company offers an interactive pool manual designed to educate and inform new pool owners with product knowledge, video tutorials, product manuals and more; all while referring the customer back to your store.  The PC Pool Pal is available through your local distributor.  To learn more you can visit us online at:  www.poolsoftware.com  

Linda Hodak

Linda Hodak

4/3/2012 2:34:29 PM #

Matt, you always have GREAT information to share, and I think that adds weight to your arguments. If we, as professionals, appreciate your education - why WOULDN'T our customers, the consumers?!

As a manufacturer, I feel responsible for educating all corners of the industry - from Distribution to retailers, service professionals and builders, solar installers and, of course, the end users.

I try my hardest to do this through weekly emails to each segment of the industry, in addition to blogs posts, social media networking, videos and - essentially - anything that I can make work for me. Education is truly key.

If anyone is interested in seeing the various resources that I have tried / continue to use, please feel welcome to send me an email: monique@flexiblesolutions.com.

If you check out my blog, (http://liquidpoolcovers.snappages.com/blog/category/guest-postings) you will find that I jumped on the Matt Giovanisci fan-wagon a long time ago and was lucky enough to get him to share a guest post or two! Thanks Matt!

Monique Nelson

4/3/2012 9:40:41 PM #

Monique, you truly do a great job of effectively using social media to market your products. I think there are many media available and all have their place, depending on the customers. As a former teacher, we often tried to provide materials and techniques for students to meet the needs of the verbal learner, the visual learner, the tactile learner and the aural learner.

Keep in mind you  will have customers with various needs and preferences for learning as well.  In my opinion, video training materials are effective  as an initial teaching tool, but not as useful as a written book for future reference. A computer disc product is great for those customers who like to use the computer for most activities, but isn't as useful as a written reference guide out by the pool for following like a "recipe". That is why my book actually comes with both products now, a book, plus a free computer disc to use. The neat thing is that in a retail store you can sell them together or separately and the profit potential doing so is quite good.

Older people often like things in book format, while the younger customer might prefer the computer-based products. I don't choose to provide product information by name in my products, especially the computer disc, because if a customer is already on the computer using your product, it is more likely they will then just research price on the internet with the specifics of what they are looking for and perhaps cut your store out for purchasing. I deliberately give generic information so they then do need to come to the professional for advice and specific products, and you can sell them what you prefer in the way of products more easily.

If  John or anyone else wants to have a free sample to take a look at and evaluate, contact me at retrospectivepub@yahoo.com and I will be glad to send one. Also, John, let me know if you do pool schools in your store and I have some helpful free tools to provide you  or others for that. I think education is definitely an effective tool for marketing products and building customer loyalty in all its forms, and is just the right thing to do!  

Merry

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