Florida Pool Pro
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• April 2015
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are creating for the customer. When people start thinking about a pool, they
put more thought into the items surrounding and attached to the pool than
ever before.
When the trend started and people began asking for other items besides
pools, I know our salespeople weren’t comfortable with selling or even
discussing anything but a pool, deck and screen. We mostly referred outdoor
kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces to small GC companies. Now it is a must to
not only be able to discuss these items but to be able to provide them yourself.
The money left on the table if you do not offer these services is significant.
Do not miss out on these opportunities; if you haven’t started getting into other
outdoor backyard items, start tomorrow.
Pool builder show rooms used to be tile, acrylic deck colors, some pavers
and interior colors. Now they are starting to resemble home design centers.
Options are what make the pool. People don’t want to just swim, they want
to feel like they are at a resort. They want the experience of the backyard.
Our job is to provide that. You can see the other trends just from walking the
Florida pool show last month. The number of suppliers and manufacturers
carrying fire bowls and water bowls has gone up. Glass tile is more widely
asked for. Arbors or pergolas around the pool area are increasing. Connecting
a sunken kitchen and bar area to the pool is increasing. Sunken seating areas
attached or even in the middle of the pool are increasing as well. This is why
the Florida Pool Show’s name is now Everything Under the Sun
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Expo. We
provide it all and if you don’t, you will fall behind.
