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For the Love of Hot Tubs
Maggie Wood of Hansen's Pool & Spa shares her strategies for helping customers buy — and enjoy — their hot tubs
Maggie Wood wants her customers to love hot tubs as much as she does.
She views her own hot tub as a sanctuary, source of restoration, and gathering place — benefits she hopes her customers can experience as well.
Selling hot tubs is not just about the sale for Wood, who is taking over ownership of Kenosha, Wisconsin-based Hansen’s Pool & Spa from her parents alongside her sister Katherine. “It’s more about getting to know you, the consumer, and what you’re looking for, and making sure we’re getting you exactly what is right for you,” she said. “That way, consumers feel a little bit more comfortable making the investment.”
Such an approach is essential, according to Wood, who serves on the 2024 International Hot Tub Association (IHTA) Board of Directors. She has seen consumers becoming more mindful about how they’re spending their money in this election year.
Here Wood shares her top strategies for helping consumers buy and love hot tubs.
Redefine the hot tub
Consumers are more likely to buy something to help them feel better than they are to buy a status symbol. For this reason, consumers' perception of hot tubs must change.
"I've seen a really big push from our industry to have consumers view hot tubs as more than just a shiny thing they have in their backyard and use four times a year," said Wood.
Consumers must understand hot tubs can provide numerous benefits beyond entertaining guests at a party.
For starters, spending time relaxing in a hot tub can help you feel and sleep better. Wood uses her own hot tub for just 15 minutes each night and ends up "sleeping like a baby" an hour later.
"Selling a hot tub is more about getting to know you, the consumer, and what you're looking for, and making sure we're getting you exactly what is right for you.”
- Maggie Wood
In addition to easing muscle pain and relaxing your body, hot tubs can also provide an important break from busyness and technology.
"In the hot tub, where no one has phones or iPads stuck to their face, my husband, kids, and I get to connect as a family without all that distraction," said Wood.
Optimize your approach
Making happy customers starts with helping prospects understand the many benefits of hot tubs. However, there are several other ways to optimize your sales approach.
1. Listen to the customer.
While this sounds obvious, the biggest mistake a salesperson can make is not pay attention to what someone is saying because they're focused on their response. This is one reason Wood's sales team has loose sales goals rather than quotas.
"If you're being pushy, if you're there for you, they can read that in a moment's notice," she said. "It's incredibly important to just be a person in front of that customer and care about what they want."
2. Don't fixate too much on price.
While you don't want to push customers towards hot tubs well beyond their preferred price range, Wood believes it's possible to sell customers above their price range as long as you're listening to them.
"I've had plenty of people say, 'Hey, X is my limit,' but they end up spending a grand or two more because I listened to what they wanted and showed them options and value that met their needs."
3. Make information easily accessible.
Most customers don't want to listen to a salesperson list off numbers and specifications, especially as many customers do their own research before entering stores. Simply display pricing, financing options, and specifications by your hot tub models, and you'll be able to devote your conversation to the values that matter to your customer.
4. Continue learning.
By expanding your product knowledge, you can have greater confidence and understanding when faced with technical questions. Additionally, turning to industry organizations like IHTA for educational resources and networking can help you grow professionally.
IHTA is presenting two sessions for hot tub retailers at the 2024 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo taking place November 12-14 in Dallas, Texas:
• Service Profitably: Turning Your Service Department into a Strategic Advantage
• Hot Tub Industry Executives - Navigating the Current Landscape and Charting the Future of Hot Tub Technology and Trends
Encourage regular use
Communicating the value of hot tubs isn’t only important when making a sale. Wood devotes a great deal of energy to explaining the benefits of hot tubs to customers that admit they don’t use their hot tub.
First-time owners can initially be intimidated by their purchase. However, even after you walk them through water testing, some customers just don’t spend time in the tub. Wood responds by encouraging them to use their hot tub several times over a couple weeks, even for 10 minutes at a time, and following up with the customer to make sure they did.
"You don't want a customer that spent several thousand dollars on a product that sits in their backyard that they don't use.”
- Maggie Wood
Encouraging customers to use their hot tubs is key to helping them feel good about their purchase.
"You don't want a customer that spent several thousand dollars on a product that sits in their backyard that they don't use," said Wood. "Even if somebody bought a hot tub from someone down the street, I want them to use it. They can share their experience with friends and talk about how great it is to have this body of hot water ready to go at 103 degrees every day, to help them feel better."
