When Lake Air Pool Supply in Waco, Texas, received its first-ever Endless Pool for the showroom in April 2017, sales manager Ryan Jordan went live on the company’s Facebook page as they unloaded it from the truck. That video alone has more than 750 views. A two-minute live video in June about its tent sale…
Meeting on a regular basis, monthly or quarterly, a safety committee should stay up to date on what regulations might help create a safer workplace; discuss any injuries or incidents in the company; and recommend policies to help prevent further safety failures. The safety committee at Armond Aquatech Pools in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, comprises four people…
Jandy’s iQPump01, on the market since 2016, is a pump controller that makes it possible to control any Jandy pump from a smart device. But Jack Pogosayn, owner of Backyard Pools, a service company based in Pasadena, California, says pool pros aren’t taking advantage of the dry contact that lets you use the iQPump to…
A fresh take on an old gripe has me thinking Have you ever talked with someone whose attitude changes your perspective on a problem? That happened to me when I was talking to Michael Henson, owner of pH Pool Care in Arkansas. We were having a lengthy discussion about how he sources his product, including…
They say a good carpenter never blames his tools — but great pool techs certainly depend on them. From repurposing standard equipment for new and imaginative purposes to using their tools to build their businesses and bolster their reputations, the best in the industry treat their tools as extensions of themselves. The Top Tool: A…
You’ve nailed your marketing message and target audience; leads are pouring in and sales are great. But any time an employee gives their two weeks or you find yourself understaffed, you break into a cold sweat as positions go unfilled for weeks, even months. The problem may be twofold: You’re not looking in the right…
How do you build trust to gain commercial accounts? Even for brand-new contractors, establishing credibility with clients has never been easier with online training, review websites and more. Don Cesarone, Jr., vice president of the commercial division of Van Kirk and Sons, Inc., says that while states have mandatory training for commercial pool operators, contractors…
Remember Vince Lombardi, former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named? He won many championships over the years, but he started every training camp the same way: teaching foundational principles. It didn’t matter if you were a 10-year All Star or in your rookie season. Everyone went…
In the last issue, Brett Lloyd Abbott, marketing strategist and president of MYM Austin in Austin, Texas, and Mike Logan, owner of Logan Pools in Brentwood, California, both named introduction videos as an important tool before visiting a client in their home. In-home selling can feel like hand-to-hand combat for many salespeople. It needn’t be,…
Give your company a stress test Some people would call me a planner. I like to have everything mapped out from work tasks and family vacations to weekend projects around the house. I’ve got my life organized in various spreadsheets and other planning tools. I take comfort in having an idea of what is supposed to…
2017 was an extraordinarily active year for hurricanes and flooding in America. Texas-based risk insurance specialist Jeannette Blanton-Monnat of Blanton Insurance focuses on coverage for the construction trade. “Everybody lives and works in a flood plain,” Blanton-Monnat says. “The difference is how likely a flood will impact where your home or business is located. That’s…
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Instagram — the internet is crawling with social interaction between consumers and businesses. With so many platforms available, it can be hard to determine whether one is a viable option for your showroom over another. Instagram’s 700 million active monthly users make it a force to be reckoned with, and moreso…