REPRINT FROM MONEY MAGAZINE Spending TAKING THE PLUNGE Sure, a swimming pool is expensive. But a little planning will help you keep your head above water. A lace for the kids to splash, an exercise facity, a focal point for summer entertaining = ‘there are lots of reasons you might part with ‘as much as $20,000 or more to sink 2 ‘swimming pool into your backyard. ‘Susan ‘Weinstein of Mami fad all of them in mind ast year when she putin 8 sicfool-by-40-fot heated lap pool, where she works out daly, and, separated by 2 row of shrubs, a more conventional 15-foo-by-26-foot pool. where children paddle around by day and sriends gather inthe evening Residential swimming pools are increasingly popular troughout the country Some 113,000 units were constructed in TEBE, up 7% over 1983, which was itself a bonanza year. If you tive where there's warm ‘weather year round, a swimming pool ranks wth such welcome Improvements as adding central air condtioning and converting & screened porch to a recroom Even in rerthern climates. where swimming pools are In use only three o: four months of the yer, 2 cooling splash during the dog days of ‘August can be a worthwhile xu. 1 you are thinking of bulding a pool, some careful consideration of materials and accessories and a landscaping plan for the surrounding area will greatly increase the enjoyment of your investment. The three ‘main types of in-ground pools - in ascending ‘order of cost ~ are vny,berglass and by Penelope L MONEY Gunite, which is concrete sprayed onto stee! mesh and covered with a surface layer of fine aster. or the average 20-foot footer It consists of an aluminum stee, plastic, masonry (or wood frame and a whi ue oF black viny! ‘at a current price of about $1,500. New design Mexbiity makes possible such curved pool shapes as oval igure 8, kidney and teardrop. wich are mi priced_at They are made by lowering a ‘ibergiass shell into an excavated ste that has and_elecrcal “These pools usually come in bue or bone while: but ey cal be painted GUA 2t $17,400 fr a 20400-40008 emov ‘A water heater is a popular but expensive option. Tdeal swimming temperature is 78° Pool water warmed only by the sun falls below that in most parts of the county. So iS no wonder that 35% of those who put pools in their backyards last year included a heater. Tt also. not surprising that 65% didnt. A gas heater big enough to warm the water in the average backyard pool costs {$1300 installed. accord...g to Dick Jones, president of Catalina Aquatech Pools in Miami. Running the heater costs between $75 and {$150 a month. ‘An alternative is a solar heater, which transmits the sun's heat to water circulating within it. At $3,500, It costs nearly three times as much as @ conventional unt bu ts ‘operating savings could snake up the ifference in five to eight years. Tt wil take longer to recoup your investment if you need 2 booster, $1,100 installed, to take over on cloudy cays. To alleviate heating costs, you might consider buling ‘a pool no more than five {eet deep. The shallower tle poo! tie lees water to heatyour product if they believe that , competitor sells exactly the same benefits for less money. But there's another important term to understand here if you want to prove the value of your product or service, and that is the idea of benefits. Truth be told, It's the benefits that people want when they purchase a product or service, not the product or service itself. People are simply not as interested in why or even how a product works as they are in understanding just what that product will do for them. As one well-known sales trainer puts it, "People buy thousands of 1/8-inch drill bits every year, not because they necessarily want to own) a 1/8-inch dril (the product) but rather because they want a 41/8-inch hole (the benefit)” POSITIVE POWER Such an understanding of benefits is a critical part of differentiating your company products and services: In essence, it is the path to increasing Perceived value in the eyes of your customers. productsand the success of your sales efforts —- depends on your being able to determine and present benefits to customers in a positive manner. When making your sales presentations, here's a jood rule to keep ill mind: By making 58 ‘these kinds of connections as you go along, you'll firmly establish and even increase the value of what you're selling in your customers’ eyes. Finally, to call each point of value, pull it all together with a closing statement that ties clown the issue of worth, or a positive question that seeks the customers’ agreement. For all example of how this plays out, let's consider a fictitious retail/service firm called PookShine Inc.: In hopes of persuading a couple who just bought a nearby home to become regular customers, company owner Alex mentions those products and services he offers that he thinks might appeal to them, Such as brand-name pool/spa supplies, accessories and free water-testing at the store - all of which are features. He also points out that Pool-Shine can provide reliable, weekly maintenance of their in-ground ool/spa combination by a well-trained technician (another feature). Alex then goes on to emphasize what all of this means for the new homeowners: "You won't have to waste valuable time and money tending to the pool and spa yourself because everything you need is at Pool-Shine,” he says, isolating an advantage. ‘Then he moves to a benefit: “So rather than devoting your leisure time to the upkeep, you'll have more time to enjoy the sparkling dean waters. Besides," he adds, "we think you have better things to do than scoop leaves out of the water and add chemicals on the weekends.” Then he asks the concluding question: “Don't you agree?” ADIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDE No matter what words you use thinking in terms of benefits helps you concentrate your efforts where the belong -- on value and the customer's needs. It forces you to focus on isolating the best features, advantages and benefits you have to offer and on explaining what these will do for your customers. ‘This kind of sales presentation also will help give you a better understanding of, and confidence in, your products -~ especially those features that are the most valuable to your customers, This all sounds good, but can you really increase the Perception of value’ in your products? Absolutely. ‘You've already taken the first step by learning to POOL & SPA NEWS JUNE 21. 1995