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Introduction:
- Peter welcomes back Lee and Shane, ribbing them for leaving him to go solo last week.
- Shane shares the Australian Phrase of the Day: "Running around like a blue ass fly," symbolizing the frantic pace of the busy season.
- The trio discusses the approach of "Hell Month," the peak of summer madness for pool service professionals.
Key Topics Discussed:
1. Preparing for the Holiday Rush
- Advice for Regional Listeners:
- Order Christmas stock early as suppliers and freighters often shut down over the holidays.
- Lee emphasizes the importance of having all “ducks in a row” for the Christmas-to-New-Year period.
- Holiday Challenges:
- Lee shares a story of rescuing a 450,000-liter commercial pool during the holidays by sourcing a replacement pump—a “Christmas miracle.”
- Peter reflects on the difficulties of being on call for emergency repairs during the shutdown.
2. Southern Hemisphere Struggles
- Being in peak summer during the holidays creates unique challenges for Australian pool professionals, with back-to-back holidays like Australia Day and Chinese New Year.
- Peter expresses envy for the slower-paced Northern Hemisphere winters during Christmas.
3. Black Friday Sales: Yay or Nay?
- Team Consensus:
- Discounting isn’t ideal and trains customers to expect lower prices.
- Value-add promotions (e.g., offering 10% more instead of 10% off) are more profitable and better received by customers.
- Examples of Value-Adding:
- Offering a $300 voucher on a $3,000 cleaner instead of a $300 discount saves the business half the cost.
- Lee advocates for creating offers that benefit both the customer and the business.
4. Maximizing Supplier Deals
- Strategies for Early Buys:
- Peter and Lee share tips for leveraging supplier discounts on chemicals, equipment, and more.
- Buying seasonal stock in bulk can yield significant savings, but it’s crucial to have storage space and check insurance policies for stock limits.
- Creative Promotions:
- Lee describes marketing kits like:
- Summer Rescue Kits (algaecide, granular chlorine, clarifier, etc.)
- Winterizer Kits (algaecide, calcium sequestrant, filter cleaner)
- Spring Startup Kits (tile cleaners, phosphate removers, etc.)
- These kits not only boost sales but also prevent customers from turning to competitors during closures.
5. Marketing Insights
- Lee’s Marketing Calendar:
- A 12-month roadmap for promotions, tailored for both retail and service clients.
- Offers to share the template with listeners—email requests to talkingpoolsmail.com.
- Networking for Referrals:
- Peter credits his success to referral-based marketing and emphasizes its effectiveness in urban areas.
- Lee highlights the differences between small-town and city-based marketing approaches.
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