Most builders know the usual talking points when it comes to selling pool covers: They work great for retaining heat, saving energy, and preventing accidents.
But sometimes it takes more than touting the benefits to close a sale. Builders who enjoy higher sales in this product category don’t do so by positioning them as an afterthought or add-on, but rather as an integral part of the package. And they learn how customers in their markets think.
If you’re looking for fresh ways to sell and market covers, try these tips.
Start selling early
Don’t wait until the end of your sales presentation to mention pool covers. Discussing them earlier sends a message that a cover is a crucial component, says Mike Shadoan, vice president of sales at Automatic Pool Covers in Westfield, Ind.
“The most successful pool builders have embraced automatic pool covers as a standard feature,” he explains. “By including them in every inground pool package, not just the top-tier options, they’re setting a clear expectation for safety and convenience as essential parts of pool ownership.”
When you treat a safety or automatic cover as standard — not optional — it reframes how the customer thinks about it, says Andres Rojas, territory sales manager for Loop-Loc Safety Covers and Luxury Liners, in Hauppauge, N.Y.
“Safety covers should be presented right alongside heaters, automation systems, and other essentials,” he says. “When treated as part of the build, not an optional add-on, it becomes a much easier conversation.”
Leverage public awareness and real-life user testimonials
Consumers have become much more aware than before of automatic covers and what they do. Buyers also respond to authenticity — and a good story.
Use of the internet and social media can help leverage both these realities to increase sales, says Jeff Garrett, sales manager at Aquamatic Cover Systems in Gilroy, Calif. A simple search for automatic pool covers or automatic pool cover owners on social media will turn up real people talking about what types they bought and what they loved or didn’t love about them.
Rojas believes in the selling power of a story. “Homeowners respond to real-life situations, like how a safety cover prevented an accident or how a tarp cover created a near-miss,” he says.
By showing customers what other homeowners are saying on social media, it invites them into a conversation that feels more authentic than crafted reviews.
“These are actual conversations from multiple owners, not just one person reviewing a product,” Garrett says.
Visuals and demos remain powerful
Showing people the product isn’t a new technique, but it could be a forgotten one in the digital age. When a customer can walk on a cover, watch it open and close, and feel how the water underneath has retained its warmth, curiosity can transform into commitment.
To do this, be sure to use demo pools to their greatest advantage by installing an automatic cover on them, Garrett says. He even recommends showing your own pool if you have one with an auto cover.
“I personally had a demo in my last house for 14 years,” he says. “I invited and allowed my builders to bring their clients to my own pool to take a look at the auto cover.”
Sell year-round
Spring openings and fall closings are the perfect time to point out sagging tarps, frayed covers, or outdated materials.
If you’re only talking about cover options in the fall during closings, you could be missing out. Rojas recommends having the cover conversation whenever it’s relevant, not just during the initial build or preparing for pool closings.
Builders who assume customers care most about covers in the fall are losing the opportunity to make sales in the spring, when most pool stores experience their busiest traffic, Rojas says. “If you’re opening pools in the spring and notice an old, sagging tarp cover, that’s a perfect time to talk about upgrading to a safety cover,” he says.
Offer financial incentives
When it comes to selling covers, there is no one-size-all approach, says Ray Garvey, Jr., territory manager for Meyco Pool Covers, in Melville, N.Y.
How you address the subject should cater to the specific client. The family stretching its budget to get an in-ground vinyl-liner pool might need more convincing than the client with a $20,000 interior finish who isn’t concerned about money.
For the budget-conscious client, covers can become more attractive as part of a bundle, since it represents a greater value rather than just another big-ticket add-on. Jim Dorsey, director of sales and marketing at Kayden Manufacturing, in Hackensack, N.J., recommends that builders take advantage of bundle discounts and incentives from dealers and pass some of the savings to the homeowner.
“Offer a bundle discount with the sale of the pool job and make it clear that they are getting [a certain amount] off their cover by adding it to the deal,” he says.
For instance, builders can package them with other safety features, such as fencing or alarms, marketing it as a “safety upgrade bundle.”
Promotions and sales also can serve as motivators. “Some of our auto-cover dealers create excitement by offering drawings for up to $30,000 off a new inground pool when customers commit to a 2025 new pool. These packages often include an automatic pool cover,” Shadoan says.
Further, dealers can educate clients about how a cover can protect their investment. Explain how a cover can protect the pool from damage, Garvey says. He recommends emphasizing the damage debris can do when it gets into the pool, not only to water chemistry but also to the plumbing.
Tap into former customers and referral networks
Even if you’re not selling covers as part of a new build, there are still paths to growing sales.
Builders who have a service division can re-engage clients with follow-up marketing about covers. Rojas recommends sending an automated email or printed mailer six to 12 months after a pool build if the homeowner didn’t buy a cover as part of the package. The message could, say something like, “Now that you’ve enjoyed your first season with your pool, let’s talk about protecting your investment.”
Builders who don’t have a service department can find a local service company and set up a mutual referral program, Garrett says.
