As someone who didn’t grow up with a swimming pool in my backyard, let alone a hot tub, I struggled with why anyone would buy them. Sure, I swam in pools that my relatives or friends had, and maybe I sat in a hot tub at a hotel once or twice, but they were always a luxury, not a necessity. And trust me, my family was big on, “If it’s a luxury and not a necessity, we don’t need it.” So how was I supposed to convince consumers to buy pools and hot tubs if I probably wouldn’t buy one myself?
Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the angle our marketing team took was how pools, hot tubs, and other at-home recreational products help people prioritize the good things in life, like prioritizing spending quality time with family and friends. Or prioritizing health, wellness, and fitness. Even prioritizing mental health and personal breaks to spend time alone. In an odd way, it taught me to prioritize my own health and happiness… in a way.
So, I’m going to side-step a bit from the marketing advice and get a little heartfelt here. After all, one of our values here is, “Do Good.” The Get Smart Group wants to do everything in our power to help your business succeed. But we want to do good by our clients themselves, too, not just their businesses. Your business will only succeed if you learn the art of prioritizing you.
#1 – Prioritize Me – Time
Hot tubs, saunas, and above ground pools are out of stock everywhere, or are just now getting restocked, only to be nearly instantly sold out again. Requests for custom pool designs and builds are through the roof. Pool and spa manufacturers and dealers are having to constantly adjust to ongoing restrictions on how to operate their businesses. To say 2020 has been both a blessing and a curse to any at-home recreation business is a huge understatement.
The Get Smart Group has been there every step of the way this year for our clients. It’s been a hectic time for us, too. We totally get it. While business is booming this year for the pool and spa industry, it’s also been an incredibly stressful time.
So, we’d like to remind you to take a breather! Whether you have to close your office door for 10 minutes, or simply remind yourself to not take work home in the evening, remember to prioritize time for you. “Me Time” is so, so important for your overall health and wellness. I get that that can be hard this year. It’s been really hard for me, too. But you have got to do it or frankly, you’ll lose your mind.
#2 – Prioritize Time with Loved Ones
In this current age of social distancing, how on Earth do you prioritize quality time with family and friends? What if large gatherings aren’t allowed? What if one of you gets sick? How do you balance work life and family life when everyone is working and going to school under the same roof?
I’m going to touch back on something I covered in my blog, “Why You Need to Set Up Your Home Office.” I said, “Creating the right environment for you to do your job makes working from home easier during a difficult time.” A similar idea can be applied to carving out the “fun space.” You need to separate work space from fun space in your home. If you let them merge together, trust me, the work space will overtake the fun space. That means work stress will completely eliminate all the stress-relievers you have in your home, and it will bleed over to your family, too.
One of the biggest things we push in pool and spa marketing is making your home and backyard your retreat, your oasis. That’s why I said “leave work at work” in the section above. If you are still working hard operating your pool and spa business in your brick-and-mortar building – and a lot of our clients are – you can’t bring the stresses of work home with you.
When you separate work from your fun space at home, you’re prioritizing that space and time for your friends and family, too. It allows you to spend quality time with your family, playing games or cooking dinner together, rather than arguing over who has to use the computer next. And making it a priority makes it easier to do. It gives you time to call your friends and check in with them. Knowing that your family and friends are happy and safe is one of the top stress relievers in the world, so you must make it a priority. If there’s anything we’ve learned this year, it’s that our health and happiness, and for our loved ones, too, is precious.
Take care of you, and the business will follow suit.
Heed the advice of the pool and spa marketing we do for our clients. Prioritize spending time with your family and friends. Prioritize your health and wellness. I know I do now. And who knows. Maybe I’ll end up with a hot tub of my own, or even a sauna. My boyfriend – who I’ve dubbed “The Viking” – wants a sauna so he can sweat and then run out into snow. Of course, we’ll have to go somewhere that snows first. Regardless, we’re not going to let this year defeat us before it’s over. And neither should you.
Ready to learn more on how we do good for our clients and their pool and spa businesses? Get in touch today. Take care!
