TLDR: Years of customer and lead data sit untouched in most dealer databases, no CRM, no email marketing for your hot tub dealership, no follow-up system of any kind. That list is one of the cheapest and highest-return growth channels a dealership has, and it’s sitting idle while budget goes toward finding brand new customers instead.
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Walk into most hot tub or pool dealerships and ask to see the customer list. You’ll usually get a spreadsheet, or a report exported from an old point-of-sale system, or a shoebox of paper invoices nobody has touched in years (only partially joking). Names, phone numbers, purchase dates, maybe service history if you’re lucky. All of it sitting there, doing nothing, while the marketing budget goes toward finding the next new customer.
That’s absolutely backwards.
The people already in that spreadsheet are the easiest, cheapest, highest-intent customers a dealership will ever have access to.
- They already bought.
- They already trust you.
- They already own a product that needs chemicals, covers, filters, and service.
And yet, almost nobody in your organization is emailing or texting them about any of it.
Why This List Is Your Best Asset
A new customer costs a fair amount of money to find. Every dollar spent on ads or media is an attempt to reach someone who has never heard of your dealership and has no reason yet to trust it. A past customer already cleared that bar. They wrote a check or swiped their credit card, had the install crew in their backyard, and are either happy with how it went or have a specific issue that’s easy to solve.
That existing relationship is worth more than most dealers realize. A well-timed email about seasonal maintenance turns into a service booking. A text asking a happy owner for a quick review turns into social proof for the next buyer. A reminder that it’s been three years since their cover was replaced turns into an upsell that required zero ad spend to generate.
This is exactly the gap Kristin Ravesloot, our head of digital, sees across the industry:
“The number of hot tub dealerships we work with who don’t have a proper CRM or even a simple email marketing platform like MailChimp is staggering. We see years of lead and customer data that isn’t being used to grow the business each and every day. This is a simple unlock that a lot of dealers can use to start growing their revenue at an additional 8-12% per year (average across our clients) when done correctly. You can’t sleep on this any longer.”
An 8 to 12 percent revenue lift from a channel that’s already paid for, since the customer data already exists, is one of the more overlooked opportunities in this industry.
What Email and SMS Actually Drive
Three things happen when a dealer starts using this list consistently instead of letting it sit.
Repeat business increases. Owners forget how often filters need replacing or when it’s time to shock the water again; I know I do. A simple reminder at the right time turns into a small but steady stream of parts and accessory sales that would otherwise go to whoever shows up first in a Google search, or worse… Amazon.
Referrals increase. The best time to ask a customer for a referral is right after a positive experience, not months later when the memory has faded. A short check-in message after install or service, timed well, is one of the easiest ways to generate warm leads without spending a dollar on ads.
Service upsells increase. Cover replacements, water care plans, and equipment upgrades are all things existing owners eventually need. Without a system reaching out, that need either goes unmet or gets filled by a competitor who happened to be in front of them at the right moment.
A Simple Post-Purchase Sequence
None of this requires a complicated system. A basic sequence, sent automatically after every install or major purchase, covers most of the opportunity.
- Day one is a thank you message paired with basic care tips, setting the tone and reducing the chance of an early frustrated call.
- Around day thirty to forty-five, a check-in message asks how everything is going and, if the response is positive, invites a quick review or referral.
- At the three to four month mark, a seasonal maintenance reminder covers water care, filter changes, or whatever fits the time of year.
- At six months, an upsell message introduces relevant accessories or a service plan based on what they bought.
- At the one-year mark, an annual touch reminds them of upcoming maintenance needs and reopens the referral ask, since enough time has passed for new friends or neighbors to be in the market.
That’s five touches over a year, all automated, all built once and then left running. No dealer needs a complex platform to start. A simple CRM or an email tool like MailChimp is enough to get this moving.
Your Best Future Customer Is Someone Who Already Bought From You
Every dealership is chasing the next lead, the next click, the next ad campaign. Meanwhile, the customers who already trust them, already own their product, and already had a good experience are sitting untouched in a spreadsheet. That list isn’t dead data. It’s a warm audience that costs nothing extra to reach and converts at a rate no cold campaign can match.
The dealerships pulling ahead right now aren’t necessarily spending more. They’re just remembering to talk to the customers they already have.
Interested in a free email marketing audit? Our team will dig into your account, identify issues and gaps, and provide a crystal clear road map on what needs to be done to turn your business around and start driving real leads and revenue. You can reach out here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pool and spa dealers really need a CRM or email platform?
Yes. Even a basic tool like MailChimp is enough to start turning an idle customer list into a consistent source of repeat business and referrals.
What should a post-purchase email sequence include?
A simple sequence covers a thank you and care tips right after purchase, a check-in and review request around thirty to forty five days, a seasonal maintenance reminder, a service or accessory upsell around six months, and an annual touch that reopens the referral ask.
How much revenue can email marketing realistically add for a dealer?
Dealers who properly use their existing customer data can see an additional 8 to 12 percent in revenue per year, since the audience already exists and the cost to reach them is minimal.
Is SMS or email better for dealer follow-up?
Both work well and often work best together. Email handles longer content like maintenance tips, while SMS is effective for quick reminders and time-sensitive offers.
What’s the easiest way to start if my customer data is just in a spreadsheet?
Import the spreadsheet into a basic email platform or CRM and begin with a single automated welcome and care tip message. The sequence can be built out from there.
Greg is the founder and CEO of Stryde and a seasoned digital marketer who has worked with thousands of businesses, large and small, to generate more revenue via online marketing strategy and execution. Greg has written hundreds of blog posts as well as spoken at many events about online marketing strategy. You can follow Greg on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn.
