For the Love of Hot Tubs
Maggie Wood wants her customers to love hot tubs as much as she does.
Wood, who is taking over Kenosha, Wisconsin-based Hansen’s Pool & Spa from her parents alongside her sister Katherine, views her hot tub as a sanctuary, source of restoration and gathering place — benefits she hopes her customers can experience as well.
“It’s more about getting to know you, the consumer, and what you’re looking for and making sure we’re getting you exactly what is right for you,” she says. “That way, consumers feel a little bit more comfortable making the investment.”
Such an approach is essential, says Wood, who serves on the 2025 International Hot Tub Association strategic leadership team, especially as consumers have become more mindful about their spending over the past year.
Here are Wood’s top strategies for helping consumers buy and love hot tubs.
Redefine the hot tub
Customers are more likely to buy something to help them feel better than they are to buy a status symbol. For this reason, consumers’ perception of hot tubs must change.
“I’ve seen a really big push from our industry to have consumers view hot tubs as more than just a shiny thing they have in their backyard and use four times a year,” Wood says. She uses her hot tub for 15 minutes each night and “sleeps like a baby” an hour later.
Along with easing muscle pain and relaxing the body, hot tubs can provide an important break from technology.
“In the hot tub, where no one has phones or iPads stuck to their face, my husband, kids and I get to connect without all that distraction,” Wood says.
Optimize your approach
Making customers happy starts with helping prospects understand the benefits of hot tubs.
- Listen to the customer. The biggest mistake a salesperson can make is not paying attention to what someone is saying because they’re focused solely on closing the sale. This is one reason Wood’s sales team has loose sales goals rather than quotas. “If you’re being pushy or are there for yourself, they can read that in a moment’s notice,” she says. “It’s important to just be a person in front of that customer and care about what they want.”
- Don’t fixate on price. While you don’t want to push customers toward hot tubs well beyond their preferred price range, Wood believes it’s possible to sell customers above their price range as long as you’re listening to them. “I’ve had plenty of people say, ‘Hey, X is my limit,’ but they end up spending more because I listened to what they wanted and showed them options that met their needs,” she says.
- Make information easily accessible. Most customers don’t want to listen to a salesperson list off numbers and specifications, especially since many do research beforehand. Simply display pricing, financing options and specs by the models and focus your conversation on what matters to customers.
- Continue learning. By expanding your product knowledge, you can have greater confidence when faced with technical questions. Turning to organizations like IHTA for educational resources and networking can help you grow professionally.
Encourage regular use
Communicating the value of hot tubs isn’t only important when making a sale. Wood also focuses on explaining benefits to customers who admit they don’t use their hot tub.
First-time owners can initially be intimidated by their purchase, so Wood encourages them to use their hot tub several times over a couple weeks, even for 10 minutes, and follows up to see if they did.
“You don’t want a customer who spent several thousand dollars on a product that they don’t use,” Wood says. “Even if somebody bought a hot tub from someone down the street, I want them to use it. They can share their experience with friends and talk about how great it is to have this body of hot water ready to go at 103 degrees every day, to help them feel better.”
