How to Sell: Water-Treatment Systems

02 Jun.,2022

When selling water-treatment systems, keep in mind that these are fairly technical products and most consumers know little about their details. Be careful to not overwhelm them with tech talk.

 

Containerized Water Treatment Plant

Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.

A SNEWS® Training Center article written by the editors of SNEWS®

The Basics

Customers’ Top Concerns:

Close the deal with… a filter station with a container of water and display that you can use to allow customers to test filters to help them better choose the system they most like in the store.

The starting point
When selling water-treatment systems, keep in mind that these are fairly technical products and most consumers know little about their details. Be careful to not overwhelm them with tech talk.

The first step in matching customers with the proper device is determining whether they need to simply filter the water, or also purify it.

Recommend a filter if customers will be traveling in North America, where the risk of contracting a virus is low and they are concerned about the use of chemicals or don’t want the taste of iodine or chlorine in the water.

Recommend a purifier if customers will be traveling into Third World countries or into any areas where the water they may encounter might be contaminated by livestock or sewage.

Recommend a chemical such as iodine or chlorine alone if customers are concerned about bacteria, protozoan cysts and viruses, do not mind a slight chemical taste in the water or a few particles in the water, and do not want the added weight or bulk of a filter system.

Convenience factor
Once you have determined whether they need to filter or purify the water, or both, the next concern will likely be the speed and convenience of using the product. For example, a traditional pump product might be fine for the experienced gear-head who doesn’t mind putting in the time and energy to siphon from a stream, while other folks may want a system that operates using gravity — takes a bit longer, but while gravity is doing its work, they can be doing other things, like kicking back and watching a sunset.

Water filter options
The following are water filter options, with a few advantages and disadvantages of each.

Day hikers, or those covering short distances where there are known, reliable water sources, can opt for a filtration bottle

Water purifier options
Types of purifiers:

What about pore size?
A customer may ask you to compare the level of filtration offered by various products. The “pore size” (basically the size of the tiny holes in the filter) indicates filtration capability. A product’s instructions, or possibly the packaging, will offer a number for the “absolute” pore size (more important that the “nominal” pore size). A product with an absolute number of 0.2 microns or smaller will effectively remove the bacteria and protozoan cysts. If a customer doesn’t bring up this subject, it’s not necessary to discuss it, as it may just cause confusion. Some companies have taken pore size numbers off their packaging, so it’s difficult to do side-by-side comparisons.

Care and feeding
All filters will eventually clog — it’s a sign that they’ve been doing their job. If customers force water through a filter that’s becoming difficult to pump, they risk injecting a load of microbial nasties into their bottle. Some models can be brushed, or — as with ceramic elements — scrubbed to extend their useful lives. And if the filter has a prefilter to screen out the big stuff, tell customers to use it: It will give their filter a boost in mileage, which can then top out at about 100 gallons per disposable element. Finally, each filter has its own idiosyncrasies and care needs, so be sure your customers know to read a manufacturer’s use instructions carefully.

As you close the sale mention that….