Develop and implement an action plan

by John Holzinger

Fleet business at the car wash is an area that eludes the majority of operators. I find this, as an equipment salesman and industry analyst, to be quite frustrating. The technology to enable this activity has been readily available for years and new capabilities are constantly developed.

The potential customer base is huge. Today’s economic climate has everyone looking for more value from all the services they require. Lowering labor cost is a hot topic for all business with employees and vehicles on the road.

So why the lack of success in developing fleet clients? Every operator I have interviewed in the last year reports that their car wash volumes are down and yet fleet sales have little or no focus. How come?

Get Focused

Let’s begin our analysis, once again, with a review of your current business plan. It’s amazing how we always seem to start here no matter what the topic of our discussion. Does your plan have a separate chapter on fleet sales? If it does, then pull it out of the files and review what you designed before you started the business. What were your ideas on how to generate fleet sales? What were the sales targets you established? If you borrowed funds to start your wash, then the bank reviewed and approved your ideas and targets. You are now ready to reactivate this plan!

If your current plan does not include fleet sales we have work to do. STOP here and do your business planning. Meet with your financial advisors. Research your market area to realistically determine your prospects and potential revenues. Yes, that means driving and stopping at potential customers. Asking questions, getting surveys filled out, analyzing competition strengths and weaknesses. All that stuff you really don’t want to do.

I should share at this point that I often hear that “I can’t make money with fleet sales because I have to discount.” My response to this is to analyze your income statement and P&L. Sit down with your CPA or financial advisor and establish true results based on increasing cash flow, etc. We have talked in the past about the wonders of generating recurring monthly revenues. Fleet sales provide this and the peace of mind that accompanies it.

Develop Action Plan

OK, now we are all ready to start building fleet clients. We are going to assume that your site is clean, well maintained, has excellent signage and all the equipment is maintained. Just to be sure, how about your drive-up entry system? Does it accept credit cards and print receipts? Will it allow you to issue and program fleet cards or codes? Can you provide reports on usage by employee or vehicle? Can you provide automatic discounts to your fleet customers?

Now let’s review some really good ideas that come from the industry.

I want to mention, before we leave hardware and technology, that you should investigate the latest concepts being made available. This will bring you in contact with RFID tags and the related software that enables you to offer “monthly pay club” to potential fleet customers. One benefit that may help push your fleet prospect is that this technology ensures that only the vehicle designated to be washed can activate the system. This level of security and reporting may provide the additional value required for the company to enter into a fleet agreement with you!

Larry McCarty, regional manager for Mark VII Equipment in the Tennessee market, has accumulated some excellent ideas that I want to share with you. He mentions that experience shared by customers usually shows that the operator starts trying to build fleet customers with good intentions but often gives up when results are not immediate. I have found this also to be true as other issues and concerns take up the operator’s time so he loses focus on building his business.

It takes a good plan of action and the discipline to stay with it. Let’s review some of the action steps that Larry recommends to his customers. The first step is to create an attractive one page flier that clearly defines the benefits of your fleet program. I have found that gaining the advice of a professional marketing or advertising individual or business can make all the difference as to the success of your flier. I also recommend that you do NOT mail this flier. Nothing beats face to face with a potential fleet customer and your flier gives you a “script” for your five minute presentation. It also works great as a “leave behind” for the prospect to review.

A second step to your marketing efforts will be a Web site for your wash. Do you have one? If so, is it current and attractive? If not … why not? If you go to Google and type in car washes you will see your competition. So will your potential fleet customers. The cost to develop your Web site is immediately offset by your ability to refer prospects to your site after your presentation. Your Web site also provides the opportunity to run promotions designed to generate new fleet customers as well as daily specials for your existing customer base.

Define Targets

Now that you have your marketing tools in place let’s define our targets. This is the easiest part. Start right now and write down every category of businesses in your marketing area that have multiple vehicles that need to be washed. You can start with everything from funeral homes to car dealerships and everything in between. Don’t forget all levels of government! Your pen should run out of ink before you run out of prospects!

OK, remember the updates you did to your drive-up activation system? This is where they start paying for themselves.

You will now begin to stop at the prospects business location. The purpose of your visit, even though you do not have an appointment is to drop off a code, coupon, or card with five free washes at your site. Do you believe most owners will come out to meet you? I do.

When you meet, introduce yourself with your gorgeous flyer that also lists your Web site and hand them your five free washes! Most likely you can now gain another five minutes to discuss how they maintain their vehicles now and what the current costs are involved in the maintenance.

Yes, you have become a salesman for your wash. This means that you will advise the prospect that you will follow up with them next week and “what day and time would be convenient?” The next meeting is the “close” so have your agreement completed and ready to be signed. All that remains then is to issue the appropriate cards and start forecasting that new revenue against your budget!

Larry also recommends that his operators place their fleet program flyers at the car wash in some form of Plexiglas enclosure. Who knows which customer may know of a business that wants this service?

Each of the fleet customers you establish will know of other potential business owners that have similar needs. Word of mouth is the best form of marketing in the world!

What incentives do you offer your current customers to provide referrals and leads? If you have the technology upgraded at your activation system this becomes an easy and recurring method of generating new fleet business.

The owner of a business is the best salesman for his business. This will never change so get in your car and good luck!

John Holzinger is manager of business development, Eastern United States, for Mark VII Equipment Inc. He has been with Mark VII since 1992 and has served past positions including director of operator/investor sales, director of petroleum sales and manager of national distribution. If you would like to contact Holzinger, call 720.837.4585 or e-mail jholzinger@markvii.net.