Last week I heard one of the best analogies for maintenance contracts I have ever heard!  A new prospect (shout out to Drew Hettich for this one) likened Preventative maintenance contracts to Dentists!  It is obviously in a dentist’s best interests to give you candy after an appointment, encourage you to not brush your teeth and simply wait for the cavities to form, but it’s not how it works! 

For customers (and patients I guess), signing up for maintenance contracts – especially for something as complex and heavily used as a commercial truck is in a customer’s best interest, and so the question becomes, how to position it so the customer understands the benefit, and gets on board.  I think there are a few ways to “sell” this…

Cost Savings Over Time: Emphasize that just like routine dental care can save you from expensive dental procedures, a maintenance contract can save the customer money by catching small issues before they turn into major, more costly repairs.

Maximizing Vehicle Uptime: Highlight that scheduled maintenance helps keep trucks on the road and minimizes downtime due to unexpected breakdowns. This is especially crucial for commercial trucks where time is money.

Peace of Mind: I hate the dentist (sorry Dentists) but like the peace of mind that comes from that cleaning, maintenance contracts offer the reassurance that the vehicles are being well taken care of by professionals who understand their needs.

Reducing Emergency Situations: A breakdown in the middle of a delivery can be catastrophic. Regular maintenance helps reduce the likelihood of such emergencies.

Fleet Performance Optimization: For customers with a fleet of trucks, maintenance contracts can optimize overall fleet performance, reduce operational inefficiencies, and improve cost management.

I just thought it was such a great analogy that I wanted to share it.  Remember to floss!  And talk to your customers about the value of maintenance contracts…