In my advisor training, I talk about feature benefit presentations and review labor operation frequencies. The reaction of advisors is similar as I use their numbers individually to estimate potential sales by labor operations. They are amazed when we review just three labor operations that show their potential in excess of a quarter million dollars if they presented feature benefits to the customer on a consistent basis. You can imagine if you have six advisors each selling $250,000 more annually on three labor operations it would impact your numbers dramatically. The real reason to sell maintenance has nothing to do with money. I’ll use two examples today that will illustrate the real reason to sell preventative maintenance. I’m a firm believer that brake fluid should be changed every three years to prevent causing damage to brake system components such as calipers and ABS modules. Brake fluid draws water that corrodes the system from the inside out. Fresh brake fluid may improve the stopping performance by as much as 50 feet over fluid that has 3% water. In normal stopping, this declined performance won’t matter much in a panic stop to avoid hitting another car, animal or an individual crossing the street. That 50 feet might avoid a tragedy. Performing a maintenance replacement on a battery might cost $200 however, prevent the customer from the inconvenience and additional cost of towing the vehicle to the dealership and having a technician diagnose why it won’t start. When vehicles break down extreme heat or cold may cause a critical situation for the elderly or very young children. Imagine a handicapped elderly individual on a remote highway in Kansas having her vehicle breakdown as a hot summer storm with tornado warnings approaching. The real reason we sell preventative maintenance isn’t the millions additional customer pay work that would drive profitability to new levels for your dealership. It’s that our customers will be provided solid advice on ways to keep their vehicle safe and reliable for the family.

Sincerely,
Rob Gehring, President
Fixed Performance Inc.
rgehring@fixedperformance.com
Cell: (419) 282-1351
1-888-205-8718
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