Ask the Expert

March 2, 2010

By Geoff Moore
Sales Consultant

As a consultant in Fleet Management I have found that people are always surprised when I show them the operating costs of a forklift to their owners. Typically forklifts and these types of machines end up last on a company’s priority list, as most companies are happy with their machines as long as they are running. However just like your car, a certain amount of maintenance is required to keep forklifts at their most efficient. Companies are often faced with balancing the costs of maintaining their current fleet versus buying new, with little industry information to help them make decisions.

When calling a potential client I typically get these types of responses; “I appreciate the call, but my forklifts are doing fine”, “No, they don’t cost much to operate”, or “Thanks for the call. I’m not sure how much propane they use, but I know it’s not much”. However once I get them talking and manage to share some statistics and facts, I can quickly see opinions changing.

What if you were able to illustrate to a client how much his five old forklifts cost in fuel per year? Or how many hours he is averaging per truck per year in usage? Or what a unit costs him per hour to operate in maintenance? By showing the little ways a company can save money, you can now rest assured that you have their attention.

The results I get never fail to amaze me. The client is quite often stunned and excited when I can show him that if he were to buy a new forklift every four years instead of ten, he could save $10,000 dollars in fuel costs and $21,000 in maintenance costs. He could also take advantage of tax incentives… the list goes on. This is where a strong fleet management plan is effective and sets the sales consultants apart from the sales reps.

There is nothing more satisfying than getting to the end of the sales process and having the client immediately ask “where do I sign”. When a proper Fleet Management Program is executed well, you gain a new client who is eager to see what you can do for them, as well as you mature as a company. All of a sudden you have a partner in business, not a just another “customer”.

Fleet Management helps companies optimize their assets while minimizing their costs, something every company strives for.