of Sealcoating to New and Prospective Customers
by Pavement Coatings Technology Council
As most successful industry professionals understand, communication is key for fostering business growth. In fact, good communication is often the bridge to move customers from confusion to clarity when explaining the benefits of pavement maintenance. Many property owners may not yet be aware of the long-term financial advantage that comes with investing in sealcoating services. As a result, the contractors best able to outline clear comparisons between the maintenance costs associated with sealed vs. unsealed pavement are also most likely to attract new business. To provide the best cost comparison analysis, applicators must first take the time to understand the type – commercial or residential – and size of the pavement project. The following advice from the Pavement Coatings Technology Council (PCTC) can help industry professionals facilitate a conversation about cost benefit based on client need, thus making the choice to sealcoat an easy one for potential and new customers.
Communicating with Commercial Property Owners
Commercial property owners typically see the most cost benefits from sealing their asphalt lots. Not only does sealcoating improve the general appearance of their larger businesses, it also helps prevent more costly pavement maintenance down the road. To illustrate, determine the size of your commercial customers’ lots; then, estimate the fees to maintain that size property with and without sealcoating treatments to demonstrate long-term savings. Breaking down these costs side-by-side can help prospects visualize and understand why proactive treatments make the most sense financially.
For example, sealcoating treatments can prevent erosion, therefore eliminating the need for yearly restriping costs. Additionally, those who choose not to treat their property will likely have to address damage by overlaying the lot with new asphalt after approximately 12 years – a project that typically costs around $600,000 in total. Mapping out annual financial differences between caring for a sealed lot compared to an unsealed lot reveals a compelling truth: clients can save approximately $1.37 per square-foot on a 360,000 square-foot lot over that same 12-year period. For a visual resource that can further illustrate year-over-year savings, contractors are encouraged to share PCTC’s Sealed vs. Unsealed Asphalt analysis with clientele.
Communicating with Residential Property Owners
Though sealcoating may not be a common practice for some residential owners, pavement maintenance is beneficial for protecting home driveways from deterioration. While the scale of their projects is smaller, savings are still significant on a relative basis. Illustrating this can make a big difference to prospective and new customers as residential clients are probably not as familiar with the ins and outs of pavement maintenance. Therefore, they may not realize that unsealed asphalt on the average 18’ by 30’ driveway will likely need to be completely removed and replaced every 15 years, costing over $5,000 for each repaving. By paying around $200 – $300 for pavement maintenance each spring instead, residential customers can save approximately $15.36 per square foot – an amount that adds up to thousands in savings over the course of a 30-year mortgage. You can also emphasize the benefits of sealcoating to increase the overall market value of a property, a convincing additional point in particular for owners who have a long-term plan of reselling their homes. For further support in explaining the advantage of this investment, PCTC also offers a Sealed vs. Unsealed Residential Asphalt cost comparison to help new clients conceptualize the annual financial impact.
Once given the necessary information, prospects will likely need additional time to fully digest your conversation and consider the cost benefit. Be sure to leave behind resources, like the ones available on PCTC’s website, for prospects to review in their spare time. Doing so can further enhance communication and open the door to a future discussion about how your services can best suit their needs.
