It doesn’t matter how big your contracting company is. It isn’t important if you’re a design-build firm or specialize in home exteriors. Whether you work with homeowners, businesses, or both; whether you work in remodeling or new construction — if you don’t have effective vehicle graphics you’re missing the boat. Fleet graphics work for contractors so, don’t miss this opportunity.

Every Day your Vehicle is seen by Thousands of Potential Customers

Let’s say you’re a HVAC contractor primarily working in residential. Most of your customers live in neighborhoods comprised of similar dwellings. The home next to where your vehicle is working is probably near the same age and has similar heating and cooling equipment. How long will it be before they need your help? If your vehicle doesn’t make it clear who you are, what you do, and how you may be contacted — the prospect may call another provider.

“Once you know whose problem you solve, you can glean an understanding of who they are. For example, a residential heating and air conditioning provider that offers 24-hour service solves the problem of a furnace dying at the stroke of midnight, in the middle of winter, on Sunday. Obviously, homeowners are a target audience, but what else can be learned? What are the statistics for the life expectancy of HVAC equipment? According to this Frigidaire study, the average life of a furnace is 20 years, air conditioning 16 years, and a heat pump lasts on average 14 year. Homeowners with a 14 to 20-year-old home are a target audience.” — How to Target your Audience (without breaking the bank)

Share the Problems you Solve and How you Make Life Easier

A vehicle may not be the place to list everything a contractor offers. If it’s too-busy, it can overload the consumer and lose their interest. Focusing on a few problems your business solves creates leads. Do you offer emergency service, custom building, or free inspections? If so share it. What problems do you solve? What’s different or unique about what you do? How do you make life a little easier for your customers? The answer to these questions, along with your name, logo, and contact information, is what should be on your vehicles.      

“As a sales trainer, I preached the acronym FAB (Feature Advantage Benefit.) Too often, sales and marketing concentrated on the features of their product or service (what it is) not considering what, if anything the feature meant to the consumer. Some took it further and shared the advantages of their products (what it does) but few thought about the benefit to the customers (what it does for the customer) and that’s what’s most important to the majority of consumers. Isn’t that what’s most important to you?

Market the solution, not the product. Most people search for solutions to their problems, not products. If people can’t see how their problems could be solved by what you’re providing, you may be wasting your time and resources. And if the problem you’re trying to solve isn’t compelling, you may have a rough road ahead of you.” — Are You Selling the Benefits of your Product?

Show the World how Professional you are  

The truth is people do judge the book by the cover. You may be an outstanding professional in your field with years of experience and throngs of loyal customers but if your vehicle doesn’t look like a pro it won’t matter. Why do you think all the “big guys” have graphics on their vehicles and not just identification decals? It’s because professional graphics denotes a professional contractor. If you want prospects to view you like the big guys, add graphics to your company trucks, cars, and vans.

“Not long ago, I attended an event catered by food trucks. One of the trucks graphics was awful. It was overlapped, bulging at equipment, with gaps at the seams. I politely asked who installed the graphics and was told … I’m not making this up — the owner’s brother-in-law. So, the point is to hire a professional; poorly installed vehicle graphics reflects poorly on your business.” — Why Your Fleet Graphics Suck

Give your Team Something to be Proud of

I’ve mentioned it before, but a work van or truck is somebody’s office, maybe yours. Where do you do your best work? I’m guessing your answer has something to do with professional surroundings. When you give teammates the tools they need to do their job and surround them with quality, including their work trucks, job satisfaction is raised. And when folks like their jobs it shows in their work.

“What message are your vehicles sharing? The message your company cars and trucks send is important. Whether your vehicles are delivery vans, work trucks or 53-foot tractor-trailers, customers, prospects, vendors, and employees see them. If you were a customer of your own business would your fleet graphics make you proud to be customer? If you were considering buying from you would the condition of your cars and trucks give you doubt about the organization. What do your employees think when they see, or drive your fleet vehicles? Do you think your employees point at them on the road and tell their family, “That’s where I work!” with pride? What would your banker think if your truck was parked at their bank? Its important to consider these questions because with vehicle graphics a bad message is worse than no message. ” — Bad Message.

Fleet Graphics Work for Contractors

Vehicle graphics work for 99% of organizations whether it’s B2C (Business to Consumer) B2B (Business to Business) or NFP (Not for Profit) fleet graphics are one of the most cost effective form of advertising.

The benefits of a vehicle wrap hit home when you compare the Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions (CPM) of other forms of advertising (Statistics courtesy of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America):

  • A 30-second prime-time spot in the top 100 television markets costs $17.78 per thousand impressions
  • A 60-second drive-time ad in the top 100 radio markets costs $8.61 per thousand impressions
  • A one-third b/w page ad in the top 100 newspaper markets costs $22.95 per thousand impressions
  • A four-color one-page ad in the top 23 magazine publications costs $9.35 per thousand impressions
  • The average for all forms of billboard ads costs $2.18 per thousand impressions
  • Vehicle wraps cost $.77 per thousand impressions

If you’re not in the neighborhood you’re on the way home 

Although fleet graphics work for all types of businesses they do especially well for contractors. That’s because as I mentioned earlier, contractors vehicles are usually where the contractors customers are. Whether it’s in a residential neighbor or a business park, a contractors vehicle has the attention of the neighbors and many of them share the same problems. So, contractors don’t miss this opportunity.

Adding graphics to your vehicles is like adding a billboard in every neighborhood and business park where you work. It adds a level of professionalism to your entire organization, and it shows respect to your drivers and crews. If you’d like to learn more about taking your vehicles to the next level contact us.