In this information we will discuss how to market and sell the FuelTurbo polishing service. These are your key foundations and tips in selling the service to customers.

Marketing of Diesel Fuel Cleaning Services

Ok you have the FuelTurbo polishing equipment and its ready to start work, well that’s as soon as you find some for it. You are fortunately in a niche market but be very aware of this fact because if you don’t target your market correctly the sales will not appear. Make a list of all possible customers in the area you wish to cover and send them a direct mailer of your FuelTurbo service offering. Cold call, fax or email potential customers.

Promote fuel cleaning in your local free online trade directory, get a website e.g. yourcitydieselcleaning.com, decal up your car or van, advertise in your yellow pages / local papers / marine and equipment magazines, visit marinas / generator service / equipment repair shops and participate in boat or trade shows. The best value advertisement will always be happy customers.

Most repair shops will be very interested to network with you as a sublet contractor, ask if you can leave a brochure / business card holder on sales counters at equipment, auto, marine parts shops and the like. Take care of referrals with a gratuity where appropriate. People like too touch and feel so don’t forget to take the FuelTurbo with you on sales visits, its dynamic appearance will help generate sales.

Absolutely FREE Diesel Testing for Customers

Offer customers a free no obligation diesel fuel test kit on a regular basis. Unless someone comes too you with a problem 90 % of all customers will say “I don’t have any diesel fuel problems” The real figures can be 90 % of them actually do have a problem or potential problem awaiting to cause them a headache.

If you sample correctly most of the time you will get sediment and water visible in the sample. This is a great conversation starter, “looks like a duck pond in your fuel tank”, “does your diesel run on water “the fuel colour alone will indicate the condition of the fuel. We offer inexpensive water / clarity and Algae / Bacteria test kits to aid in sales. An expensive fuel analysis can also be done through your local oil / fuel lab if the customer requests this test. Once you have done the free test you can then work on the profitable cleaning and polishing the fuel and tank.

Remember always try and get a sample from the lowest point of the fuel tank, that’s where all the sediment will settle. If you sample from high points in tank you will get false results. Sampling is one very key area you must be good at too close sales. Even if you don’t get a sale the first time, don’t worry the fuel use by date is on the way, the next sample in say 6 months will provide you a profitable opportunity.

Find the pain and offer a solution

Diesel engines are by design very robust and reliable; unfortunately they are only as good as the fuel they consume. Be ready to explain in detail the nature of diesel fuel too customers, a good read can be found in the resource materials section links in section 6. Print some copies of these resources and highlight key comments from the oil companies that openly talk about diesel fuel issues.

Take the time and study these resources, this product knowledge is invaluable when talking to customers. Ask the customer how important is his diesel powered equipment on a scale of 1 to 10. The questions you ask your prospect should be aimed at finding their pain or potential pain (i.e. their problem) and how big a problem it is or could be. You can then ask questions that focus on the effects of the problem, which in turn focuses the prospect on all the benefits they would gain in solving the problem before it even starts.

Also ask what may be the consequence of the equipment not running when required. Listen intently to what they say and add other comments like, “yes your right, if the emergency backup generator fails when running due to contaminated fuel you might just get 20 people stuck in a lift”, “yes your right, blocked fuel filters on your boat may ruin your whole weekend fishing” and “yes your right, your communications network wont operate if the emergency backup generator fails when running on contaminated fuel”.

Make a list and memorize all possible scenarios that could occur if someone’s diesel powered equipment stops due to contaminated fuel. Make your customers aware of the “what if” scenarios that could affect them on a safety, legal and monetary level. Critical generator set applications are a particular concern for hospitals, airports, communications / water company’s / call centers, banks, data centre’s, emergency response facilities etc.

Charging for the service

You work will be predominately field service calls, therefore set an hourly rate for getting to and from the job site or a set charge for a certain kilometer radius from your starting point. Understand what your local workshops charge for labour and how much competition you have for this service in your area (if any). If you have little or no competition for the FuelTurbo service you should be charging at average equipment workshop repair labour for field service jobs.

Discounts should be applied for large cleaning jobs or regular customers as needed. A set minimum charge for small jobs, small tanks should be as example our minimum charge is 2 hours plus field service fee. These small jobs are not high profit but the free advertising and referrals you get from a happy customer will pay off later. Try and gauge the level of contamination on a scale of low, medium and critical.

Critical level contamination would be the need to dispose of the fuel, clean the tank and refill with new fuel. These critical level contamination jobs should be seen as an opportunity for a premium charge as the customer has a high cost to resolve the problem.

Medium level contamination is fuel that is in a poor state that could be used but with possible equipment breakdowns and expensive repairs. You still are in a good position to charge an upper level rate with this medium level of contamination but obviously not in the box seat like in the critical level.

Cost savings Diesel fuel cleaning services

Low level contamination problems should be seen as an opportunity to stop the deterioration of the fuel now before it gets any worse. Some customers will ask you to quote and others will not. Try not using the word quote if possible in any discussions, the word estimate is better suited to this type of work. FuelTurbo technicians have reported that one 1000 liter tank could be cleaned in 6 hours while another tank the same size could take 10 hours, it’s just the way it is with contamination as one job can be easy and the next more time consuming.

Estimate above what you think it will take and when the job comes out a little under the estimate the customer will be happy for the lower cost you charge. One particular way too estimate a job is cost per liter of fuel, if you keep the cost at between 50 – 75 % of the cost of replacement fuel and also cleaning this will give you a good edge on closing sales. Try and estimate where possible in cost per liter, this is especially important with large high volume tanks.

Ok say you have a 1000 liter tank, if you tell someone it’s going to cost $1000.00 to clean and polish the fuel and tank they may say it’s too expensive. If the average local cost for new fuel is $1.50 per liter, tell them you can clean and polish there fuel for 99 cents per liter plus the cost for a few filters and chemicals. They will say 99 cents per liter sounds pretty good to me.

Explain cost savings possible with FuelTurbo use versus new fuel, new injectors, breakdowns, loss of income, law suits and ruined fishing trips. If they think it’s better to remove and refill the tank make them understand that they are still not solving the real problem. The problem is that the contamination is still in the tank, refilling with nice clean fuel is pointless if the tank is still full of sludge, sediment, water and Algae. If you are competent enough around engines you can also charge the customer for replacing the engine fuel filters or other items while during the fuel polishing service.

Sales stuff and KASH

For the customer too purchase your services you must have good basic sales skills. There really are no secrets in effective selling, just be friendly and be yourself with a genuine desire to do your best for the customer and you will easily sell the FuelTurbo service. You must provide a service that is perceived as value for the hard earned money being handed over.

Every good sales person knows that it’s not how much something costs that’s important, it’s the value for money that the buyer thinks they are getting. People will feel ripped off paying 10 cents more for a loaf of bread when they can get it cheaper somewhere else. While at the same time be convinced they are getting lots of value indeed from the expensive car that they are driving or by dining in that expensive classy restaurant. It’s only about perception.

Every person sells something every day – whether it’s an idea to your spouse or friends. All businesses (as life) involve some form of selling. Because nothing happens until a sale is made. The hardest thing about this business is getting in front of the right people. Prospecting will initially be 80% of the sales process and then word of mouth / repeat customer sales will increase.

Sales success is not a secret

Sales success is not a secret, it’s a system and the key is systematic prospecting. We have many chances to make a lasting impression; but only one chance to make a first impression. You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough people get what they want. The buying decision is made in the buyers mind – not yours.

Selling is 15 percent product knowledge and 85% people knowledge.” You cannot be one kind of person and another kind of salesperson. Your customer’s favorite topic of conversation isn’t the weather or sport or the news – it’s themselves. So when you’re selling a FuelTurbo service, stress how it will benefit them. Radio “W I I FM” (“what’s in it for me”). Stress the BENEFITS and not always the features of your FuelTurbo service. “Increase, Improve, Reduce, Save”. These are key words to “turn on” consumers, so “press their hot buttons”.

Use KASH your Knowledge

From saving comes having. Use KASH your Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits and always remember, Get your FuelTurbo sales message and your presentation in front of as many prospects as possible, because the more you tell is the more you sell. A mediocre salesman tells, a good salesman explains, a superior salesman closes. A great salesman INSPIRES buyers to see the benefits as their own.

Portfolio it

Ok you have happy customers right? So start telling the world. Ask for written references from them so you can show potential customers. Don’t forget to take photos of all the jobs you do for your brochures and start keeping fuel samples of before and after results. These are great advertisements for the FuelTurbo system.

Don’t forget it’s a green machine.

The FuelTurbo is one machine that the world needs; everyone needs to help the environment in some way. These green benefits are a great selling point. You have the world’s best washing machine for diesel fuel, so ask customers when was the last time they had their diesel fuel greened? Most company’s these days are very recycle and carbon footprint reduction savvy.

Resources for Diesel Cleaning

Great materials and flyers below to give to customers, have a good look at what the oil company’s say about diesel fuel problems.

BP literature

Common diesel problems parts 1, 2, 3
ADF0908 BP
ADF1007 BP
ADF1108 BP

Diesel fuel Q and A
ADF0806 BP

Long term storage of diesel fuel
ADF1403 BP

Diesel fuel fungal contamination
ADF1503 BP

Diesel engine filters
ADF0607 BP

Microbes in fuel
ADF0510 BP

NB – Above info is a guide only, various conditions will dictate how long a fuel cleaning process will take and local conditions will determine how much you can charge for the the cleaning service and the use of diesel fuel testing kits.