Selling Sealcoating Now

Depending on which region of the country you work, sealcoating season is either here or just around the corner, and this could be the year where sealcoating contractors are in greater demand than ever before. That's because sealcoating (and the pavement marking that follows it) is probably the single most-effective, most affordable pavement maintenance option available to homeowners and managers of commercial and industrial properties. And in these economic times where home owners are cutting back and cutting coupons and where property managers are looking at rising vacancy rates, reduced revenues, and tighter maintenance budgets, professional sealcoating just might be the solution to their maintenance issues.

Take homeowners first. These folks like their properties to look good and they want their driveways to last a long time. Many might try the do-it-yourself approach, buying 5-gal. buckets and squeegees from the local home centers, but it's your job to let them know they can get a better job with a better and longer-lasting product when they hire a professional sealcoater to handle the work. (And that doesn't even take into account labor and cleaning up after the job).

Next, consider commercial and industrial parking lots. In addition to preserving their asphalt pavement parking lots - possibly the single largest investment a property manager has to deal with - sealcoating unquestionably makes a property look good. It makes it look like it's being taken care of, like the property owners are concerned for their tenants and want the location to be inviting for the public, and it makes the public want to pay a visit to the property. Sealcoating demonstrates to tenants that the managers care about them and their business, and good looking properties are easier to lease.

So whether you're marketing to homeowners or property managers, be aggressive about selling sealcoating now. And make sure to "knock on all the doors" in the neighborhood when you know you're going to be in the area (that's just one of the "how to get the work you need" tactics suggested in the article starting on page 20; find more - or contribute your own ideas - at www.pavementonline.com).