For years, electrical contractors have understood the importance of maintenance. But selling long-term service agreements? That’s been a tougher sell.
Now, with NFPA 70B shifting from a recommendation to a standard, there’s a clear opening. It’s not just about compliance—it’s about turning regulatory shifts into business opportunities.
And it’s bigger than just NFPA 70B. Across the industry, codes and standards are aligning around a single reality: proactive maintenance isn’t optional anymore. Contractors who position themselves as expert partners—rather than one-off service providers—stand to gain.
Selling the Value of Maintenance: Key Takeaways
We sat down with industry experts to break down the strategies contractors are using to build lasting service relationships. Here’s what stood out:
1. Structure Agreements Around What Customers Actually Need
- Maintenance contracts only work if they solve a real problem.
- Start with a deep dive into the customer’s business—what they spend, the age of their assets, and their pain points.
- Question-based selling helps uncover gaps and build tailored agreements that feel essential, not just nice to have.
2. Make Service Agreements About Partnership, Not Paperwork
- Long-term contracts shouldn’t feel like a financial trap.
- Position agreements as a win-win: predictable budgets for customers, reliable revenue for your business.
- Show them the cost of doing nothing—unexpected failures, rushed repairs, and downtime that could have been prevented.
3. Leverage Standards as an Education Tool
- NFPA 70B isn’t just a rulebook—it’s a selling tool.
- Pair it with NFPA 70E (electrical safety) and the NEC to highlight how compliance reduces risk and prevents costly downtime.
- Customers care about business continuity. Use these standards to show how proactive maintenance keeps operations running.
4. Show the ROI of Service Agreements
- Business owners don’t just need compliance—they need predictability.
- Service agreements help customers avoid costly downtime, shorten lead times for parts, and plan expenses in advance.
- When they understand the financial impact of interruptions, signing an agreement becomes a no-brainer.
5. Target the Right Markets
- Not every customer sees immediate value—go after the ones that do.
- Healthcare, manufacturing, and distribution** have the most urgent need for preventive maintenance.
- A clear sales process helps walk them through the agreement without friction.
6. Use Data and Tech to Strengthen Agreements
- Past maintenance records help you build smarter, more effective contracts.
- Software keeps asset data in one place, ensuring continuity even when personnel changes.
- Spreadsheets won’t cut it. A solid tech infrastructure makes scaling service agreements possible.
Turning Compliance into Contracts
Regulations are shifting, but the biggest shift needs to come from contractors. Contractors who move beyond one-off jobs and into ongoing partnerships will win—not just on compliance, but on business growth.
And the right tools make it easier.
