Green: Selling Sustainability

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When jan/san distributors started marketing green cleaning products several years ago, they quickly learned that selling green was not the same as selling other products end-customers have used for decades. Assuming end-customers would eagerly switch from their customary conventional cleaning products to green products just because it was “the right thing to do,” turned out to be a very weak and disappointing selling point.

To market green, distributors learned they had to: clearly and specifically demonstrate what makes a product green; show how green can be beneficial to users, building occupants and the environment; prove the green products met needed performance standards; and, finally, make sure these new products were cost effective. Without each piece of this green puzzle securely in place, the likelihood of successful green selling and becoming the local green cleaning expert would be difficult.

Today, distributors are dealing with a new challenge: selling sustainability. Once again, distributors that believe end-customers will select sustainable cleaning products, which are better for people, profits and the planet, because it is “the right thing to do,” are in for a disappointment.

Although it is true that most companies are concerned about their public image and many actively promote that they are community-focused and environmentally responsible, ultimately the main reason many end-customers get on the sustainability bandwagon is because it helps cut costs. Remember, sustainability is all about the triple bottom line mentioned earlier — people, profits and planet — and profits is the key motivator, at least in the beginning.

So, how can we market sustainability? Just as successful distributors marketed green cleaning products, marketing sustainability means getting directly involved in your customers’ business operations. Educate clients by specifically indentifying cost savings initiatives through selecting sustainable products and implementing sustainable practices such as recycling, reusing and reducing consumption. Even a simple gesture, such as suggesting microfiber cleaning systems because they use less water and chemical, is a step toward making customers’ operations greener and more sustainable.

Distributors should also view the growing interest in sustainability as an opportunity. Once again, our customers will turn to us to help them operate in a more efficient, environmentally responsible manner. And, just as with green cleaning, it is the astute, distributor, now the local sustainablity expert that will have the greatest success with this new selling direction.

Mike Sawchuk is the vice president of sales and marketing for Peterborough, Ontario, Canada-based Enviro-Solutions and Charlotte Products.