By Steve Ashkin, The Ashkin Group

In past Green Selling Tips I have provided lots of information from the big picture such as defining Green and Green Cleaning to smaller details including building the green bundle of products, identifying prospects, outlining selling strategies including the 3 Bucket Approach, conducting an audit, writing reports, overcoming common objections and more.

But this month’s article has been “stimulated” by the work I am doing with a major University to help them implement a Green Cleaning program. As a result of this work I have been reminded how important it is to do the “small stuff”.

In this case the University is working with a very good distributor which represents numerous high quality manufacturers who offer an excellent assortment of Green products in every category from chemicals to paper to equipment and more. They have in fact done some good “green” stuff and have already helped the University begin its journey towards sustainability.

As I work with the University I am encouraging them to follow a direction that is consistent with the requirements of LEED-EBOM, which is my general recommendation whether or not the building is currently applying for LEED certification.

The problem is I have been requesting some specific sales data and product information for weeks from the distributor --- if you are familiar with the submittals for LEED-EBOM you’ll know exactly what it is I am requesting. And while the sales people from the distributor are very nice, they’re just not getting it done. And thus they are failing to do the “small stuff”. And I’m just not sure if they appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

Personally I like the sales rep and he has worked hard to develop good relationships in many departments at the University. But his failure to address the “small stuff” is beginning to have a negative impact on the perception of his overall service and that of the distributor for whom he works. And while he may have cultivated personal friendships and golfing buddies, his failure to address the “small stuff” may result in losing the business --- and it’s a lot of business!

There’s no question that providing effective products at a competitive price is critical. After all, few customers are willing to pay for products that don’t work or that are more costly than those they can get from other distributors.

But customers also need attention paid to the “small stuff” and as it turns out, I think the small stuff isn’t so small after all.

Come on, let’s face it. The vast majority of distributors, service providers and product manufacturers have products and services that work and are cost competitive. And most offer training programs and online ordering. Today these things are no longer “value-added”, but rather they have become “value expected”.

The problem is that many are failing to do a good job on the “small stuff” like delivering orders complete and accurate, get invoices correct the first time and deliver at the time and date that is promised especially when there is an emergency or exception required. And let’s not forget those seemingly minor requests like my product purchasing history and product information.

And while many of the “small stuff” I have identified are often outside the control of the individual sales person, there is plenty of “small stuff” that sales people can address and often fail to do.

Please know that I know that times are tough and everyone is very busy. I know that the information I requested isn’t going to help the sales rep meet his monthly quota or contribute to his ability to make his personal car or mortgage payment.

But I’m not convinced that he realizes that he is jeopardizing an account worth several hundred thousand dollars because of the “small stuff”. And as times get tougher the “small stuff” rather than product efficacy or cost may become one of the most important contributors to sales success or failure.

I have to admit that I’m unsure what is contributing to the problem. From all reports the sales rep has done a good job for years. But I am beginning to see a lot of sales people “struggle” due to these hard times. Financial pressures from increase gasoline costs, the housing and mortgage crunch and other issues are taking a toll personally and on customers and employers.

So while I don’t know if these personal factors are affecting the sales rep calling on my University and his ability to deliver on the “small stuff” I do want to encourage you to take stock of these important details. And while your competitors are struggling, you can actually use these times to take their business and grow your sales.

Steve

--------------

About the Author:

A 25+ year veteran of the cleaning industry, Stephen Ashkin is the author of Green Cleaning for Dummies and a tireless advocate for environmentally preferable cleaning products. Often referred to as the “father of green cleaning,” Ashkin has played a pivotal role in setting industry standards, promoting environmentally preferable products, and advocating for socially responsible practices.

back