By Jeffrey Pease
Director of Distributor Programs, The Ashkin Group

As the economy continues to consume much of our attention, it’s easy to lose focus on our job at hand – selling. Yes, there are a lot of concerns out there (and rightfully so); however, don’t lose sight of the opportunities to gain greater market share by providing a superior value proposition. Your knowledge of Green is part of that value proposition and one thing is for sure, even in this economy – Green continues to open doors.

And, while some large, capital intense projects may be put on hold (i.e.: upgrading the HVAC system, replacing out-of-date lighting fixtures with energy efficient alternatives, etc.), green-cleaning initiatives continue to be an impactful, cost effective solution to moving the building toward green.

In this issue of DestinationGreen, I want to specifically talk about Building Service Contractors (BSC’s) and the market realities they are faced with – an every growing demand for green-cleaning expertise.

City, State and Federal Green legislation is not going away, quite the contrary, it is on the rise. Thus, many organizations are adding language to their contracts and Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) related to the mandatory use of green products and procedures in the cleaning process. While this is wonderful for the green movement, there can also be some problems resulting from this:
1. As green specifications are added to RFP’s, occasionally the added language can be confusing and even inaccurate in what it is specifying.
2. Contractors new to green are uncertain how to provide a complete green-cleaning program and respond effectively to the RFP.

More than ever, BSC’s are scrambling to implement green cleaning practices and provide accurate answers to customers who are specifying green products and procedures. They are being asked specific questions regarding their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and in some cases, how they can assist in attaining cleaning credits toward LEED-EB:OM certification. Thus, if you’re a BSC on the receiving end of numerous green questions or a formal RFP, you must have accurate responses if you expect to be considered for the contract.

This is where you come in to the picture!

In most metropolitan statistical areas (MSA’s), the BSC market is by far the largest and fastest growing segment for Janitorial sales. If you’re not targeting this segment, you could be losing out on a huge opportunity.

Now is the time to be flexing your mental muscles and leverage your Green knowledge to assist BSC’s to help them become more successful. Many of these companies are looking for answers and you could be their ticket to improved business. Become a resource for green expertise and knowledge (beyond just knowing the product) and you will separate yourself and your company form the competition and even better… you won’t have to be the lowest price to get the business.

Here are some strategies when attempting to gain BSC business:

Prior to meeting the company in person, make sure you have gone to their web site and fully understand the services they are offering their customers. How are they positioning their company? What markets are they targeting? What is their value proposition? Do they mention green-cleaning? If so, how detailed are they in their procedures? Do they claim to assist the customer in attaining LEED credits?

Go to a couple search engines and see if you get a hit on the BSC when you type in the city they reside in and such phrases as: “green cleaning”, “green cleaning contractor”, “green BSC”, “green building service contactor”, etc. This is good information to have when you get into a conversation and it shows you did some homework.

Make sure you’re selling as high in the organization as possible – the decision to go-green takes place at the ownership / executive level. This is a corporate strategy decision and requires the company to take on a new vision.

Know and state your company’s value proposition – what makes you different? Of course, green expertise should be an element of that value. Remember, this is not a product pitch but a discussion on the direction of the industry and the added value you bring in the form of knowledge and services.

Ask open ended questions that require a response, allowing you to determine if this BSC has truly adopting green practices and procedures. For example: How is your company addressing the demand for green-cleaning? How do you feel about the increase in city, state and federal green legislation? How do you respond to RFP’s that specify green-cleaning products & procedures?

Be prepared to provide specific data on the services your organization provides aside from products you sell. These might include facility audits, green workshops / seminars, assistance in developing green policy manuals, etc.

Explain how you and your company can assist the BSC improve their business by adopting a green-cleaning practices.

In closing, the trends toward green remains strong and the BSC market segment is challenged with adopting green practices to meet customer demands. This poses an excellent opportunity for the savvy sales person to leverage their green knowledge in the form of a consultative sell and out maneuver the competition.

So, while the economy remains challenging, the demand for Green continues on and the largest market segment in our industry is faced with new challenges. As a sales person in the Janitorial market, now is the time to leverage your green expertise, provide service beyond product and expand your portfolio by targeting Building Service Contractors.

back