By Stephen Ashkin

This is the first in a series of Green Selling Tips which will cover a number of different categories of products.  In this series, we will cover cleaners (which is addressed in this Green Selling Tip), floor care, disinfectants, other chemicals, janitorial paper, mats, micro-fiber, recycling, and some miscellaneous products.

But to begin, I’d like to encourage you to review DestinationGreen Issue 2; Building the Bundle.  Remember, your customers (building owners & managers and contractors) are trying to create a healthy, high performing environment for the occupants of their building, while at the same time reducing environmental impacts.  Thus, I recommend more of a “program” approach (see DestinationGreen Issue 3: The Pilot Process) to assess the entire cleaning process and only then recommend specific products as part of a complete bundle or program.  Not only will this be better for your customers, it will be better for your sales and commissions.

Before I begin with some specifics on selling green cleaners, let’s quickly review what makes a green or environmentally preferable product.  Remember, when you are selling green, you are NOT suggesting that traditional products are “bad”.  Rather, green or environmentally preferable products simply recognize that newer technologies can achieved the desired level of cleaning at a competitive price while reducing the health and environmental impacts associated with the product.

So what makes a cleaner a "green" product?  Many traditional cleaners including glass, all-purpose, carpet extraction and washroom cleaners often are known to have many health and environmental problems associated with them.  And while there is no such thing as zero risk (everything has some potential to cause harm), green products reduce the potential for harm to take place.

For example, many of the traditional cleaners contain 2-butoxyethanol (CAS 111-76-2) often referred to as a “butyl” cleaner.  This solvent is enormously effective, but is suspected of being a developmental, endocrine and reproductive toxicant (among other concerns) as it passes through the skin and enters the body.

In addition, many traditional detergent based cleaners contain nonyl phenol ethoxylate surfactants (CAS 9016-45-9).  These surfactants are suspected to be endocrine distributors that can cause serious problems including hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia, reproductive disorders and cancer.

From an environmental point of view, most traditional cleaners are derived from petroleum, a valuable but limited and non-renewable natural resource.  We have come to realize that we are not being responsible stewards of this planet if we are depleting non-renewable natural resources so that future generations will never be able to use them. Beyond the sustainability issue, we know that many of these products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause respiratory problems to the occupants of a building and product users and once exhausted to the outdoors, can contribute to atmospheric smog formation.

The point here is not to go on and on about the potential problems associated with traditional products.  Rather, new technologies are now available that cleans as effectively as the traditional products, are cost competitive to the traditional products, and further reduces the potential for causing harm to human health as well and the environment.

When selling, after we point out the potential benefits, cost competitiveness and other associated issues, we simply raise the question, “why wouldn’t you (the customer) want to change?”

It is NOT a matter of the current product not working well.

It is NOT a matter of the current product being too expensive.

The benefit here to the purchaser is that they can meet their performance, cost requirements and simultaneously reduce the risk of harm within their building and promote themselves as a good steward of the environment. 

If the question - “Why wouldn’t you want to change?” - sounds simple, frankly I think it is when we are able to put the entire issue in perspective and help the customer understand the big picture - the creation of a healthy, high-performing building that also reduces negative impacts to the natural environment.

Good selling.

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About the Author:

Stephen Ashkin grew up in a family owned cleaning product manufacturing business where he has worked professionally in the industry since 1981 and on the specific issue of Green Cleaning since 1990. 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. He along with David Holly (a key member of The Ashkin Group) have authored 4 books including Green Cleaning for Dummies and The Business of Green Cleaning, published or cited in over 350 magazine and newspaper articles, and a frequent speaker at major cleaning industry, building owner and environmental health events.

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