Green Selling Tip: Asking the Tough Questions
Jeff Pease, Director of Distributor Programs

I truly enjoy working with distribution companies in our industry. These organizations come in all shapes and sizes with various areas of focus, expertise and management styles. And while no two are exactly alike, there are far more similarities than there are differences.

At The Ashkin Group, when we take on a distributor client under our Green Sales Management Program, we integrate ourselves into the organization with the single goal of increasing sales and profitability. We assist in developing a clear vision of how to leverage a green bundle of products and services in order to position the distributor as the green-cleaning expert in the markets they serve.

Ashkin Group News:
Earth Day Announcement: ISSA Green Cleaning University Launched

In celebration of Earth Day, ISSA, the largest professional cleaning association in the world, announces the launching of ISSA Green Cleaning University to help advance and promote Green Cleaning within the professional cleaning industry through education, training, and science.

ISSA Green Cleaning University now consists of 10 classes with new programs under discussion. The programs focus on training sales people and include instruction in:
• Defining Green and Green Cleaning
• Building a Complete Bundle of Green Products
• Implementing a Green Cleaning Program

The university, which was founded by Stephen Ashkin and David Holly in 2006, has so far awarded approximately 300 individuals with the title of “Green Cleaning Professional,” the university’s official designation of professional competency.

EPA Says Emissions Are Threat To Public
Finding Could Lead to Greenhouse Gas Limits

The debate is over. The US Environmental Protection Agency now recognizes that greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to public health and contribute to climate change. As a result, EPA is now proposing regulations.

The EPA's action marks a major shift in the federal government's approach to global warming. The Bush administration opposed putting mandatory limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, on the grounds that they would hurt business, and the EPA had resisted identifying such emissions as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Last Minute Earth Day Idea - Disney's EARTH

I know a lot of you are planning to take part in community celebrations, hosting your own affair, or teaming with your friends and customers on Green Cleaning awareness promotions. In the event that you are still without plans for the day – here is a simple idea that might help.

Disney's EARTH is a film, but it has the chance to be much more than that – and promises to do so. Rave reviews are in. The visuals of the trailers alone are breath-taking. There is a great opportunity next week to use this film as a vehicle in your role as the leader in Green Cleaning to educate and inspire others.

We invite you to visit their official website, located at www.disneynature.com/earth - and don't just plan to watch it - get involved. If you can, take others with you to the show, or sponsor tickets for their staff, or perhaps fund a trip to the theater for a local elementary school class or a local retirement home.

A nice little perk: if you buy a ticket during opening week, Disney will plant a tree in your honor --- which can also be done in the name of the school or others you are inviting!

This promises to be a fantastic Earth Day 2009. Let's enjoy it, and use the day as a catalyst in our continued efforts to make a positive impact on the health of our planet.

From the Green Selling Tips Archive:
Time Management vs. Project Management

Sales success has often been described as a “numbers game”. The thinking goes that the more calls we make the better our sales. And of course this is logical and when selling individual products, if you will forgive the pun – a tactic you can take to the bank.

So to increase our sales we can work longer hours. One strategy can be to identify the kinds of customers with whom we can make sales calls early in the morning, late at night, or on the weekends. Many sales people have profited handsomely by working an extra hour per day which adds up to more then 200 hours per year.

Expert Insight: Michael B. Smith
Western Washington University

"Western began its Green Cleaning program in 2000. That year, we reduced our chemical product inventory from over 60, to down to 20 all green products with three main daily products in use by our staff. We eliminated use of any solvent-based products in 2001 and eliminated all petro-chemical base products in 2003...

"We are always testing and evaluating new product lines for effectiveness and "greenliness." All products are dispensed in closed ratio portioning systems and our staff is trained twice a year in product usage and safety. Our ongoing goal is to clean using only water and/or dry steam vapor for all standard processes, completely eliminating the use of chemical products..."

Practice Greenhealth, HealthTrust Purchasing Group, and Ascent Healthcare Solutions Forge Industry-First Partnership
Alliance will focus on Clinician involvement in Health Care Sustainability Efforts

Practice Greenhealth, HealthTrust Purchasing Group and Ascent Healthcare Solutions have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership to encourage clinical practices that contribute to sustainable operations in hospitals and other health care facilities. The partnership will provide an education-based program for clinicians, whose participation is critical to the overall greening efforts in the healthcare sector.

Green News Roundup: This Month's Top Headlines

Green Schools Public Schools Getting Green Tested. Public schools in New York City are poised to green up as officials announce a plan to analyze energy efficiency of the district's 1,260 school buildings. Read More Here

Greenwash Update Eco-friendly labelling? It's a lot of 'greenwash'. "All-natural" shampoo. "Planet-friendly" glass cleaner. "BPA-free" baby bottles. The labels on 98 per cent of those good-for-the-earth-and-your-body items you fill your shopping basket with are lying, a new study from TerraChoice (the folks who brought us the “6 Sins of Greenwashing). Read More Here

Green Marketing EPA to Recommend Green Claims for Disinfectants & Sanitizers. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials stated they will recommend the adoption of a policy that allows suppliers to make valid claims of environmental preferability in relation to the marketing of disinfectants and sanitizers. This statement represents a significant departure from the agency’s well-entrenched policy that prohibits “green” claims to be made on antimicrobial products. Read More Here

Green Computing Spammers scourge to inbox and environment. A report being released Wednesday by security company McAfee Inc. finds that spammers are a scourge to your inbox and the environment, generating an astounding 62 trillion junk e-mails in 2008 that wasted enough electricity to power 2.4 million U.S. homes for a year. Read More Here

Green Products Household products start to come clean on ingredients. You can read a label to find out what's in your food. And a quick look inside a collar or hem tells you what your clothes are made of. Now, the same is happening with the stuff you use to clean your kitchen and bathroom. Read More Here

The Ashkin Group Calendar of Events

Click below for The Ashkin Group's schedule of upcoming events and presentations.