Green Selling Tip: Continuous Knowledge Improvement
Jeff Pease, Director of Distributor Programs

The term "consultative selling" was first coined by New York Times bestselling author, Linda Richardson. This sales approach emphasizes customer needs and meeting those needs with solutions combining products, services and knowledge.

Today, the term is a household word that distribution management is regularly touting as a type of selling they desire their sales force to adopt. While this is by no means a revolutionary approach, it is especially meaningful in our industry today as most organizations strive to implement sustainable practices – one of which is Green-Cleaning.

Ashkin Group News:
Ashkin Selected to Help Green City Buildings

Stephen Ashkin, President of The Ashkin Group, the professional cleaning industry's leading advocate for Green Cleaning and sustainability, has been selected by the city of Indianapolis to help Green the city’s City-County Building (CCB).

In total, 89 applications were submitted to city and county administrators to be a part of the project with only 25 approved, including Ashkin’s. The applications came from many of the country’s leading design, consulting, and construction firms, engineering firms, universities, and state agencies.

U.S. Green Product Council Debated

Consumers can't be expected to verify the legitimacy of each and every green certification system, said Steve Odland, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Office Depot Inc., who spoke June 16 at the National Summit session on Sustainable Business Solutions in Detroit.

"Maybe it's time for a U.S. Green Product Council which could then take on the task of mapping all these various certifications," he said, according to the article (Additional article below).

Calls to Action

2009 Green Cleaning Awards for Schools & Universities - Applications now Available Online
The 2009 Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities, sponsored by American School & University Magazine, the Green Cleaning Network, and the Healthy Schools Campaign is now open for nominations. Applications are available for download from the American School & University Magazine website.

The award recognizes the best in Green Cleaning programs within educational institutions across the nation. To see if your learning institution qualifies as a potential winning Green Cleaning program, one can look to The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, published by the Healthy Schools Campaign, for a roadmap of judging criteria.

From the Green Selling Tips Archive:
Selling Green Cleaning Chemicals - Cleaners

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.

(From February 2006)

Expert Insight: David Holly, Chancellor of Green Cleaning University, LLC

ISSA, the largest professional cleaning association in the world, recently announced the launching of ISSA Green Cleaning University to help advance and promote Green Cleaning within the professional cleaning industry through education, training, and science.

Green Cleaning University Chancellor David Holly gives us the inside scoop on the history of the program and the exciting changes taking place as a result of this new partnership with ISSA.

Green News Roundup: This Month's Top Headlines

Green Products U.S. Green Product Council Debated. With more than 300 different organizations claiming to certify various products and services as “green” or “sustainable,” industry leaders are pondering whether the time has come for a unified U.S. Green Product Council. (See related story above). Read More Here

Climate Change Update Climate Change Report Shows Things Going From Bad to Worse. Even as Congress belatedly tackles legislation that would cut U.S. carbon emissions and international negotiators have bickered over a global climate deal in Bonn, a new report by several federal agencies underscores the truths that too often risk getting lost in politics: global warming is real, it's happening now and if we don't act soon, the consequences are likely to be catastrophic. Read More Here

Climate Change Update II Sustainability creeps into Vail Valley coffins. Even as Congress belatedly tackles legislation that would cut U.S. carbon emissions and international negotiators have bickered over a global climate deal in Bonn, a new report by several federal agencies underscores the truths that too often risk getting lost in politics: global warming is real, it's happening now and if we don't act soon, the consequences are likely to be catastrophic. Read More Here

Green Hospitality Inns' power costs fall by $1 million. A state program that encourages best environmental and energy practices in the lodging industry is saving more than $1 million a year in electricity costs for participating innkeepers, new estimates show. Read More Here

Video Spotlight Did You Know? We thought you all would enjoy this highly imaginative and very informative clip on the progression of information technology, researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman. Excellent. Watch Video Here

The Ashkin Group Calendar of Events

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