Three Keys To Winning Explosive Green Sales Growth

small business sustainability sales

Going green is proving to be the path to explosive sales growth.

 

Pioneering companies selling everything from soap (Unilever) to cars (Tesla) are winning customers and generating billions in revenues by offering more sustainable products. Today Unilever generates half of its sales growth from its Sustainable Living product line. Tesla just won $14 billion in pre-orders for its Model 3 electric car. A dozen companies now generate over one billion in annual sales of sustainable products. http://www.greengiantsbook.com Yet most companies still struggle with selling green products.

Here are some of the fatal flaws in a company’s typical sales (and sustainability) messaging:

  • Fact based. Facts inform. They do not engage. And too often the facts are focused on what is important to the seller.
  • Fear. “The earth is dying from heat!” This type of fear motivating messaging does gain attention. But the attention is like touching a hot stove. Reaction but not sales conversion.
  • Jargon. We love our LCA and ZNE acronyms. Using them creates a communication barrier not unlike speaking a foreign language. For a listener it raises questions and potential mistrust.
  • Immediacy. Saving the world and mankind is a compelling action item. But it is too big and long term for most of us. Effective sales communications creates a path to an immediate action.

Three steps to successfully selling sustainability and green products

Yes, it is not an even playing field for selling green products. Harmful products too often have lower prices (and sales advantage) because their emissions and pollution costs are not reflected at the pump, meter or cash register. In classic economic theory rational customers would understand this distinction. Behavioral economics knows better. People buy based on the lower sticker price. Tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow. But green products can have explosive sales growth when they align with the consumer expectations.

The three steps to selling green products are:

  1. Hitting the customer’s hot button. Emotional connections sell. Rarely do we buy based on reason. We buy for the thrill of winning a huge discount. We buy to impress others. We buy to fulfill an emotional need to be handsome, funny or sexy. Green products, just like all products, sell when they hit the customer’s hot button.
  2. Today’s reward. People live in the now. For example, we feel guilty that we do not save more for retirement. Even with this quilt we still do not save enough. Is it a surprise that green products sit on the shelf because they offer long term problem solutions? Positioning a green product as the fulfillment of an immediate (and emotional) consumer need is the path to immediate sales success.
  3. Competitive prices. Sales sell. That is why every retailer has a sale every weekend. Buy one and get one free built a national clothing company. Trying to sell a green product with a higher price is a hard mountain to climb. Nailing a competitive price on a green product is the path to explosive growth. That is how Tesla pre-sold $14 billion of their Model 3 electric car priced at $35,000.
Next- Sales messaging template that sells

RELATED POSTS

How to Get Newsletter Readers Hitting “Open” Every Time

How to Get Newsletter Readers Hitting “Open” Every Time

12 steps to the Art of the Irresistible Monthly Newsletter Let’s take a break from the “convert” talk for a second and focus on building genuine connections through monthly newsletters your readers look forward to every month. After all, happy readers are more...

How Will AI Affect the Role of the Salesperson in Business?

How Will AI Affect the Role of the Salesperson in Business?

 5 ways it could it have an impact on Hispanic culture As a salesperson in the mid 1980’s in the automobile business there was great fear first that Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Consumer Reports were going to provide the consumers with  too much information, and...

Women & Men, Career, Life & Their Choices

Women & Men, Career, Life & Their Choices

Tips and Observations, Inspired By "Makers: Women Who Make America" Watching a recent PBS broadcast "Makers: Women Who Make America" was a moving experience for me. Whew, I didn't realize how much time had gone by. Many of the stories and events described in the...

Video Gallery

Polls

Sign Up for the Latin Biz Today Newsletter

PR Newswire

Featured Authors

Innovation & Strategy

Money

Talent/HR

Legal

Marketing

Culture

Fashion

Food

Music

Sports

Work & Life

Mindfulness

Health & Fitness

Travel & Destinations

Personal Blogs

Pin It on Pinterest