Should You Switch to Selling Green?

As with many things there is not clear answer to whether you should switch to selling green products but there are factors you can consider.

There is no question that consumers are interested in preserving and enhancing the environment. Within the past year a Roper study found that 87% of consumers were seriously concerned about the environment. It also found that, for more than 70% of consumers, a company’s environmental practices were important in helping the consumer make decisions about what they purchased, recommendations to others and where they shopped.

Just because consumers think “green” is important, does not mean that green products are necessarily your best bet. For most consumers the first criteria for a product purchase are – do I want it or need it, and does it work. The environmental aspect is a final selling point. If there are two products that both work and meet the need, then, given a choice, many will choose the one that is environmentally friendly over the other. They may even pay a small premium for the environmental aspect, but the product first has to meet the buyers’ other criteria.

So the real question here is – what does selling green mean? If you can sell green products that work as well or better that other non-green products, and have a similar price, that would likely generate good revenues - if you are good at getting the word out to the right buyers.

However, even without switching products or services, if you can advertise that your company is environmentally responsible, that can be an additional selling point for whatever you already provide.

In summary:
· You do not want to switch to green at the expense of quality or service.
· If you are thinking of switching to green products, make sure they are as effective as their non-green competition.
· If you are doing anything environmental as part of running your business, let people know. You can increase sales of your existing products or services just by promoting your green attitude. (Plus many of the environmentally friendly things you can do as a business also can save you money. You can read more about this in my article “Going Green Saves Green”.)


Should You Switch to Selling Green? - To learn more about this author, visit Dixie Schmatz's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Should You Switch to Selling Green?
	Should you switch to selling green products? It depends.
Beware greenwashing your business
	Greenwashing, the practice of using the term 'green' just to score points, will fail you and your business.
NBC Goes Green
	On Monday, November 6, NBC Universal kicked off a week-long buzz marketing campaign dedicated to Going Green.
Green Biz Idea #32 - Certify Your Business as Green
	If you’re wanting to green your business, one avenue you could take can be in the form of certification. A few local (and some national) organizations exist that will help you in greening your operations and practic...
It’s All About the Label
	An estimated 410 green labels or green certification systems exist worldwide, while close to 400,000 companies and nearly 500,000 products have gained a green label or valid certification. Now there's a tool that h...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Blog pinging
	Business magazines
	How Much Of Ourselves Should We Give Away...?
	Re: Money never sleeps
	Re: Blog entries... how many is too much?
	Online Sales-Keep it Simple!
	Great story!
	Re: Search Engine Optimization