What Distributors Say About Their Green Promos

aware of the bio-materials that make up biodegradable plastics. At this point, he feels ahead of the curve in product knowledge. "The first time someone asked, ‘Is it post-consumer recycled?’ and I wasn’t 100 percent sure of what that meant, I ran out to find out right away," he remembers. "My clients asking me questions about eco-friendly products drove me to educate myself so that I would be able to help them in a more consultative role."

Wentz feels the general client needs to be educated. She, too, took a crash course when a women’s group she belongs to hosted a seminar discussing issues including eco terminology and labeling. "I think most of the suppliers that are promoting these things are pretty knowledgeable, so if I have questions I feel like there are resources out there that I can go to and get good answers," she says.

As the product category grows and becomes more sophisticated, continuing education might be necessary to provide clients with the highest-quality and most authentic green products. Many distributorships are compiling green catalogs or creating green sections in their catalogs to aid sales. These tools can help educate your clients, as well.

Particularly when selling to very informed and conscientious buyers, knowledge is very important. Some distributors warn of products that aren’t as environmentally friendly as they’re advertised. In addition, there are vendors jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon despite lacking thorough knowledge. Misleading your clients could lead to the unfortunate label of a "product seller" when what you really want to sell is solutions, Endicott cautions. "You want your customer to think of you as the guy who knows his industry inside-out. You want them to know that no matter what their promotional goals are, you’re the one person that can point them in the right direction," he says. "Product sellers are expendable. If your role is consultative you are much harder to replace."

If you think you can just dodge the trend, think again. Distributors are reporting specific requests for green products. Plus, as a solution seller, there are plenty of opportunities for an eco-friendly product to out-perform its non-green counterpart.

For Doyle, this occurred in the form of a client exhibiting at a sustainability and recycling trade show. Eco-friendly products convey environmental consciousness and a likelihood of green business practices, he says. "You couldn’t communicate that message with any effectiveness using a non-green alternative." Doyle measured the success of his client’s campaign by the reorders: "They have already reordered and are looking to expand into other eco-friendly programs with me!"

Wentz is quick to remember the last eco-product craze in the 1990s that never fully matured, but she thinks people are more aware now. "I’m hoping it’s something that’s going to keep building and it’s not going to fade away like it did 10 years ago," she says. Offerings have grown from the past, she continues, but there’s still a limited number of products available compared to the thousands of items in the industry. She is looking for more and believes suppliers are putting just a few items in their lines to test the waters. This hinders the category’s growth when her clients are looking for an item, and she can’t find an eco-friendly option to present them.

The future of the fad this time around may depend on what suppliers can do with it. According to Doyle, a lack of diverse, fashionable style offerings was the hindrance to its taking off in the past. "It’s a trend like any other trend: unless the industry continues to produce improved style offerings and innovative products, it has a life expectancy," he says. "Once the styling gets better, that’s when the real explosion will occur."