| Many companies are discovering that by implementing | | | | so much paper, and you refuse to contribute to the |
| more green practices into their day to day business, | | | | problem any longer. Now instead of an inconvenience, |
| they can actually make a lot more green from their | | | | your customer is thankful for the knowledge you |
| customers. But how should a company go about | | | | have given them, and he respects your integrity |
| implementing a green marketing strategy? Here are a | | | | even more. |
| few basic tips to help you succeed. | | | | 3. Align your customer's actions with his values |
| 1. Sincerity | | | | Even if you are sincere in your motives and you have |
| There is nothing that a customer hates more than a | | | | educated your customer about the importance of |
| company that he perceives is using trickery and | | | | your green campaign, the biggest effect is achieved |
| deception to garner more sales. If you tell your | | | | when you convince your customer that your |
| customer that you have decided to go "paperless" | | | | business is the one that can help him live according to |
| by sending bills through email and using PDF files | | | | his values. Make sure your customer knows that by |
| instead of mailers; but then he comes to your place | | | | shopping at your store, he is doing his part to reduce |
| of business and sees stacks of paper overflowing | | | | the destruction of trees. Perhaps for every X |
| from your trash cans, he may question how sincere | | | | products of yours that he buys, he prevents a tree |
| you are about this whole "paperless" thing. | | | | from being killed. Make sure to tell him that. This can |
| 2. Education and Statistics | | | | give you pricing power over your competitors. Even |
| If you simply tell your customers that you have | | | | though another company's product may be a few |
| decided to go paperless, they might not see the | | | | dollars cheaper, he may go with yours because he |
| benefit. They might think that it is more of an | | | | feels it is the better moral choice. |
| inconvenience to them, and they won't care about | | | | A green marketing campaign is simply good business |
| your green marketing efforts. However, a bit of | | | | practice nowadays. Gone are the days when |
| education can make them perk up. If you tell them | | | | businesses had to resort to cut-throat business |
| that 30-40% of our landfills are filled with paper, and | | | | practices in order to make a profit. More and more, |
| 850 million trees are destroyed each year for the | | | | the businesses that are most rewarded are those |
| production of paper, these statistics can have an | | | | that provide the most value to the customer and |
| impact on them. Tell them that your business is | | | | those that treat the customer, society, and the |
| concerned about the environmental effect of using | | | | earth in a respectful way. |