Article Number: 5490
School’s in - Mohawk University teaches flooring dealers how to first be, then sell green
The secret to success in operating and selling green is education. To that end, Mohawk University is offering a new full-day course targeting dealer owners and sales associates titled “Environmental Advantage: Business Growth Through Sustainability.” The course is designed to make the issue of sustainability understandable and relevant.
The course format makes it easy for dealers to internalize and “own” sustainability practices, a key to success with their entrepreneurial mindset. Action-oriented exercises focus on two areas:
(1) Improving bottom-line short-term financial stability and position; and
(2) Improving top-line sales by driving traffic to the store and closing more deals.
Short videos of dealers and sales associates are used throughout the course to make a direct connection and highlight best practices. The outcome for dealers is competitive advantage and business results by helping them “walk the walk” (green their operations) and “talk the talk” (sell more green products).
The course begins with a series of interactive exercises to ground all participants and create a foundation for productive discussions. Sustainability lingo is reviewed, so people get the difference between terms like “recover” and “recycle.” A portrayal of the green home brings clarity to the contributing factors, including the important role that flooring plays. Also, the size of the opportunity is established through industry data, such as the fact that green buildings will double from 6% to 10% of residential construction in 2008 to 12%-20% by 2012, accounting for $40 billion to $70 billion in market value to be captured (McGraw-Hill Construction Survey).
To connect sustainability to their businesses, the course uses the “triple bottom line” concept: Sustainability as a stool with three interdependent legs of profit, planet and people.
• Profit is defined as the lasting economic impact a company makes for itself and the community as measured by sales, profits, ROI and jobs created.
• Planet is defined as a reduction in ecological footprint through the stewardship of natural resources, as measured by energy usage, water usage/quality, air quality and waste produced.
• People is defined as fair and beneficial business practices toward employees and the community as measured by labor practices and community impact.
By leveraging the three elements of the triple bottle line, a flooring dealer can create a sustainable business that creates profit for its shareholders while protecting the environment and improving the lives of those with whom it interacts.
To bring the triple bottom line model to life, the course highlights a wide range of actions taken by three different dealers. For profit, one dealer reduced his waste removal costs by 75% by finding other businesses that would take his reusable materials. For planet, another dealer installed energy efficient bulbs in his showroom, significantly reducing his monthly utility bills. For people, a third dealer donates reusable building materials to Habitat for Humanity and receives free coverage in the local press, helping to build trust with the local community.
To help them “walk the walk,” the course includes a one-page Sustainability Action Plan that participants work together to complete. This simple framework allows them make strategic choices about which actions to take based on the ability to create competitive advantage for their business, as well as the potential for short- and long-term impact.
Equally important is making sure each sales associate can “talk the talk” and effectively sell more green products. As with any successful sale, it starts by understanding the needs of the customer. Interactive role playing exercises allow the sales associate to connect the customer’s need for peace of mind that she’s doing the best thing for her family with doing the right thing for the environment. As a foundation for this exercise, the course helps participants understand the unique environmental story of carpet, hardwood, laminate and ceramic.
The final exercise in the course focuses on making the in-store experience work hard to support selling green products. Participants modify their existing floor plan to create a customized “GreenPlan” — a selling floor that promotes green products through the use of fixtures, merchandising, POP materials, etc.
The plan is for the Environmental Advantage course to be rolled out to more than 40 cities. Future plans include an online “Green Hub” that will provide easy access to environmental resources, best practices, success stories and on-line training. Importantly, it will enable dealers to work together to collectively solve problems and track performance, i.e., amount of energy saved.
The course format makes it easy for dealers to internalize and “own” sustainability practices, a key to success with their entrepreneurial mindset. Action-oriented exercises focus on two areas:
(1) Improving bottom-line short-term financial stability and position; and
(2) Improving top-line sales by driving traffic to the store and closing more deals.
Short videos of dealers and sales associates are used throughout the course to make a direct connection and highlight best practices. The outcome for dealers is competitive advantage and business results by helping them “walk the walk” (green their operations) and “talk the talk” (sell more green products).
The course begins with a series of interactive exercises to ground all participants and create a foundation for productive discussions. Sustainability lingo is reviewed, so people get the difference between terms like “recover” and “recycle.” A portrayal of the green home brings clarity to the contributing factors, including the important role that flooring plays. Also, the size of the opportunity is established through industry data, such as the fact that green buildings will double from 6% to 10% of residential construction in 2008 to 12%-20% by 2012, accounting for $40 billion to $70 billion in market value to be captured (McGraw-Hill Construction Survey).
To connect sustainability to their businesses, the course uses the “triple bottom line” concept: Sustainability as a stool with three interdependent legs of profit, planet and people.
• Profit is defined as the lasting economic impact a company makes for itself and the community as measured by sales, profits, ROI and jobs created.
• Planet is defined as a reduction in ecological footprint through the stewardship of natural resources, as measured by energy usage, water usage/quality, air quality and waste produced.
• People is defined as fair and beneficial business practices toward employees and the community as measured by labor practices and community impact.
By leveraging the three elements of the triple bottle line, a flooring dealer can create a sustainable business that creates profit for its shareholders while protecting the environment and improving the lives of those with whom it interacts.
To bring the triple bottom line model to life, the course highlights a wide range of actions taken by three different dealers. For profit, one dealer reduced his waste removal costs by 75% by finding other businesses that would take his reusable materials. For planet, another dealer installed energy efficient bulbs in his showroom, significantly reducing his monthly utility bills. For people, a third dealer donates reusable building materials to Habitat for Humanity and receives free coverage in the local press, helping to build trust with the local community.
To help them “walk the walk,” the course includes a one-page Sustainability Action Plan that participants work together to complete. This simple framework allows them make strategic choices about which actions to take based on the ability to create competitive advantage for their business, as well as the potential for short- and long-term impact.
Equally important is making sure each sales associate can “talk the talk” and effectively sell more green products. As with any successful sale, it starts by understanding the needs of the customer. Interactive role playing exercises allow the sales associate to connect the customer’s need for peace of mind that she’s doing the best thing for her family with doing the right thing for the environment. As a foundation for this exercise, the course helps participants understand the unique environmental story of carpet, hardwood, laminate and ceramic.
The final exercise in the course focuses on making the in-store experience work hard to support selling green products. Participants modify their existing floor plan to create a customized “GreenPlan” — a selling floor that promotes green products through the use of fixtures, merchandising, POP materials, etc.
The plan is for the Environmental Advantage course to be rolled out to more than 40 cities. Future plans include an online “Green Hub” that will provide easy access to environmental resources, best practices, success stories and on-line training. Importantly, it will enable dealers to work together to collectively solve problems and track performance, i.e., amount of energy saved.
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