Vol. 4 — No. 1 Green is Good! Think green thumb, green backs, evergreens…all good. And now the environmental green. Add it to your list of good green things! Although many businesses have long avoided entering into the environmental controversies associated with “green” (and left it as a niche strategy for conservation-oriented brands), “green” has now become mainstream and there are a lot of reasons to incorporate “green” into your strategy. Here are the top five: Green is everywhere. Whether you want to go green or not, it is almost unavoidable as the topic of conversation in any circle—social, business or political. You can’t afford to not think about it; if you aren’t, you can bet your competitors are! At some point, it will stop being an advantage and become an imperative, so figuring out how to address it sooner, rather than later, is better. It makes money. Green used to be seen as an expense for most businesses, as they envisioned putting in place new controls or operating systems to accommodate it or buying higher-cost natural or organic ingredients. Now, green is seen as an opportunity, as more and more customers are willing to pay for it and companies can save money through recycling and waste elimination. Wal-Mart is jumping on the band wagon and vows to cut gas used by its truck fleet by 25% and slash solid waste from stores by 25% over the next three years, with projected savings from the gas alone at over $300 million. Customers are demanding it. Two separate polls, one by Landor and one by NPD Group, identify approximately 17% of the buying public as claiming they want to buy “green”. While that is clearly not a majority, it is an active minority that is speaking out in blogs, email blasts and active word-of-mouth campaigns. Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc., a cleaning company based in Lee’s Summit, Mo., offers customers a green cleaning experience. The appeal is to the advocates of green (like schools and daycares) who seek a safe and healthy environment as well as to those that just like to think that they, too, can make a difference in at least one part of their operation. This business has seen tremendous growth in the last 2 years (almost 40% a year each of the last two years) and can attest to the marketing advantage of “green”. It engages your employees’ creativity. By involving your employees and leveraging their passion, you will energize employees, and with that, often comes innovation. At least a few of your employees would love the opportunity to educate their colleagues about ways to be more environmentally conscious. They might focus on how the product is packaged or how waste is disposed of in the employee cafeteria. So, let them! It provides a sense of accomplishment and leadership which, when cultivated, can spill over into other aspects of your business. It is the right thing to do. Not only are there business advantages, but there are definitive social advantages, as our communities are environmentally enriched and our quality of life improved. As you consider integrating “green” into your company strategy and operating practices, remember that there are some cautions. “Green” customers are serious. It is a group of experts that expect real substance and will demand more than lip service. They are vocal and will report on your efforts to other consumers, so be sure your efforts earn you favorable reviews. Start by identifying “green” activities that deliver advantages to you and your customers which you can implement with true enthusiasm. Pretty soon you may see more green on the bottom line! For more information on how to integrate “green” into your company strategy, contact Margaret Reynolds, Managing Principal of Reynolds Consulting, LLC at mreynolds@reynolds-consulting.com or 816-350-7680.		News February 5 - Reynolds Consulting, LLC will be hosting a Corporate Women’s Roundtable which will focus on the topic of Leading Strategic Growth. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please contact Margaret Reynolds at mreynolds@reynolds-consulting.com. Workshops Available Reynolds Consulting, LLC has created two workshop presentations which are available to clients to introduce important topics and upgrade skills in the organization. One workshop is titled, "Marketing by Objectives" and the other is "Creating Value Through Strategic Planning". If you are interested in sharing this information with your organization, just call 816-350-7680. Ideas As the new year gets underway, it is a great time to review your customer service strategy. Here are some steps to follow: Clarify the role customer service plays in your strategy. Is it the focus of your differentiation (what you do better than your competitors) or does it play a supporting role (as it would if you have a product excellence or a best value strategy)? Conduct an audit of your customer service practices, evaluating their effectiveness (measured by both their relative importance to the customer and your success in executing them) and benchmarking them against your primary competitors. Take the appropriate action: If Customer service is your main strategy, you need to be sure your effectiveness is high and that you are truly differentiating your business on meaningful service dimensions. If customer service is a supporting strategy, be sure you are at least comparable with competitors on the most meaningful customer service dimensions. "However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results" –Winston Churchill
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