Ethical Eco Telemarketing

It’s beginning to look like the World has woken up to the need for Eco Action. I’m not talking about living in a teepee or strapping yourself to a tree. I am talking about the need for a change in the products and services that we consume.

Let’s face it, unless you seriously believe that everyone is going to convert to some radical new set of politics, then you must accept that we all live in a capitalist world. I’m not going to argue whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. What is important is being realistic and honest with yourself. Once you accept the facts, then you can take action.

In my opinion, few politicians really have an opportunity to make all the changes they wanted to enact during their term of office. Did Al Gore or President Clinton really have time to make any major climate change policies? Even if they had done, that would not change the fact that it is up to each and every person to green their World. In a capitalist system, it boils down to supply and demand. So if you (as a consumer) demand eco products and services, then there will be plenty of organisations willing to supply what you ask for.

I’m not going to debate the pros and cons of government intervention here. Some people believe intervention could help, whilst others believe that true sustainable growth will be hampered by tampering politicians. The truth is that the system our great-grand-parents fought hard to construct, offers us all the chance to get involved and change matters as consumers. There is an old axiom that says “You are what you eat”. Well, today that can be extended to “You are what you consume“.

I think “The West” has gone far past the point of debating whether climate change is real or not. Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter whether a public speaker says it’s real or not anymore. It’s a question of what the ordinary person in the street thinks. At ECO1, we spend 90% of our time on the telephone, talking to hundreds or thousands of people every week about eco products and services. From our feedback, it seems that some people are better informed than others, but that’s normal. The key point, is that the ordinary person in the street wants to do their bit when it comes to climate change. The same is true of just about every business person.

It is the belief of ECO1, that the change from an unsustainable capitalist economy to a sustainable capitalist economy is already happening. Sure, some of the less reputable organisations are bending the truth, but most are genuinely moving towards sustainable practice within their organisation. One factor pointing towards this change is the “holier than though” set of comments, springing from the mouths of old green activists. The days of people jumping on their soapbox about the need for a sustainable future have passed. Changes are already taking place, leaving the old activists redundant. No one wants to hear that change needs to take place anymore. The new cry from the ordinary person in the street is, “Give me sustainable products and services to buy”.

The question now is how “The West” migrates in to this sustainable future. All markets from the domestic to the commercial to the industrial will require eco products and services. The question is “how will this be achieved at a pace that will negate climate change problems?” At ECO1, we believe we have the answer.

Certainly there are many routes to market, but by far the fastest method is Ethical Eco Telemarketing. To avoid the bad-press caused by a minority of unscrupulous marketing spinners, it is necessary to promote all things eco in an honest and positive manner. In other words, Ethical Eco Sales.

So how can sales be termed ethical? Many people have a very confused idea of what “Sales” is all about. A young chap from Mumbai, calls you in the car at night, whilst you are driving home. He tries to “flog” you a ring-ding mobile contract. Is that “Sales”? Well, of course it is, but it is a tiny part of “Sales” as a whole, and probably the worst impression of the true meaning of “Sales”. At the other end of the spectrum, your business is paying an ever increasing amount for Utilities, cutting at your ability to trade. One day, a charming person calls you, takes time to understand the issues you face, then offers a Green Utility deal that was just what you needed. Now that’s what I call “True Sales” and “Ethical Sales”.

We have many people applying to join the ECO1 sales team, but few meet our high standards. We believe that ethical sales are not just about glibly jumping on the green band wagon. It’s not about knowing the right techniques, but underneath having no passion for green matters. Sure, we know a number of people out there trying to copy ECO1, who will spout all the jargon and wave the eco flag; but in the end they are no better than the greenwash promoted by a small number of large corporations.

Ethical sales is not about trying to be nice, it’s about genuinely being nice to people. Ethical sales is about matching needs with products and services, not someone being rude to you when you say, “no thank you”. It’s about treating people with respect, and having a genuine interest in what they have to say. Ethical Sales is about knowing when someone is interested and knowing when they are not. At ECO1 we believe these are the key factors in what makes a true ethical sales person.

So when you need to sell your products, think carefully about what image you wish to portray. If you are ethical and green, you will want a telemarketing person who represents what you believe in. Don’t be fooled by people telling you they are “eco” or “ethical”. Trust your gut instincts when you need an ethical sales person. If the person on the other end of the phone sounds false and aggressive, that’s probably exactly what they are. If they are overtly pushey with you, then that’s very likely how they will talk to your prospective customers. So choose an ethical sales team where you feel the person on the phone is someone you would want to buy from.

At present, ECO1 are the only true Ethical Eco Telemarketing company in existence. Sure, there are hundreds of telemarketing companies out there. It has to be said that 99% of them haven’t got a clue what “eco” means. That’s why they often hire ECO1 for all their eco projects. The other 1% know what “eco” means, but you would probably be better asking an axe-wielding-maniac to undertake your sales. They would probably be a lot more polite and certainly cause less damage to your organisation’s reputation.

The market for ethical eco telemarketing is destined to expand dramatically over the next decade. Demand for eco products and services is increasing annually. The supply chain for eco products and services is growing rapidly and still has a long way to go. That’s probably why ECO1 is growing rapidly.

This is the time for eco action. This decade is witnessing the rise of the green consumer, the rise of the green corporate leader, and the rise of the green industrialist. ECO1 are part of this eco action, part of a growing eco-preneur trend. If you own or work for an eco organisation, contact ECO1 to find out how to be part of this eco action. Only by increasing your sales, can ECO1 fulfil its function of accelerating a sustainable economy - UK Tel. - 020 8906 6730, info@eco1.biz , www.eco1.biz .

This entry was posted on 26/11/2007 at 05:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorised. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.