Strategies for Selling Green Building Services

Eco-friendly construction isn’t anything new, but the demand for green building services has steadily increased over the years. Industry owners want to make a less detrimental impact on the environment. They want to decrease their carbon footprint, so they opt for structures that incorporate recycled materials and use less energy to create.  Your clients may want green building options, which is great for you because they already understand the benefits. Other clients may not be interested or are worried about associated costs, so it can be challenging to market to them.

1. Teach Your Customers About Green Building

Perhaps one of the primary reasons industry owners don’t choose green building services is that they simply don’t know enough about them.

Educate them upfront about costs and materials used and how going green can help the environment in the long run. If the client will be in the building for years to come, let them know that the money they put into materials from the beginning will result in future savings.

Electricity, water and gas bills for a commercial building can add up, but with green building, energy costs decrease, and the value of the structure increases because of sustainable materials. By educating your customers, you’ll have better chances of selling them green building services.

2. Let Them Know the Health Benefits

If the lasting, beneficial effects that green building has on the environment doesn’t sway your clients, let them know how it can affect them directly. This method focuses on making the inside of the building a healthy environment, just like the outdoors.

Green building ensures proper natural lighting, increased ventilation, plenty of windows and low-toxic furnishings. Each of these qualities allows for increased productivity — which is beneficial for your client because employees will work more efficiently and effectively — and better overall health.

3. Show Your Clients the Materials

Recycled and upcycled materials are a key component of building green. These items often use less energy and have a better impact on the environment. Your strategy needs to be different for clients who are more concerned with cost and quality over environmental impacts.

One of the most challenging barriers to cross in building green is cost. However, materials such as reclaimed wood — which can come from old barns or ships — or recycled metal used for factory buildings are durable and long-lasting, and can be used for support beams in a building. Paying more upfront will leave clients with longstanding commercial facilities that won’t need many replacements or renovations.

Another material used in green buildings are solar panels, which can provide electricity for an entire structure or for certain electrical needs. Commercial building owners can fully go solar, or use a combination of solar energy and electricity from a grid. Either way, energy costs decrease over time with solar panel installation.

4. Their Building Will Stand Out

Whether your client intends to construct a school, hospital or office building, their place will stand out from the rest of the crowd if they build green. New generations seem more likely to want to reduce their carbon footprint, so they may opt to use eco-friendly buildings. People who make environment protection a priority will enter your client’s green building over others.

Some things that differentiate green buildings from others are a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, healthier and more satisfied employees and occupants, competitive rates and, over time, decreased operating costs. 

Make an Impact

Strategize with your client in mind. If they like stories, share about another client who used green building services. If they prefer statistics, tell them about the overall cost and health benefits when choosing green building services.

Your clients will have to take ownership of the environment they create. Demonstrate how green construction can make a lasting difference on the planet and those who will utilize the building.