Traditionally at the end of the year or first part of the new year, jan/san distributors review the past year's performance, as well as look for areas of improvement in preparation for the coming year.

Having worked with large cleaning contractors throughout North America, as well as schools, universities and corporations, helping these organizations make cleaning more effective and efficient, Ron Segura says what could help distributors the most in 2016 is moving from selling products to selling programs.

"For instance, when distributors meet with customers to help them select a floor machine, they usually just focus on the features and benefits of that machine," says Segura. "Instead, they must broaden their approach to include the proper chemicals, finishes, pads, tools, and accessories that go along with that machine."

Segura says this will benefit distributors for several reasons, including the following:

 • It shifts the customer's thinking away from price to thinking about value and benefits, such as enhanced worker productivity, safety, ease of use, being more environmentally responsible, etc.

 • Selling a program is designed to help solve cleaning problems, not just address a specific cleaning need.

 • By selling a program, distributors are selling their own value to the facility, making them important assets to a facility's health and operations.

 • Selling a program helps avoid the one-off customer

 • Selling a program can lead to offering add-on services, helping the distributor bond with the customer and solidify new business.

 • Selling a program opens the door to upselling.

 • Selling a program can lead to product bundling which can result in cost savings

 • Selling programs helps prevent purchasing departments from "nitpicking" a purchase request.

This last item is very important, according to Segura.  Many times when a purchasing department receives an equipment purchase request, it looks for alternative products that cost less. 

"[However], when selling a program it is easier to tell the purchasing department that the facility is not just buying products, but an entire program-that's a whole other ballgame."