Soap and Paper Dispensers: Getting Customers To Make An Upgrade

In today’s competitive marketplace, it takes more than bells and whistles to sell a product. High-tech soap and paper dispensers are still the rage, but customers are more conservative when it comes to investing in new equipment or updating existing systems. Some, wary of leaving their comfort zones, adhere to the adage: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Others cite budget constraints as the reason they keep old dispensers that may no longer meet their needs.

Distributors are often faced with the challenge of selling to these customers. Not only do they need to differentiate their dispensers from their competitor’s, but they also need to clearly show how these products improve productivity and increase savings. Fortunately, distributors have a variety of tools at their disposal to help them achieve this goal.

Know Your Product — and Your Customer’s
Chances are, when you arrive at your customer’s facility, you are already familiar with the dispensers you are selling. But how well do you know your customer’s existing systems? Distributors in the jan/san industry have the perfect excuse — “the call of nature” — to scope out a facility’s restroom and find out firsthand how well soap and paper dispensers meet the public’s needs.

“A good sales rep has been into the customer’s restroom and knows what type of paper towels they are using,” says Tom Banks, director of marketing communications for Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta.

Distributors can also use this opportunity to observe restroom conditions. Are there paper towels and bathroom tissue strewn all over the floor? Is the soap dispenser messy? Are the dispensers working? Are any of them empty? Armed with this knowledge, sales reps can approach customers from a position of strength, having witnessed firsthand where their dispensers meet the mark and where they fall short.

In addition to observing dispensers in the restrooms, distributors can determine their customers’ needs the old-fashioned way, says Yves Amboise Jr., assistant brand manager, hygiene division, Waterbury Cos., Waterbury, Conn. “By asking questions.”

What type of users frequent the restroom? What is the traffic flow? What type of environment is the hand washing taking place in? How often must the dispensers be refilled? Is appearance important?

The answers to these and other questions will help the sales rep and property manager choose the most appropriate and cost-effective dispensers for the facility, says Alan Gettelman, director of marketing for Bobrick Washroom Equipment, North Hollywood, Calif.

Zero In On Savings
So, you’ve determined your customer’s needs, but your customer’s budget can’t stretch to fit the systems you’re offering — or worse yet, the facility is facing budget cuts. What’s your next move?

“People are misinformed,” says Dennis Lion, director of U.S. sales, Cascades Tissue Group, Brownsville, Tenn. “They believe that by going to a better quality product, they will increase their supply budget. Their price per case and per footage may increase, but based on advancements we’ve made today in dispensing and paper quality, you can dry your hands with less paper. Often, this will lead to a reduction in the budget overall.”

Distributors should focus on demonstrating cost-per-use savings. Scott Paper Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, predicates all of its selling on cost and use, says Mark Ray, director of marketing. “The price of a product might be low, but the cost might be high if it’s overused, and I have to keep replenishing it because it isn’t doing the job properly.”

Cost savings worksheets can help distributors demonstrate the potential savings of paper and labor costs obtained with certain dispensers, says Mark Stanland, director of marketing for Bay West products, Wausau Paper, Mosinee, Wis. He also suggests setting up a facility audit and dispenser trial period.

“This would include observing restroom habits for a period of time with the current method of dispensing,” says Stanland. “Observations are taken on paper usage, waste and maintenance. Then, a trial is set up for the facility to receive our dispensing systems and paper products for the same time period. During such time, observations are also taken on paper usage, waste and maintenance. With this hands-on approach, facilities can compare and see for themselves the gains in reduced paper consumption and reduced maintenance time in their environment.”

Think Green
It’s no secret that packaging and paper products generate a huge amount of waste, and companies that are concerned about the environment will appreciate a sales pitch that addresses this issue. “Many facilities are now being charged for the garbage they produce,” says Banks.

Proprietary dispensers typically offer a metered amount of paper or soap, which encourages facility occupants or visitors to use only the amount needed, says Stanland. Not only do these systems reduce labor and costs, but they reduce product waste as well. Distributors can also tout the environmental benefits of systems with automatic or drop-down transfers. Sometimes maintenance workers will discard unfinished rolls to avoid the possibility of dispensers running out before the next roll change. Automatic transfers and lights that indicate when to change the roll can help reduce this type of waste.

Setting a good example for your customers will win their respect — and often their business. Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga., recently joined the U.S. Green Building Council to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible. The company has developed a five-page brochure on its environmental strategy. Don Totten, marketing manager, makes a compelling case for the environmental benefits of the company’s coreless tissue system.

“If a building that uses 1,000 cases of regular two-ply tissue switches to a coreless tissue system, they would reduce over one ton of packaging and waste material,” Totten says.

While he admits there are other factors to consider when contemplating a switch to coreless tissue, solid numbers that demonstrate savings and waste reduction are always an effective sales tool.

What’s Hot
When it comes to using public restrooms, the fear of germs and cross-contamination is always at the top of everyone’s mind. For distributors, any type of technology that helps prevent the spread of germs should easily sell itself. For this reason, touchless dispensers are one of the most popular choices today.

“In professional settings, every potential source of recontamination increases the likelihood of germs being spread to employees, leading to potential absenteeism,” says Martin O’Toole, product systems manager for GOJO, Akron, Ohio. “A touch-free package effectively kills germs and reduces the potential for recontamination.”

Palmer Fixture Co., Green Bay, Wis., is also taking advantage of the hands-free trend with the launch of a generic touchless bulk soap dispenser, offering customers a lower cost alternative to proprietary systems.

Manufacturers agree that foam soap dispensers are another popular choice for today’s restrooms. “These dispensers use one-third of the amount of regular soap,” says Amboise, “and give people the impression that they are using more, when in fact they are using less.”

Talk Image
When it comes time to invest in new equipment or upgrade existing systems, promoting a facility’s image is just as important as product demonstrations and number crunching. “Customers are increasingly choosing the higher quality products to help present a positive image of their business or their facility,” says O’Toole.

Distributors can also sell product upgrades by appealing to a company’s desire to reinforce its brand or image. Palmer Fixture Co., for example, offers a private-label program to distributors. “They can have the generic version of the dispenser with their name or their customer’s name and logo on it,” says Greg Kampschroer, vice president of marketing. “This adds a lot more value to the product.”

Amboise agrees that distributors must push the value of their products in upholding a positive company image. Cleanliness may not always be a top concern for purchasers, he says, so it’s up to distributors to push it to the top of their list.

“It only takes one bad experience to lose a customer forever,” he says.

Kassandra Kania is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, N.C.