Building A Successful Sustainability Initiative

Building a Successful
Sustainability Initiative
The Three Keys to Getting Executive Buy-In
Kathleen Gilligan and Karen Janowski

EcoStrategy Group
EcoStrategy
G R O U P
www.Eco-Catalysts.com www.EcoStrategyGroup.com
Agenda
The Three Keys

Building the Business Case
Identifying and Knowing Your Customer
Overcoming Objections
www.Eco-Catalysts.com 2 www.EcoStrategyGroup.com
Creating The Business Case
Why a Sustainability Initiative?
Get agreement to wide range of actions, not

piecemeal
Facilitates smooth progress on implementation
Communication tool – roadmap for a caravan
Tool to get support
Touchstone to keep you on track
Helps maintain momentum
Integrate programs for greater impact
Dynamic, adapt to changing situation
3 Keys to Getting Executive Buy-In
1. Build a credible business case

Features and benefits
Stated in business terms
Using factual, relevant information
2. Know your “customer”
Determine who their stakeholders are
Know their overall business concerns and issues
3. Anticipate and address objections
.
Stating Your Case in Business Terms
Revenue growth
Stock Price
Profit improvement, cost reduction
ROI
Employee Recruitment and Retention
Corporate Reputation or Brand Equity
Market Share
Carbon Footprint
Delivering the Right Information
Provide the information your “customers”
need
Credible, factual, relevant
Use reputable information sources:
Industry research papers
White papers
Citable data sources
Use business reasons and rationale
Features, benefits, and results
Delivering the Right Information
Who Is Your Customer?
Strategic Issues
Revenue
Revenue &
& Reputation
Reputation Issues
Issues Operational
Operational Issues
Each executive has Issues
business priorities
Employee
Employee Issues
Issues Production
Production Issues
Issues
Who is Your Customer’s Customer?
Board of Directors
Shareholders
Financial Community
Customers
Employees
Customers
Customers
Shareholders
Shareholders
Competitors
Competitors
Analysts
Analysts
Public
Public
Employees
Employees
Vendors
Vendors
Each executive has
stakeholders to satisfy
Employees
Employees
Prospective
Prospective Employees
Employees
CEO Customers
Customers
CEO
Management Suppliers
Suppliers
Management Team
Team
Anticipating Objections
“It costs too much”
“We don’t have budget for that”
“The results aren’t tangible”
“We don’t have staff resources”
“It doesn’t help our business”
“Does anyone care about that?”
11
Group Exercise
Building a Successful Sustainability Initiative - 3 Keys to Executive Buy-In
1. Building the Business Case
2. Identifying and Knowing Your "Customer"
3. Overcoming Objections
Stakeholders
Program ("Customers" for Your Benefits Objections Solutions
Idea)
Briefly describe a particular List 1 or 2 of the most Briefly describe the benefits List some of the objections List some ways to address
program you are proposing or influential people who can of your program as they may that stakeholder may raise to each of the possible
plan to propose. either help or obstruct your be perceived by the this program. objections.
cause. stakeholder and in terms the
stakeholder will quickly
grasp.
Stakeholder #1:
Stakeholder #2:
© 2008, EcoStrategy Group, www.EcoStrategyGroup.com

Summary
It’s all about understanding the audience

Speak the language of your customer
Understand the their drivers and constraints
Make your argument compelling and objective
Sustainability is a journey
Transformation requires buy-in from the top
and the bottom…it cascades down and grows
upward.
Building a Successful
Sustainability Initiative
Social Marketing Strategies

for Effective Employee Engagement
Allison Quaid
Creative Eco-Catalysts
EcoStrategy
G R O U P
Call me a
treehugger…
recycling paper just
feels so good!
Agenda
Effective Employee Engagement
Employees are essential to the
success of your sustainability
program..
Office energy & water consumption,
waste generation
Eco-product procurement
Process improvements
Cost savings
Typical Office Energy, Water, Waste Consumption*
*sources listed on last slide
Effective Employee Engagement
Social marketing is…
Components of Social Marketing
1. Identify barriers to behavior change
2. Create Compelling Messages
Message to your target audience(s)’s

motivation
Persuasion begins with captivating
attention
Use vivid, memorable examples
Trusted messenger - Gore v. Bush;

pastor v. doctor, CEO v. HR
3. Model the Behavior
Establish new cultural norms by getting the

right people to model the behavior, and tap
into group dynamics.
Model the behavior
Get your CEO or Leader
on the Energy Bike
www.globalactionplan.org.uk
4. Secure Commitments
Do not overwhelm pledger, e.g.:
5. Follow-up and Reward
Group Exercise
Develop a campaign to reduce energy consumption
(lights, heating/cooling and equipment) by 20% in a
corporate office of 100 people. Craft your campaign by
addressing the questions below and integrating social
marketing techniques.
1. Identify desired behavior change

2. What perceived barriers that behavior exist?
3. What messages will address those barriers?
4. How will you secure commitments to taking action?
5. How will you model the desired behavior?
Summary
Special Offer
Contact
Allison Quaid
Allison@Eco-Catalysts.com
415.748.1315
Kathleen Gilligan
Kathleen@EcostrategyGroup.com
650.321.6009
Karen Janowski
KJ@EcoStrategyGroup.com
650.947.9800
Sources

Building A Successful Sustainability Initiative

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Building A Successful Sustainability Initiative

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Building a Successful

The Three Keys to Getting Executive Buy-In

Kathleen Gilligan and Karen Janowski

The Three Keys

Get agreement to wide range of actions, not

1. Build a credible business case

© 2008, EcoStrategy Group, www.EcoStrategyGroup.com

It’s all about understanding the audience

Social Marketing Strategies

*sources listed on last slide

Message to your target audience(s)’s

Trusted messenger - Gore v. Bush;

Establish new cultural norms by getting the

1. Identify desired behavior change

You might also like

Building A Successful Sustainability Initiative

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Building A Successful Sustainability Initiative

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Building a Successful

The Three Keys to Getting Executive Buy-In

Kathleen Gilligan and Karen Janowski

 The Three Keys

 Get agreement to wide range of actions, not

1. Build a credible business case

© 2008, EcoStrategy Group, www.EcoStrategyGroup.com

 It’s all about understanding the audience

Social Marketing Strategies

*sources listed on last slide

 Message to your target audience(s)’s

 Trusted messenger - Gore v. Bush;

 Establish new cultural norms by getting the

1. Identify desired behavior change

You might also like

The Three Keys

Get agreement to wide range of actions, not

It’s all about understanding the audience

Message to your target audience(s)’s

Trusted messenger - Gore v. Bush;

Establish new cultural norms by getting the