Sustainability has shifted from “being a ‘nice thing to do’ to a ‘must thing to do,’” says Gary Jones, vice president of Environmental, Health & Safety Affairs at PRINTING United Alliance. That’s why it’s important to have a sustainability plan in place and to be prepared to speak with your customers about it on a deeper level.

“Customers easily see through empty sustainability initiatives,” Jones says. “In addition, some of them are hiring sustainability professionals that will be asking the hard questions. To have a productive conversation with customers that have sustainability as a key initiative is to be prepared with a genuine and transparent message.”

Here are four tips for mastering the sustainability conversation with print and promo clients.

1. Illustrate the environmental impact: Providing specific metrics will help them make better decisions.
   
   
2. Communication is key: Take the time to understand each of your customer’s unique sustainability goals to ensure the solutions you provide align with their values.
   
   
3. Address concerns about cost: One of the common misconceptions about choosing sustainable printing practices – or promotional products – is that they cost more, but that’s not necessarily the case.
   
   
4. Commit to sustainability: Take a proactive approach, rather than waiting for customer demand. Becoming a sustainability trailblazer can drive value and set your company apart.

Printing Impressions, whose parent company PRINTING United Alliance is in a strategic partnership with ASI, has the full story, along with two case studies of companies employing sustainable printing practices.

Read the full story on Printing Impressions.

Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.