We've heard it before; print buyers ask for pricing to make their project "eco-friendly" and then say "never mind." The McKinsey Quarterly, distributed by the global consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, offers some great advice on "helping green products grow." (You may be asked to register - there is no charge.) To realize the green market’s true potential, businesses must help consumers change their behavior by removing the hurdles between intentions and actions. McKinsey advises five actions to help customers "buy green:"

• Educate consumers: Because consumers are largely unaware of green products, a business that sells them must see itself first as an educator, not a sales machine.
• Build better products: Even when consumers can identify environmentally sound choices, the green label is sometimes the kiss of death. (Ed. note: I believe we are now matching the quality of traditional print with "green printing." This may be a non-issue in the Graphic Arts industry.)
• Be honest: No greenwashing, no hedging. To rebuild public trust, companies must come clean about the true environmental impact of their products and their attempts to reduce it, and many will need to address historical concerns about specific products or operations. Only then will consumers believe a company's green claims.
• Offer more: Eco-friendly products often cost more. Companies must ensure that consumers understand the financial and environmental returns on their investment in green products.
• Bring products to the people: Companies with successful green products ensure that they are available and easy to find. A simple step you can take is to always provide a quote for the most environmentally friendly solution along with the quote that matches the customer's spec. If they don't know the price difference, they can't make the choice to go green.

McKinsey's conclusion:

Going green while staying competitive can be challenging, and companies may rightly ask whether cultivating green consumers is worth all the trouble. We believe that it is more than just worthwhile-it is imperative for success. Once businesses remove the obstacles that now make it hard for consumers to act on their environmental beliefs, sales of green products could explode. What's more, a company that builds a reputation for eco-friendliness can do much more than increase its revenues. The better its reputation, the more talented the employees it can attract, the more loyalty it can inspire in its customers, and the more it can charge for its products.

The McKinsey Quarterly is distributed each quarter and contains articles across a wide range of business topics. Subscribe for email distribution at no charge.