What is the R3 sales strategy for the cleaning market?

At a time when global marketing magnates and sales gurus are engrossed in long discussions about reshaping strategies that will drive the market from 2023 through 2025, the Indian cleaning segment is retuning its pitch to touch the high note. The frontrunner from Buzil Rossari Pvt Ltd, Vanchinathan Sivaswamy, Head-Sales, gets candid about getting back to the basics of actual selling through R³ – Revisit, Realign and Reinforce.

The whole business of cleaning has evolved around understanding the surface requirements and treating it with the preferred product. In the changed dynamics, the focus is on understanding the customer’s requirement in treating surfaces in any part of a facility. This necessitates customer engagement to understand and offer solutions which are appropriate to provide the right treatment. The first tool in the sales strategy is to engage with the customer.

The solutions offered thereunder, based on customer engagement, are unique, be it for kitchen or washroom cleaning, office spaces or for the entire facility. They help build brand consciousness and brand loyalty. In the competitive market scenario where customers are known to change decisions even over a one rupee difference, the second tool in the sales strategy is building brand image.

In this context, the ultimate strategy would be to become a consultant, offering a single window catering to the entire requirement of the customers. The realignment begins from the very first step you take into the facility by providing everything, right from liquids (cleaning chemicals) to mechanisation & automation (cleaning equipment & robotics) and even personal care (tissues, handwash, etc.). The third tool in the sales strategy is in enhancing product experience of the customer and their employees.

How does one go about achieving this?

R³ Strategy

With sustainability goals set for 2030, the three ‘Rs’ of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are being aggressively pursued. On the same lines, business longevity and growth require R³ – Revisit, Realign and Reinforce.

Revisit: It is time to revisit our boundaries and territories… revisit what we are going to offer to the customer. This calls for understanding the customer needs and providing a solution, unlike directly offering different products to the customer for various purposes. Thus, going back to the basics will enable the team to revisit the customer with a renewed approach to understand where the problem lies.

Realign: Having understood the requirement of the customer and the surface that requires treatment, suppliers will need to realign the solution based on the existing product range or innovate solutions through a combination of products or improvise the product range, to meet the entire needs of the facility in one basket.

Reinforce: Finally, it is equally important to emphasise to the customer that based on the understanding of the requirement, the solutions have been improved and innovated to suit their requirements, and a complete package is being offered.

Thus, the customer is being served a total cost of ownership. The differentiating factor in this matrix is that it is no longer based on the price of the product but the cost of the solution. Through this solution, the customer saves time, experiences a sustainable solution, and a consultative approach which enables them to make decisions by understanding the chemistry of cleaning.