Very Pleased...

For years, we have been extolling the energy saving benefits of our revolutionary Eco-Transport Coating, but often charts and technical data fall short to fully articulate the product's potential. While the bottom line increases seen by many food distribution companies as a result of Eco-Transport Coating's application are impressive (average 18% decrease in diesel fuel consumption), corporations' enthusiasm over results can often be understated, which is why we are so happy to share a product testimonial that reaches beyond raw data points and paints a picture of how our products do more than just add to a bottom line; they help improve lives, and we are very proud to play a small role in the growing RV communities around this nation. 

The title to the email that arrived in my inbox earlier this morning was Very Pleased, but allow me to say to the Browns that WE are the ones who are very pleased to have your family as loyal customers. Businesses are nothing if not taking care of the people and communities they serve. As a small business, we are fortunate to know our customers' faces and a bit of their stories. Below are excerpts and pictures from one such story. 

[On August 11, 2012] we finally got to install the [Eco-Transport] Coating and it's AWESOME!!  We [applied] it in Oklahoma in a friend's workshop, so we were out of direct sunlight.  The original roof was bare aluminum, so it would get HOT in the sun.  

When we pulled the rig out of the shop, after several hours of dry time, it was 104 outside.  We have an infrared surface thermometer and boy did we have fun!  The surfboard carriers, on the edges where we did not apply the coating, reached a surface temp of 147.  The coated portion remained within 5 degrees of the ambient air temperature.  Amazing.  We immediately noticed a difference in the rig's ability to stay cooler on the inside.  We are now in Barstow, CA where it's been averaging right at 100 each day.  It is such an incredible product!  We normally would run our generator from sun rise to sunset out here, but with the coating we are only cooling the truck off in the hottest part of the day.

We are totally satisfied and are spreading the word to all of our trucking and RV friends.  The other plus that we weren't expecting is that the coating does not collect dirt.  Usually when we wash the truck we have to wipe down the roof first, which is not pleasant when it's so hot up there.  Washing the rig today, not only was it pleasant to be up top, but we just spot cleaned a few areas on top, instead of washing the entire top surface.

Thanks so much!!
Here are some pictures for you.
Thanks,
The Browns

Pre - Application

Post-Application

Post-Application on the Road

From my own personal experience, I can recount numerous times when I was moved to notify a company of my overall satisfaction with their product or service; however, when time came to initiate the communication, I balked. Dissatisfied customers will overwhelmingly outnumber satisfied customers in sharing their feedback, and it is for that reason that we are extremely flattered and grateful for today's email. I sincerely thank the Browns for not only their business but also for taking time to share their story with us.

For more information about Eco-Transport Coating, please, visit http://ecoprotectiveproducts.com/transportation_coatings.html.

At Second Glance, It Really is Just About the People

“This LetsBlogOff theme is about taking a deeper second look at what appears to be an everyday common object or occurrence where something happens that makes you look at it in a different light. It could be an object, person or place. Or something entirely different.” – LetsBlogOff Team
Every day, they are there, but we fail to notice. Life thus passes us by like a movie montage, one where the pace of everything around us is moving infinitely fast yet we simply continue to plod along, absent-minded of what we are missing. As we endeavor toward greater productivity, forever chasing the completion of the never ending to do list, we lose sight of what it really is all about. All set to the soundtrack of some hyper-electronic techno beat.... cue the strobe lights.


In marketing, we research consumer purchasing and behavioral patterns, analyze demographical trends, and conduct environmental & stakeholder impact studies. With substantiative evidence, we race to execute our cleverly constructed marketing strategies. Sometimes, we succeed; other times, we miss the mark entirely. About face, and race back toward the drawing board. Clearly, we misinterpreted the DATA. 


WIth this manner of thinking, however, we will continue to fall short with far greater frequency. We may operate in a faceless marketplace characterized by virtual relationships and online engagement, but we mustn't forget that it is still a marketplace composed entirely of people. Very, very real people. They may play the role of salesman, associate, stakeholder, or prospective client, but that is and always will be superseded by their role as a person.


In marketing, in life, this understanding is paramount to success and to happiness. People are not DATA POINTS; they are PEOPLE. 


KIAPS. Keep it about People, Stupid.


Even when business becomes ruthless, remember that your adversary is just like you. He awakes in the morning to the shrill of an alarm clock. Struggles to tie that perfect knot... with a Wall Street dimple. He stresses over bills, his health, his visiting parents, the weather, his dog doing business on the neighbor's lawn, the next oil change, seeing an ex-girlfriend... and consequently calling her in midnight's hour of desperation. He has dreams but probably possesses more demons. He holds the door for ladies and helps the elderly cross the street, yet on more than one occasion he has let road rage elicit that one universally recognized hand gesture. More than anything, he just wants to be treated like a person. 



The examples, where this concept flourishes, are many, but the one that is so blatantly obvious is imbedded in the success of the coffee industry. From the overwhelming success of Starbucks to the hundreds of thousands of independently successful coffee shops around the country, I venture to say none arrived at their success without putting people first.

"At Starbucks, I've always said, 'we're not in the coffee business serving people; we're in the people business serving coffee'" - Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks Coffee

So, next time you're talking to a potential client, employee, or complete stranger, remember in your heart that he/she is not some means to an end rather a person just like you and I. Remember that whether you're in Marketing or not, the Golden Rule is still the best rule by which to live. 

Publicly? Privately? Doesn't Matter. It's Who We Are.

Privacy.

 I sat pondering this topic for the better part of 30 minutes during my lunch break today. Ironically, my lack of blossoming ideas was on full display for any passerby. My cursor blinked lethargically at me, almost mocking me, while a flood of nothing came to my mind. Already having posted an earlier rendition of this week's Let's Blog Off topic on my personal blog, Life as an Experiment, I wondered... perhaps aloud, do I have anything more to say?

If that notion weren't crippling enough, by nature of this being the blog for our company, I felt compelled to someway sew in, at bare minimum, a thread of sustainability even if the creative capacity to sprinkle in nuggets of information about our premium, eco-friendly paints eluded me.

Is this too great of a task to tackle for a Tuesday afternoon? Surely, forgiveness is conceivable if I fail to produce anything value. I mean will Nick or Paul really be surprised if I don't contribute this week? Doubtful as I haven't participated in Let's Blog Off on this blog for more months than I care to recount. I was on the precipice of giving up... but wait...

.....like a can of paint tied to a rope swinging over a bannister like in Home Alone, it hit me.

Privacy can be defined as anonymity. To remain anonymous protects one's privacy; however, at Eco-Protective Products, we do not hide behind a corporate veil. We are a privately held company but one that exposes its identity. We are individuals; we are composed of independent distributors, sales persons, advisors, and hard working entrepreneurs. We do our best to make ourselves available to any customer, supplier, or business partner day and night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (maybe with the exception of during Georgia football games).

So while I disclose who we are, perhaps I'd be better suited to describe that which we are not.

We are not a company riding the coat tails of the sustainable building movement in order to turn a quick profit. In fact, our roots trace back to the early 1990's, and the decision then to utilize the highest performing raw materials in order to deliver the highest quality paint to consumers still holds true. Our paints, although Green in composition, are of premium quality, ensuring long-term customer satisfaction via enhanced durability, superior color retention, and  excellent overall performance.

We are not snake oil salesmen. Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure what SNAKE OIL was ever used for...ah... according to Wikipedia, it was primarily utilized for joint pain before becoming the infamous underperforming elixir for any and all ailments. But I digress. Many smaller paint manufacturers make outrageous claims regarding the performance of their products, and as a result of an undereducated marketplace, many consumers fall victim to paying exuberant rates for products that fail to live up to the marketing promises. That is something we are not. All of our claims are substantiated with repeated testing in the laboratory and more importantly, in the real world. (Although if anyone can get me some snake oil, let me know. I'm 26 and my joints already ache - thanks to 20+ years of competitive sports).

We are not a huge company. You won't find our paints on the shelves at Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware or even Wal-Mart. We neither have a multi-million dollar marketing budget nor a Hollywood celebrity to endorse us. And to my knowledge, we have a clean record dealing with governments of all sizes, offering zero bribes and receiving zero handouts. We earn our living the old fashioned way. So you will not see me on Fox News anytime soon refuting nefarious dealings with any bureaucrat, public official, or corporate big wig... and although the reasons are many, not least of which is the fact that I probably have a face better suited for radio.

We are an honest American business. Through tireless networking and an unfatiguing sales force, we've experienced yearly growth since our inception in 2008. We may never become a Sherwin Williams or Pittsburgh Paints, but that is not our goal. Each day when we arise, whether we are donning our work boots or power ties, we strive to connect with building owners, project developers, architects, and homeowners (among others) to provide them an alternative solution to their painting needs; a solution that not only yields the long-term value they require but also the eco-conscious design they desire.

Publicly. Privately. This is who we are. We are proud of it and pray that through the ups and the downs, this is who we remain.