The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces the launch of the first course in a series of Web-based, narrated presentations created for distributors serious about getting into the growing market for green products and services. This training series—Selling Green 101—is based on research commissioned by the NAED Channel Advantage Partnership. The research study, titled Green Goes Mainstream: How to Profit from Green Market Opportunities, was conducted by Yudelson Associates.

The series will consist of a total of eight, 20-30 minute courses that build on this overview of green markets. It will present a more tactical perspective of the research for inside and outside sales people to identify basic terms and drivers of the green market, and learn selling tactics for appropriate applications and technologies. The series is a starting point for those individuals intending to become more proficient in selling green solutions.

The first course What Does Green Mean? is an introduction to the concept of “green” for the electrical distribution channel. The course is designed to introduce the specific markets that can be entered today, the forces driving the green building revolution, and key terminology necessary for learning to sell green solutions. The remainder of the courses will be completed throughout 2009.

Following is the complete list of Selling Green 101 course titles:
Course 1: What Does Green Mean?
Course 2: Go With the Flow
Course 3: The Value Proposition for Green Solutions
Course 4: Lighting Retrofit
Course 5: Emerging Lighting Trends
Course 6: Integrated Building Controls
Course 7: Variable Speed Drives and Motors
Course 8: Renewable Energy

“It is critical to our industry’s growth, to seek out new spaces in which to sell our products,” said Dick Waterman, NAED board chair and senior advisor for International Electric Supply Corporation. “Energy efficiency offers a tremendous opportunity for expansion. These courses offer NAED members the key information they need to know to capture this valuable growing market.”

What Does Green Mean? is currently available on the NAED Learning Center at an introductory price of $29.95 per student. To order, contact NAED Customer Service at (888) 791-2512 or [email protected]. For additional information, visit online at www.naedlearningcenter.org.

NAED is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry. Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. NAED’s membership operates in approximately 4,400 locations internationally.