Daniel Jones, Director of Sales
Can you give me a bit of your company history?
Xzilon is the benchmark for high performance appearance products, drawing from its affiliate company’s rich experience since the 1930s. Xzilon, originally used in the aviation industry, was introduced into the automotive arena in 2004. Xzilon Green was launched at the NADA convention this year in Orlando.
How did you become involved in the Eco Product category?
Xzilon has an honored tradition of breaking performance barriers with its products. Being just Earth-friendly isn't the only requirement for developing a great eco product. Dealers and customers expect performance. The challenge of developing an Earth-friendly appearance product that included the Xzilon hallmark of superior performance led to the creation of Xzilon Green.
What are your top reasons behind offering Eco Products?
For years consumers have recognized their growing responsibility to our planet through the choices they make in purchases. Xzilon supports that decision with a line of Earth-friendly, sustainable appearance products called Xzilon Green.
What are the top three differences between a product marketed as an Eco Product and a more traditional offering?
We've all been conditioned that choosing Earth-friendly products probably translates to sacrificing performance. Xzilon Green sets the benchmark again with a product that is:
Water based;
Has zero VOCs; and
Creates sustainable appearance protection utilizing our proprietary Earth-friendly chemistry.
Do you also offer the more traditional equivalent products or is the Eco Product the only one in that category?
Although never defined as "traditional," Xzilon's Original formulation is our flagship product, with 100% VOC compliance and aviation grade protection. It's Xzilon’s commitment to offer dealers and consumers several no compromise choices including Xzilon Original and Xzilon Green.
Are Eco Products for everyone, or is pricing such that the customer must be prepared to pay a premium for it?
Earth-friendly products - whether sparked by industry compliance or the customer’s desire to protect the Earth - have created a new opportunity for choice. Xzilon has embraced this Earth-friendly choice with the development of Xzilon Green. Both Xzilon Green and Xzilon Original formulations are offered at equivalent prices, allowing the agents, dealers and customers to make a great product protection decision.
How do you advise the F&I Manager to identify likely Eco customers, and how should they present the Eco product?
A significantly growing number of customers have the desire to purchase Earth-friendly products, especially if performance isn’t sacrificed. The F&I manager can create the connection with the purchase of the vehicle itself. Customers’ love buying new vehicles and they have a natural desire to protect them. Today’s vehicles are more Earth-friendly then ever before, but they also have great performance. The products that protect these vehicles should have the same traits.
What is your primary sales channel? How do you market to that channel?
Xzilon's distribution channel is exclusively through automotive dealerships. Xzilon provides a superior product choice and industry leading tools, i.e. free downloadable apps and 24/7/365 online service, to assist our sales professional partners in conveying and supporting our message of product performance strength.
Do the regulations differ at all for Eco Products versus other traditional offerings?
Industry regulations are both universal and sometimes state specific depending on where they are sold, regardless of the degree of Earth-friendliness. Xzilon only uses high quality raw materials to engineer products that are highly sustainable, have warrantied benefits that match the product performance and are either VOC free or are minimally VOC compliant.
In your opinion, where is the greatest growth potential for the Eco Product category?
The greatest growth potential is clearly converting the conditioned nonbelievers of Earth-friendly appearance protection into steadfast customers. Xzilon approaches this industry stigma with paradigm shifting products that perform far beyond the industry and consumers expectations.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Xzilon believes passionately in protecting the surfaces it is applied to, thereby enhancing the ownership experiences of its customers. Earth-friendly products are a rapidly growing ingredient of the evolving relationship that appearance protection providers have with their customers. Xzilon Green translates into a greater revenue for dealers because of the relevant connection it makes with their customers' desire to protect their vehicles and the Earth.
