{"id":8014,"date":"2018-11-01T14:44:32","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T14:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.inbody.com\/?p=8014"},"modified":"2018-11-01T14:48:18","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T14:48:18","slug":"how-to-increase-sales-at-your-nutrition-store-with-body-composition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/how-to-increase-sales-at-your-nutrition-store-with-body-composition\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Increase Sales at Your Nutrition Store with Body Composition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s a little story about growing a business in the good old days:<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, if a customer wanted to buy a product, they went to a store near them that carried the product and bought it. \u00a0The customer was happy: they got what they needed; the store was happy: they made a sale. The happy customer returned again, the store made more sales, the business grew, and everyone was happy.<\/p>\n

A warm and fuzzy fiction, isn\u2019t it? \u00a0Sadly, in the ultra-competitive, marketplace of the 21st\u00a0century, that\u2019s all this story amounts to.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because in the 21st\u00a0century, online shopping, driven by the explosive growth of smartphone and app technology, has made shopping from home incredibly easy. Online shopping, or e-commerce, affects every type of industry and retailer across the board. That includes the\u00a0nutrition industry<\/b>.<\/p>\n

At first glance, the nutrition\/health store industry seems stable: according to market research conducted by\u00a0IBIS World<\/a>, the annual growth rate for physical, brick-and-mortar health stores in the US\u00a0grew by 3.4%<\/a>\u00a0from 2010-2015.<\/p>\n

However, in the same period, online sales for the same products grew too \u2013 and not just a little. \u00a0According to IBIS World,\u00a0online vitamin and supplement sales grew by 12.3%<\/a>;\u00a0more than triple the growth of physical stores.\u00a0<\/b>With bigtime vendors such as Amazon, Bodybuilding.com, and Iherb.com weighing in on the market, it\u2019s hard to be surprised. That marginal growth isn\u2019t going to last forever, especially in a world where Amazon is promising\u00a0aerial drone deliveries direct to your doorstop in 30 minutes or less.<\/a><\/p>\n

Why get in the car when you can get exactly what you want from your couch, anytime you want, delivered via air in less time than it takes to drive to your store, shop, and drive back?<\/p>\n

Simple: because at your store, you can offer something that no faceless website or mechanical drone can ever hope to provide.<\/p>\n

Superior customer service from a real person who is an expert on nutrition, offering personalized counseling, advice, and service that your customers will never be able to get online.<\/b><\/p>\n

Even with the internet, your customers still crave that face-to-face interaction and expertise, if you can provide it. A\u00a0study by NICE Enterprise Group<\/a>\u00a0recently demonstrated that in terms of customer satisfaction,\u00a0people strongly favored either speaking to a real person<\/b>\u00a0at their location (44%) or on the phone (60%) over many digital channels, including website (39%), social media (1%), smartphone apps (6%), and email (9%).<\/p>\n

Still, even if you are the most well-respected expert on nutrition in your local community, you can\u2019t provide superior customer service\u00a0without something driving traffic through your door<\/b>.<\/p>\n

You still need a reason to get people off their couches to come talk to you. \u00a0What can be that traffic driver?<\/p>\n

Offer body composition analysis tests at your nutrition store.<\/p>\n

The Key to Customer Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What is\u00a0analiza compozitiei corporale<\/a>? \u00a0What does that have anything to do with customer service?<\/p>\n

Body composition analysis is a method of determining what makes up your weight: muscle, fat, bone, and water. \u00a0And whether your customers realize it or not, they\u2019re\u00a0already coming to your store to optimize their body composition<\/b>. Most of them want to\u00a0change their body composition<\/a>\u00a0by gaining muscle or losing fat (and probably both). Now, by looking at their body composition results, you can guide them to exactly the right product on your shelf to help them reach their goals quicker.<\/p>\n

What this amounts to is this: you\u2019re providing each customer personalized 1:1 attention and offering them solutions so that they can meet their individualized goals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s superior customer service.<\/b><\/p>\n

How can you test for body composition? \u00a0Although there are many ways to test body composition, there is only one practical method for in-store testing that\u2019s accurate, reliable, and gives you enough information to make the right recommendations. That\u2019s body composition testing using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For nutrition stores, it\u2019s the ideal choice. These devices are small and can be easily set up in a retail store. \u00a0They also perform tests automatically, typically under a minute or less. \u00a0Best of all, they don\u2019t require any pinching or poking of your customer, like what happens when you use skinfold calipers. \u00a0No one is going to come to your store to get pinched and poked.<\/p>\n

What information do you get from a typical BIA body composition test?<\/p>\n

Nearly all BIA devices will determine\u00a0body fat percentage<\/b>. \u00a0Using this number and multiplying it with a customer\u2019s body weight will give you their\u00a0Fat Mass<\/b>. \u00a0You can subtract that number from their body weight, and what remains is their\u00a0Lean Body Mass<\/b>\u00a0(which includes, but isn\u2019t the same as, muscle.\u00a0More on that here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re an InBody customer, you will have access to additional information such\u00a0Skeletal Muscle\u00a0<\/b>Mass<\/strong>\u00a0(what most people refer to as just \u201cmuscle\u201d) with a graph showing if the amount is under, over, or within the normal range for that person\u2019s body.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You and your customer probably don\u2019t need a body composition test to determine if they are overweight. \u00a0Your customers probably know this already, and this can be identified on the graph if the bar for Weight extends into the range under the \u201cup\u201d arrow.<\/p>\n

What your customers\u00a0may not<\/b>\u00a0know, however, is if they are\u00a0underweight<\/b>. \u00a0This can also be identified on the graph by checking if the bar ends in the range under the \u201cdown\u201d arrow.<\/p>\n

You can also provide extra value to your clients by showing them\u00a0where<\/b>\u00a0their Lean Body Mass is located and how developed they are from both an upper\/lower body and right\/left body perspective.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

InBody clients can also reveal their a customer\u2019s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which describes how many calories your customers need to keep their bodies operating at their full potential.<\/p>\n

With BMR, you can quickly determine how many calories your customer needs to gain\/lose weight based on their activity level. \u00a0With that information, you can start\u00a0crafting customized diet plans based on your customer\u2019s unique body composition\u00a0<\/b>and recommend the exact products. If you\u2019re interested in that, you can read this\u00a0complete guide to using BMR to creating diet plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Putting It Into Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are a couple situations where you can provide excellent customer service, build lasting relationships with your customers, and help your business grow.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The First-Time Customer<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Scenario: A first-time customer comes into your store. \u00a0They come into your nutrition store with the initial thought of buying whey protein because they \u201cwant to build muscle and get toned.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Action: After hearing what your new customer\u2019s goals are, you tell them that you\u2019ve got a pretty good idea of what products might work for them, but in order to be sure, you offer them a\u00a0free body composition test<\/b>, just as a thank you for walking in. \u00a0You can mention to them that you usually charge a fee for this service, but for first-timers, you give it to them on the house thanking them for considering your store.<\/p>\n

    You test them, and you see their results look like this:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    From this graph, you notice that this customer is underdeveloped in Weight, Skeletal Muscle, and Body Fat. You can make the recommendation that because this person\u2019s Fat Mass is already low, they just need to focus on gaining weight and muscle. \u00a0You can recommend that in addition to whey protein, that they\u00a0also get a weight-gaining product<\/b>\u00a0to increase their calorie intake to ensure they have the nutrients to perform at the gym.<\/p>\n

    Results:\u00a0A first-time customer walked into your store thinking that they were only coming in for whey protein, and walks out with a body composition test, whey protein, and weight gainer. \u00a0Not only that, they walked out feeling like they made the right choice because you took the time to get to know them and offered them exactly what they needed to hit their goals.<\/p>\n

    They walk away happy because they feel like they just\u00a0unexpectedly got great customer service<\/b>, and you\u2019re happy because you just\u00a0potentially doubled your sale<\/b>\u00a0from what you would have sold before, AND you ensured that that customer will be a repeat customer.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • The Weekly Weight Challenge<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Scenario: In order to build traffic to your store, you create and advertise a fat loss challenge with weekly weigh-ins to track progress. The challenge can go for as long as you like, and the winner gets a gift card to your store.<\/p>\n

      Action: You advertise to your customers that you\u2019re going to be holding a fat loss challenge: whoever can lose the most pounds of fat in 8 weeks wins a big gift prize to your store. \u00a0You charge a small entry fee for each participant that will cover a free body composition analysis \u2013 one a week, at each weigh-in \u2013 during the competition.<\/p>\n

      Every time one of your customers comes in for a weekly weigh-in, you can comment on their progress and offer recommendations that might help them win the contest.<\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s say one of your customers come in on the second week of the competition, and their body composition results look like this:<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Imagine this person\u00a0lost half a pound of fat over 2 weeks. You tell them you think they can do better if they make a couple changes in their diet. \u00a0You recommend that they introduce a fat-burning supplement to help them stay focused and increase their metabolism. \u00a06 weeks later, that person you helped wins the contest.<\/p>\n

      Results: By holding a fat loss contest and charging a small fee to participate, you\u2019re\u00a0guaranteeing traffic coming into your shop every week<\/b>. \u00a0They\u2019ll want that free body composition test, and they\u2019ll want to know if they\u2019re on the track path to win.<\/p>\n

      Every time someone from your contest comes in, you\u2019re creating another opportunity to\u00a0offer<\/b>\u00a0exceptional customer service<\/b>\u00a0by analyzing their results. \u00a0When you analyze their results and make recommendations, you\u2019re creating new opportunities to potentially sell more products.<\/p>\n

      But selling products will just be an extra bonus. What you\u2019re gaining is something even more valuable \u2013 a reputation of expertise and customer service. \u00a0Your customers have friends, and they talk to them. \u00a0By offering fun, exciting, and educational that\u00a0they can only get from your store,<\/b>\u00a0you\u2019re creating more traffic for yourself, increasing your revenue and growing your business.<\/p>\n

      Get Your Name Out There By You Getting Out There<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      \"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

      If you really want to drive traffic and growth for your nutrition store, get out from behind the counter and go out to where your customers are using \u00a0your products \u2013\u00a0their gym<\/strong>. \u00a0If you\u2019ve got a body composition analyzer, you can use it as a bridge to get you connected with business owners in your local area. \u00a0Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n

      From one of your customers, find out if you can get introduced to the person who runs their gym. \u00a0When you meet with a local gym owner, you can propose a mutual cross-promotion arrangement where both of you can improve the image of your respective businesses. It might go something like this.<\/p>\n

      You bring your body composition analyzer to a gym on a set day. \u00a0The gym owner can advertise your arrival to their members prior to your coming on that set day. \u00a0What you\u2019re there to do is test as many people as possible for a fee. \u00a0Create a profit-sharing plan with the gym owner at whatever arrangement works best for the both of you.<\/p>\n

      Another arrangement could be that you bring samples of your products and promotional material for your shop that you can hand out when you give the body composition tests. \u00a0Don\u2019t sell your products at the gym<\/b>\u00a0unless that\u2019s been agreed to by the gym owner.<\/p>\n

      Why This Benefits The Gym Owner: Your partner gym owner gets to use a body composition tool and provide it to his members at absolutely no charge. \u00a0In fact, all he has to do is say yes, and he makes money.<\/p>\n

      On top of all that, now it\u2019s the\u00a0gym owner that\u2019s providing excellent customer service<\/b>\u00a0because of a service you provide. \u00a0Your partner gets to build rapport with his customers, ensuring that he retains his members continue paying their memberships, building his reputation in the community. \u00a0All of that costs him nothing, and what remains is more money for him and a new, profitable partnership with you.<\/p>\n

      Why This Benefits The Gym Members: The gym members get to have their body composition analyzed and interpreted. \u00a0If you decide to give away free samples, then they\u2019re getting free stuff too.<\/p>\n

      Why This Benefits You: You get to expose your services to a whole new group of potential customers, and you get to do it in the place where they are most receptive to hearing about health supplements \u2013 their gym. \u00a0You get your name out in the community, and you can get people interested in coming to your store to buy your products. \u00a0You\u2019ll be driving traffic to your store.<\/p>\n

      You also get to benefit from what can be a valuable and profitable partnership with a local gym owner. \u00a0Because your businesses complement each other, there are many creative ways you can cross-promote your two businesses to the benefit of both.<\/p>\n

      One advantage of this strategy is that\u00a0it is scalable<\/b>. \u00a0You can build more partnerships with more gym owners. \u00a0For example, if you work to build relationships with 4 gym owners and do body composition testing once a month at each, now you\u2019ve got a place to test people and promote your business outside of your store once a week.<\/p>\n

      Exceed Expectations Always<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      As a nutrition store owner, you provide vitamins, supplements, and wellness products to the community.<\/p>\n

      The baseline expectation of your customers will be that you have what they want in stock, whenever they come into your store.<\/p>\n

      But if the only service you provide is just being a place where people can buy products, slowly but surely, you are going to lose traffic and profit to the internet. \u00a0Once one of your customers experiences how easy it is to order online, they\u2019ll start ordering online all the time. Why wouldn\u2019t they?<\/p>\n

      Wouldn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

      If you want to keep your customers and grow your business beyond what you thought was possible, you need to provide something that the internet will never be able to do: the personal touch of human interaction. You need to\u00a0exceed the expectations<\/b>\u00a0your customers have of you. \u00a0You need to offer superior customer service, and with a little effort, you can do it. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Be the expert<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        As a nutrition store owner, you know your products inside and out. \u00a0Every product is in your store\u00a0for a reason, and if someone tells you what their goals are, you know exactly which one to recommend.<\/p>\n

        But today\u2019s customers are smart. They know how to research online, and they will probably come into your store thinking they know what they want already.<\/p>\n

        Be the expert. Use their individual body composition results to guide your recommendations. \u00a0Not only are you creating opportunities for yourself to upsell and move more products, but you\u2019re also providing personalized service with someone\u2019s actual body composition results. \u00a0No website can do that.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Engage with your customers<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Time is valuable. Your customers are busy people with busy lives, and like anyone else, have to decide when and how to use their time.<\/p>\n

          Make your customers want to spend a small amount of their valuable time at your store. \u00a0To do that, you have to give them a reason to, and not just to buy more products when they run out.<\/p>\n

          Host events at your store like fat loss challenges. \u00a0Get them interested in coming back. \u00a0Offer them a prize to keep them engaged. \u00a0The more you get people interested in coming through your store, the more opportunities you have to prove your value and sell.<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Reach out to your community<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Whether you realize it or not, you are part of a greater network of like minded businesses \u00a0that can compliment each other. You just need to tap into it.<\/p>\n

            Get involved with businesses in your local community, and use your body composition analyzer as the vehicle that opens the door to the relationship. \u00a0You have a valuable resource \u2013 share it. \u00a0Every person you test becomes a potential customer of yours.<\/p>\n

            By being out in the community, you will begin to build a reputation for yourself as the go-to person for supplements and health information. \u00a0You will begin to be much more than simply a storefront and a place where people pick up their protein powder once a month.<\/p>\n

            You can become the person that people come to for the information and products that impact their lives. \u00a0You can offer advice, plans, and products that make people healthier and happier. \u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0superior customer service<\/b>.<\/p>\n

            And that, no matter how technology improves over time, is something people will\u00a0always want<\/b>.<\/p>\n

            Source:\u00a0https:\/\/inbodyusa.com\/blogs\/inbodyblog\/79958209-how-to-increase-sales-at-your-nutrition-store-with-body-composition\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Here\u2019s a little story about growing a business in the good old days: Once upon a time, if a customer wanted to buy a product, they went to a store…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":8016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8014","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diet"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8014"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10257,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8014\/revisions\/10257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}