Rethinking The Business Of Wellness

Ten Reasons Health and Wellness Businesses Really Are Different

February 17, 2011 • Leslie Nolen Radial

I recently had lunch with a guy who worked for me when I was running a big technology services firm.

He asked me why Radial specializes in health and wellness businesses –  clearly thinking that every industry pretty much faces the same issues.

It was a great question and inspired me to hop up on my soapbox about why health and wellness really IS different.

These ten differences pop up over and over as we work with our marketing and consulting clients – I’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments:

1. Yes we can!

Does anyone lose sleep at AT&T if I’m having phone problems? Not a chance.

But wellness professionals really care. When clients struggle, you’re truly invested in helping – in making their lives better.

Reality check: Leading a successful business takes passion and intensity, yes – but your team has to be able to stay the course. Your most empathetic employee may also feel clients’ ups and downs most intensely. Watch for burnout and work/life balance.

2. Not just a number

“Enter your account number to get your balance.” “First, check for an answer in our online FAQ.” “The hold for a live representative is currently 28 minutes.” “Email customer service.”

Other industries actively avoid live contact with customers, because it costs more.

Not you. You know that health and wellness is the most personal thing in the world. There is no way that our customers can just be numbers to us.

Reality check: The strategic way to control costs is to put great people in every job – and give them the best tools, whatever makes them super-effective and efficient. Do you ask a great football team to play with Nerf footballs?

3. Battle of the experts

Need a new kitchen counter? The choices are fairly limited and largely depend on budget.

Want to lose weight? The list is endless, and even experts disagree on which methods actually work best.

That’s why health and wellness marketing – unlike other consumer marketing – has to authoritatively cut through those conflicting messages to connect with potential customers.

Reality check: In a marketplace full of alternatives, specialists stand out. Concentrate on what your business can do best. Tap other trusted experts and businesses to fill in gaps.

4. Free for all

I’d be rich if I had a nickel for every time a client said “We need to make a decent living for our team, but what we really care about is helping as many people as possible.”

And they mean it. Can you name any other industry where business leaders think that way?

Reality check: You’ll help lots more people if your business is healthy and sustainable – if it’s built to last for the long haul. Scholarship programs and “good deeds” budgets let even sole proprietors give while keeping the bottom line healthy.

5. Product perfection

In other industries, companies get lazy. They stop improving their products (after all, that costs money).

Health and wellness businesses are never asleep. You’re always thinking about what would work better, how to incorporate the latest research, how to do a better job of making lives better.

Reality check: Perfect is the enemy of good. Taking forever to roll out a program – because it just needs a few more tweaks! – is the enemy of a healthy business.

6. No hassles

Most health and wellness businesses hate the thought of hassling people to buy their stuff. And their instincts are good. In this industry, marketing only works when it’s authentic and distinctive.

Reality check: The most brilliant healthy lifestyle program ever created will still fail if no one knows your business exists. You must market to survive and thrive.

7. Subject-matter experts

Your businesses overflow with health and wellness knowledge and experience.

Reality check: Health and wellness know-how is necessary for a successful business – but it’s not sufficient. You’ve got to spend time and money on the other legs of the stool, too: sales and marketing, people management, financial management.

8. Great expectations

Health and wellness businesses are eternally optimistic. They are the Weebles of the business world. Knock ‘em down, and they bob back up again. Because when you know you can change lives, your determination to succeed overcomes hurdles where others falter and second-guess.

Reality check: Sometimes this optimistic outlook morphs into the delusional belief that your programs will success because they “should.” They’re great, they make a difference – so customers “should” buy them. Sorry, but that’s not how it works.

9. Customers think different

You want to buy a TV? You check a few prices, check a few features, make room in the den – and you’re ready to go!

The process is different – and more complex – when people think about buying health and wellness. Their life experiences, their internal self-talk, their dreams and disappointments…it’s all in there!

Reality check: Successful health and wellness marketing isn’t like selling soap or sweaters or picking an accountant. It blends stages-of-change marketing PLUS all the conventional marketing know-how that every industry needs.

10. Works in progress

Gratification is instant – or darn close to it – for most consumer purchases. Want a new outfit? Browse your favorite mall, check your go-to websites, ping a few friends – you’re done!

Not in health and wellness. In our industry, customers don’t overflow instantly with wellbeing.

It takes time. It’s a marathon, possibly an ultra-marathon, never a sprint. They don’t change overnight. They backslide. Their life situations change. Their needs change.

Reality check: The good news: as long as customers are breathing, they’re works in progress. They need more than a one-time quick-hit program.  Successfully meeting that need means revenue growth and more predictable profits for your business.

What else should I have told him?

In Industry Trends, Management & Leadership • Tagged , , , ,

6 Responses

  1. Wayne Jacobs, LeTourneau University

    I appreciated your 10 ways why wellness business is different. Thanks for sharing them!

    One that I have used that I didn’t see is the idea that those of us in the business have to live out our business 24/7. If a car salesman sells you a lemon, you just go out and get another. If a flight attendant gives you bad service, you can choose another airline. It is not that way with our bodies – we have to live in them. The choices I make influence my ability to model the behavior I want to encourage in others. Show me that in any other business.

    On February 18, 2011 at 7:53 am • Reply
    • Leslie Nolen | Radial

      Oh, good addition….I can’t think of many other professions where some customers evaluate your professional capabilities by your appearance.

      Yet I’ve absolutely heard some folks question whether an unfit cardiologist is the right choice.

      Interesting side point – a recent study found that fit doctors are more likely than sedentary docs to provide in-depth lifestyle counseling to patients re: healthy diet, physical activity, etc.

      On February 19, 2011 at 5:57 pm • Reply
  2. Rob Bishop, Elevations Health Club

    On why the health and wellness business is different–I think you described it very well. We have so many great people in our industry who truly want to help people. It really is different. It’s funny how uncomfortable some of our staff gets when it comes to “sales.” We try to turn it around a little for them–it isn’t about getting someone to “buy” something. It’s about asking questions, finding out what this person needs or wants and then seeing if we can provide that for them. Then that customer will WANT to be a part of what we are doing at our club.

    On February 18, 2011 at 1:03 pm • Reply
    • Leslie Nolen | Radial

      So true. I can’t think of another industry where people actually worry that they’re “manipulating” people if they take the marketing initiative. No other industry sweats that for even a minute.

      On February 23, 2011 at 10:14 am • Reply
  3. Rob Bishop

    Hmmmm, interesting question and one that has come up before in our facility. Are people more likely or less likely to hire a trainer who is overweight?

    There are two theories on this and I have seen evidence to support both. I have overheard members discussing how “fit” a trainer is and commenting that they would hire that person–based on only that one fact. In other words, they had no idea whether or not that trainer was qualified or a good fit for them to help them reach their goals. When taken to a logical (and, unfortunately, this is all too common an occurrence in health clubs) extreme–I have seen people hire a completely unqualified “trainer” based on looks alone.

    Then there is the theory that people will hire an overweight trainer because they are less intimidated (being overweight themselves), think the trainer will understand and share in their struggles to lose weight and they will be more comfortable hiring someone that looks like them. I have observed this in our facility. We have several trainers that are overweight but who are incredibly fit, well qualified, experienced and who motivate their clients to get results. Most of the time, it seems, that people do need to get to know these trainers a little before hiring them–as opposed to hiring them based on their looks. And, personally I think this is a good thing.

    On February 21, 2011 at 10:26 pm • Reply
    • Leslie Nolen | Radial

      At Radial, we call this the “physical resume.” Some fitness businesses really emphasize it, some don’t. I think its importance depends on the specific business (customers + management philosophy), really.

      On March 1, 2011 at 8:30 am • Reply

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