People make the difference

In most cases, many of the core staff has worked in the store for years. At Harmony Whole Foods in Orangeville (my local store), the multi-talented Nicky French just celebrated her 25th year with the store. I believe the longest serving customer service person I have met was at Le Craq in Quebec City, where Guy Taillon has been serving customers for over 40 years. And then there are stores like my other local community store – The Stone Store in Guelph – where owners Brenda and Candy have been serving people since 1969. I could fill the article with similar stories from across Canada.

Another thing that amazes me is the number of people I have met who have only ever worked in a health food store. Right outta high school! For instance, my sister-in-law Colleen started at Vita Health as a summer job and now has been working at Capers/Whole Foods since the late 80’s.

Then, there are a number of people who began working in a health food store only to go on to either start up or work as a broker, supplier, manufacturer, consultant, or practitioner. Health stores are often the training ground to long successful business careers. Where better to learn the needs of the consumers than in the ‘real world’ where they shop?

Selection is intimidating

When I worked in retail in the mid- 70’s, the product selection was very small. Now when I walk into a store, it is quite intimidating. I wonder how these people learn about all the products they sell. Yet, they do! They take the time to go to supplier trainings, or read on their own time, learning each day while serving customers. Every store usually has more than one person with a vast knowledge-base of natural health products. With the growth of our stores, we now have many experts – who specialize in herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathy, energy medicine, body care and a long list of other modalities – working daily with customers. I know of no other place where consumers can get the high level of support and advice available at health food stores to improve their well-being. Sure, products may be sold everywhere, but to find people who actually understand and take the time to learn about the various products, I find only our stores invest in this kind of service.

Getting better all the time

The knowledge of our sales staff keeps expanding. Of late, I have noticed more and more key staff taking courses to expand their knowledge to better serve customers while also expanding their own interest to learn. In addition, never in the history of our industry have we had more nutritionists, herbalists, homeopaths, ND’s, Chinese medicine practitioners, aromatherapists and other complimentary professionals working in stores on the sales floor, helping customers.

The power of word-of-mouth

I recently met two store employees (both nutritionists) who have their own websites. As consumers become more connected to the various social media, this may become something retailers could benefit from. Word-of-mouth marketing (the number one marketing tool, which I believe social media takes to a whole other level) may have opportunities to help you connect better with your community. Many retailers are already all over this!

In early spring, I was speaking to a woman who works part-time in two health stores. Listening to her talk reminded me of many similar folks I have met working in stores. She loves to help customers understand and feel the results our products bring. Customers come to the store looking for her, as word-of-mouth spreads in the community due to the difference she has made in their lives.

This scenario is played out every day in every store across Canada – dedicated, passionate, caring people helping their customers live healthier lives. And customers return and tell friends, as their lives have been changed forever.

We could fill volumes with testimonials from consumers who have had their lives changed by people working in health stores. A health food store customer re-named her baby Milenka in honour of naturopathic doctor Milenka Jonas. This is as a result of Dr. Milenka – who works at Tau in Montreal – helping the baby overcome a serious illness. Yes...we DO make a difference in people’s lives!

Products come and go or often end up sold everywhere. Uniqueness in product selection is hard to maintain. The health food business has been built by people who believe using natural health products is a healthier way to live. It is the PEOPLE – not the products – that ultimately make the difference.

My thanks and gratitude to all these amazing people who energize and carry the spirit of natural health products and their benefits to communities across Canada.

A millionaire mindset….

I was having an email dialogue with my friend Mark Ysseldyk, who owns The Vitamin Store chain in Ontario. We often exchange books to read. He suggested a book called The Automatic Millionaire. So I teased him, asking if he automatically became a millionaire. His reply: “I may not yet be a millionaire financially. However, I have a millionaire’s family, a millionaire’s health, a millionaire’s staff and a millionaire’s life.” Now, that attitude is priceless!

Proven de-stress methods

When I first became a manager at a business, we didn’t even have voicemail. Today, communication methods continue to pile up: office voicemail, cell voicemail, email, not to mention Facebook, Twitter and text messages. I understand this is the new way of business, so we better keep up or we’ll fall behind the times. Heck, I am hearing children now have high stress levels due to the enormous attention being put on these social expectations of “staying connected.” Can this be good? So, how do we remain calm and carry on when our attention is being continually challenged? Here are some proven solutions:

Exercise – There are many choices – you just need to get your body breathing and moving. The excuse of not having enough time is no longer valid, as some of the best forms of exercise to reduce body fat and reduce stress require minutes, not hours.

Quiet time – Whether it is meditation, prayer or just sitting quietly, we need to take time to sit in silence. One of the easiest ways to learn to do this is take time to focus on your breathing. Breath in, breath out deeply. This really helps put things in perspective. DO this 20 minutes a day minimum.

Laughter – This is still the #1 medicine and wonderful stress reliever. Just 15 seconds of laughter increases those positive healthy hormones. •