The idea of healthy selling isn’t new, but success in the industry is. Most traditional vending operators believe that healthy selling will fail because they have been doing it the wrong way. To ensure success in the health selling industry, it is essential to follow these five simple rules.
#1 Healthy vending machines should stand out
It is impossible to distinguish yourself as a health food vending operator if you operate machines that look like traditional fast food dispensers. If your device doesn’t stand out from the crowd and shout “I’m different!” You won’t attract health conscious customers. Health-conscious customers won’t bother looking in a traditional vending machine because they know there’s nothing on sale that they’ll eat. If your equipment doesn’t look modern, clean, and high-tech, the health-conscious audience you’re targeting won’t give your equipment a second look. Spending money on a new, high-tech vending machine, it might cost you a little more, but that’s the only way you can expect to succeed.
#2 Don’t combine healthy snacks/drinks with junk foods
Hungry lacks self-control. A hungry customer might walk toward a vending machine intending to grab a bag of pita chips, but when they get there and see a Twix bar staring at them, their stomach gets the best of them. There is a reason millions of dollars are spent each year on fast food marketing, it works! Those TV ads made us believe that these items make us feel good. 15 minutes after the candy or chips are gone, the customer has regrets, and the healthy items are still your hardware. The combination of junk food and healthy foods will cannibalize your sales of healthy items. Keep them apart for massive success!
#3 Healthy selling is about experience
Just like a traditional health food store, it’s all about creating an upscale and better experience for your customers. Think of your machines as “automated retail health stores” rather than just vending machines. Think outside the box when creating your product mix and don’t be afraid to experiment with items that haven’t traditionally sold out. Think about your customers’ needs and wants and make a plan to meet them.
Example 1 If your machine is in the gym, think about the people in the gym and their needs: workout towels, water bottles, MP3 players, protein drinks, Nike+ items, recovery discs, etc. All of these items can be sold and sold to the people in the gym.
Example number 2 If you’re sitting in the hospital, you’re likely feeling one of two ways; Either you are sick or you are worried about getting sick because you are surrounded by sick people. What will he sell to the sick or worried about the disease? Try putting immune-boosting supplements and hand sanitizers in your devices. Think of the items that will provide value to your customers, and then offer those items!
#4 Find the right site
Healthy vending machines will not work everywhere, so don’t put your machines in locations that are set to fail. Children’s play areas that already have candy machines are an example of high traffic areas that wouldn’t be a great location for a healthy vending machine. Kids armed with quarters probably can’t be trusted to make healthy choices when they’re surrounded by machines that dispense candy and toys. Some great locations for health vending machines include schools, gyms, health-conscious businesses, and hospitals. The key is to place your devices in areas that are crowded and full of health conscious people. Use common sense and analyze your customers. Your local dive bar is likely not a premium place to pay your own healthy snacks and drinks!
#5 Develop creative healthy selling solutions
Because healthy eating is something that will improve all aspects of your life, be sure to make plans to encourage people to make good choices. It’s been proven time and time again that healthy employees are more productive and have a much lower insurance cost than unhealthy employees, so convince your company’s sites to support healthy products to increase uptake. This can be part of a comprehensive wellness plan that integrates healthy vending machines with nutrition seminars and yoga exercises. The sky is the limit any integrated health plans you can develop as a operator will help you land the best spots. If you plan to put machines in schools, consider offering a youth entrepreneurship program that allows students to operate the machines themselves. This is the best of both worlds. Students eat healthy and learn how to run a business. As an operator, you get lucrative school contracts. Creativity makes money!
Follow these simple rules and you will be well on your way to success in the health vending industry!