The wellness industry has fantastic potential for success. Below are some of the best practices that I believe generate the most win-win opportunities.
Focus On The Outcome, Not Tech
I talked once with a friend about an app that helped me keep track of my daily tasks. He immediately asked me what was the name of the app and to teach him how to use it.
I politely replied, "Why do you think you need this app?" He answered, "Because you said it's a cool app."
Of course, I knew he had outstanding time management skills and could remember everything he had to do for the day and when he needed to begin each task. He only used a simple notebook and his memory.
I explained to him that to start using the app, he would need to spend precious time and energy grappling with the learning curve and that the whole thing wouldn't help him progress towards the goals he had for the moment.
He would be working to solve a problem he didn't have.
Sometimes simple, low-tech solutions are the best option.
Bring In the Right People (Hire Year Round)
Companies are constructed realities; nothing is written in stone. They are founded and run by people. If a company doesn't have people with good intentions inside from day one, it's in deep trouble.
Therefore, having a smart hiring process in place should be a top priority. It can make it or break it.
Remember that people learn more by observing what leaders do than by what they preach. Clients will learn more about a company by observing how it behaves when things don't go as planned.
Don't Sell Wellness
No one cares about wellness products. Why? Because most people don't know what wellness is and will refuse to give you their money for an unclear outcome.
Wellness is an elusive concept. How do you know you're healthy, that you're preventing illness and prolonging your life?
How do you know that your mind and body are working better now than before you bought a wellness product?
Only a few people have such a command of their body and mind awareness to acknowledge improvements and setbacks that happen to them due to having purchased a wellness program or app.
But for most people, when you start talking about reducing screen time and relying less on their GPS to travel, it's difficult for them to connect a behavior change to an improvement in their overall quality of life.
The solution is to turn the approach upside-down.
Instead of talking about changing someone's behavior (the need to reduce screen time, for example), start by talking about what kind of change they want in their lives.
A wellness company needs to figure out the answer to a simple question.
"What kind of lifestyle people want to have?"
Using this approach makes it a bit easier for people to perceive value in a wellness company product.
Inclusion and Diversity
Inclusion and diversity should be the norm for any company. But some companies are still not taking it seriously, so here it goes:
Companies need to be inclusive and embrace the diversity of gender, religion, and implement an inclusive culture. Not tomorrow; right now.
Suppose you intend to offer your product at a premium price. In that case, you should invest time exploring options that allow your product to become more accessible to minorities and people who could benefit from it but can't afford to pay the full price.
You don't need to change your target audience or risk not being profitable. But update your capitalism to a more planet and people-friendly version.
Communication and Reality Check
If you're using artificial phrases that repeat a stereotyped view of the world when communicating with clients, you have zero chance of people listening to you.
Theorizing about wellness has little to do with reality.
Let me state it more clearly.
It doesn't matter if you just delivered a killer workshop about how to avoid zoom fatigue if 70% of your audience lost their jobs in the current economic crisis.
People need first to have food and shelter. If they don't have proper medical and mental healthcare available to take care of themselves, how can they possibly think about preventing illness and how to prolong their lives?
Losing track of reality is a dangerous path for a wellness company.
Keep in mind that wellness is still a luxury item for many worldwide, which is why it's so important to create opportunities to give back to people in need and not make it all about making money out of it.
If you enjoyed reading this article, check out 10 Employee Wellness Program Ideas To Attract + Keep Talent from People Managing People.