Business Skills

We’ve all seen the shopper who is hoping a quick glance at the meat counter will be the inspiration they need for a healthy, tasty meal idea for their family.  In those moments, retail dietitians can play an important role in helping shoppers select the quality, nutritious food – especially meat – that they’re wanting.

As a retail dietitian, you focus a lot of time and attention on developing nutrition and wellness programs for your customers and community members, but what if I told you there is a large (and captive!) audience that you may be overlooking?

Estimates suggest 75% of people don't believe advertisements, yet more than 90% believe recommendations from friends. In fact, people are four times more likely to make a specific purchase when recommended by a friend. These statistics make word of mouth marketing campaigns essential for retail dietitians looking to increase use and purchase of their programs and services.

For years, the mantra of marketing has been the four P's – price, product, promotion and place. Today, however, these long held beliefs about the right approach to marketing products and services is being replaced by the three E's -- Engage, Equip, and Empower.

Put a dietitian in a clinical setting and she feels at home as she’s been trained to be successful in this environment.  But at retail, the players are different, the business goals create a pressure cooker environment, and health and wellness is still a relatively new business driver. 

A great food demonstration can be a powerful thing. Whether done in a store, on Facebook live, or for a community presentation, when done correctly, a demo allows your audience to experience the positive benefits of your product(s) and see how the items may make their life easier, more affordable and healthier. Here are some tips to make certain your product demonstrations increase sales and meet consumer needs.

Bucking human nature and focusing on individual strengths can increase productivity and results.

Here at Kroger, our purpose is, quite simply, to feed the human spirit. The healthcare practitioners inside our stores live this purpose through their mission to simplify healthcare and connect with people on an emotional and personal level.  One of the most personal and emotional facets of health is food, and who is better poised to simplify food and nutrition than a registered dietitian? 

Although it may be new and uncomfortable, upselling your services to customers can be one of the easiest ways to increase revenue and show your ROI. Depending on your retailer, there can be several ways to implement these strategies but start with the needs of your current customer base to help ensure success.

As a retail dietitian, you may have traditionally provided store tours, presentations and other programs for customers at no cost, but models are changing. In some instances, RDs are being asked to “upsell” by offering a higher level of service to customers for a fee. While many RDs may feel uncomfortable with charging for their services and integrating sales techniques into their role it does not have to be painful. This article will review how to be an effective salesperson by learning strategies that engage customers and focus on value-added services that meet consumer needs.