In the deeply rooted Scotch Irish hills of West Virginia,clans have been telling their stories for centuries. One natural product retailer has mastered telling a compelling story and in engaging her community to play the “Is It Healthy?” Game with her. The owner’s name is Betty Timberlake and the store is Vegette’s Choice in Morristown,WV.
One of Betty’s most successful strategies has been to know,in precise detail,exactly what her customers urgently want and need right now. The service she provides and the benefits she delivers are all an expression of her values and commitments to her community.
For example,one of her customers had a gluten sensitive child in the school system. The school district’s food service didn’t realize the full impact of gluten sensitivity to learning and behavior. The parent picked up the Nutrition News “Go Gluten Free!” newsletter and took it to the PTA and the school district’s food service director.
As a result of telling a compelling story about gluten sensitivity,the school district’s food service director immediately began buying institutional quantities of gluten free products,to integrate into their food service program. That collaboration was responsible for a huge step forward toward optimal health for the entire community.
But wait,that’s not all. When the kids started bringing the empty wrappers and packages home,the parents knew exactly what they needed to buy. Consequently, Betty stocked her store with many of the same gluten free products in the school district’s inventory. Now her store is Gluten Free Central for her community. And she’s cashing in.
Because she’s been so successful in raising awareness of gluten sensitivity in her market area,she has new customers. Plus,some of her existing customers have increased their average sale due to the availability of gluten free choices.
She recently reordered more “Go Gluten Free!” newsletters. She’s making sure her story reaches as many people as possible and that her business continues to grow and prosper by providing solutions for her customers. While her results have been extraordinary,they are by design.
Betty exemplifies the Four C’s of profit:Connect,Contribute,Collaborate and Currency. She stays connected and she uses Nutrition News to help tell a story about playing the “Is It Healthy?” Game.
