After working 5 ½ years for a popular corporation in the supplement industry and another 1 ½ for a franchise store, I had seen a lot within the normal business model that I thought should be different.  There were three things in particular that I wanted to change when I opened Innovative Nutrition.

1) Pricing.  The normal is to have high markups and inflate prices, then give big discounts to fool the customer into thinking that he/she got a good deal.  I thought, “People are smarter than that.”  I decided to have a low mark up and be consistent all the time.  This would prevent me from having the ability to offer huge discounts, but a good everyday price would be appreciated by the consumer. 

2)  Eliminate high pressure sales.  As a consumer, I hated going into a business with a product in mind and being pressured to buy two or three other things.  I wanted to be able to give information and offer suggestions, but allow the customer to choose what he/she wanted.  Also, with no commissions, I remove the pressure from my employees to sell extra items for their income instead of considering what is in the best interest of the customer. 

3) Product information.  Even with 22 years of experience in the industry, my biology degrees, nutrition certifications, and my background in chemistry, I feel like there is always a lot to learn.  I read through scientific journal articles, abstracts, and reviews of clinical trials to learn not only what each ingredient does, but how it works.  By understanding how each thing works, I can have a good idea of what it will work well with, under what circumstances it will work best, what it will interact with, and what it will compete with.  This information will allow me to better help my customers.  I also share much of this information with my employees and discuss the potentials for each product.  I don’t want my customers given a sales pitch, but actual information (even if it is not what they are hoping to hear) so they can get the most from the supplements that they take. 

So, fair, honest pricing, lack of sales pressure, and knowledge to help you get the most from each product set us apart at Innovative Nutrition.

J.J. Rinne