8 Guidelines To Get Me As Your Vegan Consumer

Is your business catering to vegans? Available research claims Vegans make up roughly 1% of the population in the United States. With more and more high profile Vegans like Steve Wynn, former president Bill Clinton, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Akron native Chrissie Hyndes, the numbers of Vegan converts are certain to rise. How confident are you that you know what vegan consumers want? Do you keep on top of trends? As a vegan, I'd like to share 8 guidelines to get me to be your vegan consumer.

1. Educate yourself first. Know what Vegan means and know that it is a lifestyle, not just a diet. Sounds simple, but I can't tell you how many times I've spoken with salespeople who didn't know the actual definition of Vegan and could not discern an animal-based product from a vegan product. It matters to vegans. Make it matter to you.

2.  Don't assume I know your products. You know what you carry, I likely don't. Tell me what you have to offer in an educational way and be prepared to explain what qualifies your product as Vegan. Make sure your staff and sales team understand the products they are selling.

3. Don't preach. Not everyone is a vegan for the same reason and many people are new to the concept of an animal-friendly existence. I'm already on your side, inform me but don't lecture me and don't use scare tactics.

4. Be patient. Not everyone is a seasoned vegan. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions while new vegans acquaint themselves with vegan lifestyle and ingredients.

5. Be honest. If some of your products are vegan and others are not, clearly label them so there is no mistaking which one I'm buying. If you only carry a few vegan items or if you are reformulating non-vegan products to include vegan ingredients, disclose it.

6. Always list all of the ingredients. It's not good enough for me to simply see a "Certified Vegan" or "Vegan" logo on a product. I'm a label reader. Make sure your labels comply with FDA requirements and list ALL ingredients so that buyers can avoid ingredients that they need to avoid. This includes full disclosure of all colorant ingredients and some research into fragrances which may contain animal derivatives.

7. Offer me a way to connect with your business once I leave your store/website. I want to know when you release new products or if you're having a sale. Social media is a great way to build a community around your products! Twitter, Facebook and an email newsletter are simple (and inexpensive) ways to accomplish this.

8.  Give me a reason to come back. Incentives like free product samples, sweepstakes, tell-a-friend deals, repeat buyer coupons, and other "action oriented" incentives are great for ANY business. However, I've found that in smaller communities of like-minded individuals (like vegans), incentives go a long way to expand your client base simply by word of mouth.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com