Do You Have A Discount Problem?

Jump to,

• The Real Pain
• Know Your Customer
• The Value Gap
• Two Fixes

Wellness Brand Growth Strategy

Nothing is more exhausting for a wellness business owner than the fear that their brand is not relevant without a sale. We're going beyond the surface to uncover 3 common reasons customers wait for a discount, plus I'm sharing the "Ask Why Three Times" framework I use to communicate your brand's true value.

3 Customer Questions

2 Essential Fixes

3 Customer Questions

2 Essential Fixes

01,

Why Am I Constantly Running Sales for My Wellness Brand?

Before we talk about discounts, we need to name what's really driving your decisions to run a sale. Because if you're running discounts from any of these places, what you need is not simply a strategy, but a change of mindset.

You fear your brand is not relevant

So you run discounts just to stay visible instead of building visibility.

You can't hit your numbers without running a code

Which means your acquisition, positioning, and pricing model may need a revision.

You feel like your competitors are everywhere

So you attempt to duplicate their strategy instead of leading with yours.

You feel like you're not doing this marketing thing right

Which causes you to doubt yourself and make decisions out of fear, not data.

You don't have time

So the discount becomes the default because it's fast, not because it works.

It's easy to operate from fear, doubt, and comparison, but you don't have to. Your customers already love your products. You brought this business here. Now find the real gap and go make some money.

02,

Three Questions To Determine Which of Your Customers Only Buy With Discounts

This is not the ideal customer you wrote down in the "Target Persona" section of your business plan. This is the person that is actually buying from you right now.

01 Who is actually buying from you? Does that person match who you think you're selling to? +

Your ideal customer and your actual customer are often two different people. It actually takes a lot of money and a lot of analysis to nail these 2 people, but you just need to make sure you're showing up when they need you.

Anika's example

Anika is the owner of a non-toxic skincare brand that designed a stretch mark lotion for pregnant women. There's a problem (or rather, an opportunity!): Most of her reviews come from fitness-focused women going through menopause. That's a different customer, a different wallet, and likely a higher willingness to spend.

The decision

Should Anika keep marketing to pregnant women or pay attention to who's actually showing up? What would you do?

02 Where are your new customers actually coming from? +

Ads, social media, word of mouth? The source of a customer changes everything about how you need to speak to them and what they expect when they land on your site.

The decision that can't wait

If 60%+ of your store visitors come from ads, but they don't match your ideal customer, you're going to have a hard time seeing any ROI from ads. Find out who you want to sell to,who you want to connect with. Doing nothing costs you money, time, and relevance.

"

Doing nothing is also a decision; the most expensive one on this list.

Branded Quote Graphic

03 Who uses discounts more, new customers or repeat ones? +

Repeat customers are anyone who has ordered from you two or more times. This number tells you whether your discounts are building loyalty or manufacturing it.

What this number means

If repeat customers use discounts the most, then you may need to analyze if your loyalty depends on discounts or the quality of your products. If new customers use them the most but their LTV is not that great, you may need to revisit your acquisition efforts.

The harder truth

Discounting can manufacture loyalty that looks real in your numbers until the day you stop, and no one comes back. Pull your data before you run your next code.

2×

Minimum orders to count as a repeat customer
Know your number

3

Customer Questions

1 Who is actually buying vs. who you think?

2 Where are new customers coming from?

3 Who uses discounts most, new or repeat?

03,

How To Communicate A Wellness Product Value Without Lowering The Price?

Your product is valuable. The key is to communicate that value in your customers' language. If they don't find it valuable for THEM, they're not willing to pay what you're asking for. These questions help you see where the gap actually lives.

01 How is your product different from what's already at big box stores? +

This is not a competitive analysis exercise. It's important to understand what your customer is comparing your product to when they're deciding whether you're worth the price difference.

A skincare example:

Anika has a stretch mark lotion for women who have given birth. This cream is more expensive than the ones in Target,where her customers usually buy from. The value for Anika is not whether her formulation is better, but if her customer knows that. The promise is not "this cream visibly removes the appearance of stretch marks", but "feel confident in your own body at the beach this summer."

The decision

Can you say why your product is worth the price difference in one sentence? If you can't say it in one sentence, your customer can't either.

02 Does your product page match your customers' expectations? +

Customers land on your website with very specific expectations, whether they're aware of it or not. When it comes to wellness, it's important to show the "W+H" questions: When to use it? Where to use it? Who should use it (and who should not)? How to use it? How soon will I see results? If your description doesn't assuage their worry, speak to their specific situation, or meet their exact needs, they will either leave or wait for a discount to take the risk out of the purchase.

Let's go back to Anika

Anika's customer wants to know if the product works,that's the first thing. Then she needs to understand exactly how to use it and how soon she'll see the results. The other things,won't irritate skin, safe for breastfeeding, natural, doesn't stink, doesn't stain, easy to apply,are bonuses, not value.

The decision

Read your product description right now as if you are your customer who knows nothing about it. Is every concern answered?

"

Assuage their worries and speak to their specific situation.

Branded Quote Graphic

The distinction that changes everything

Worth

$57

A customer intellectually agrees your product is worth what you're asking for. They may nod along, believe your story, appreciate your quality, and still not pay for it.

Willing to Pay

$25

The gap between worth and willing-to-pay is a communication problem, not a pricing problem.

Remember this

Don't ask "how much do you think this is worth?" Ask "how much do you think this costs?" Worth and cost are not the same answer.

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Try this before your next launch

Have someone you trust read your product description. Then ask: "how much are you willing to pay for this?"

If the number they say is lower than your price, ask what piece of information they need to know that will make them pay more for it?

04,

What Are The Best Strategies For Wellness Brands To Fix Discount Dependency?

These are the two decisions that stop the discount dependency.

1

Fix Your Positioning

Ask Why Three Times

Your product is valuable to you, but you need to communicate that value in your customers' language. This process forces you to find the real reason people buy from you.

1 Choose your bestseller. Why is this product your bestseller?

2 Ask why again. Go deeper than the obvious answer

3 Ask why one more time. Now you're at the real thing

The decision: Take your top-selling product right now and do this exercise. The deeper you go, the more you'll notice you're tapping the emotional, psychological, and identity promises of your product. And that is revolutionary.

2

Fix Your Calendar

Plan It

Stress discounting tells your customers your business is not organized. An unorganized business is not trustworthy. A winning marketing calendar is not about running a 15% off on July 4, but about meeting your customers where they are.

1 Identify the dates that actually matter to YOUR customers, not the holiday calendar

2 A promotion doesn't have to be a discount. Try giveaways, free shipping, season-only bundles.

3 Plan 90 days out minimum. It's easier to see your customers behave in 90 days, than month-by-month. Plus, you'll feel more organized.

The decision: Is your current discount pattern a strategy or a stress response? Be honest.

Ask Why Three Times in action. Anika's example

1

First Why

Anika's stretch mark cream is a bestseller because it actually works. Customers testify to its results. Why?

→

2

Second Why

Because this makes them feel comfortable in their bodies again. Why?

→

3

Third Why

Because becoming a mom is scary and exciting. And the priority is to be the best mom possible without losing the body they love.

What she's selling

Not a cream. Not stretch mark prevention. The right to feel comfortable in your own body as you become a mother. How much do you think a customer will pay for that?

→

Now do this with your own bestseller. Stop at the third "why" and read it back. If it doesn't make you feel something, go deeper. That's where your real positioning lives.

Growth Strategy for Wellness Brands

Run your business without it running you

From Founders to CEOs

Ready to make your product irresistible?

Why Most Wellness Launches Fail After Week One

Jump to —

• Before You Build
• Before You Launch
• The Landing

 

Wellness Brand Growth Strategy

 

Successful launches in the wellness industry are not about "dropping" new products. You've got to curate experiences your customers crave. So, if you're ready to stop chasing TikTok trends and start building a powerhouse brand without wasting thousands on ads, consider exploring these ten questions that protect your peace, your profit, and your production.

 

10 Questions total

2 Frameworks

 

01 —

Before You Build Anything

These five questions are designed to protect your time, your energy, and your money, and make sure that what you're about to build is actually worth building.

01 Is this something your customers are actually requesting? +

Look at your reviews, your DMs, your customer service threads. Real demand lives in what your customers are already telling you, not in what's trending on social media.

The distinction

Your customers ≠ trends. A trend that's everywhere online may have zero traction with the people who already trust you and buy from you. Get to know them to serve them better.

02 Do you already offer a product that meets this same need? +

A new product should expand what's possible for your customer, not compete with something you already carry. If the need is covered, adding another SKU may dilute your business, not grow it.

Example: Non-toxic candle brand

Imagine a candle brand wants to launch a "Wildflower Field" scent for spring, but they already have a floral candle. Unless we position that product in a way that makes it obvious they meet DIFFERENT needs, we may have two products competing for the same customer "moment."

"

A new SKU should open a door, not stand in front of one you already opened.

Branded Quote Graphic

03 How does this fit your product ecosystem? +

Your product line is a system where each product should support the entire experience. A product that doesn't bundle, pair, or build on what you already offer is an island. Islands don't generate momentum, don't sell well, and are very expensive to keep.

Ask yourself

Can I bundle this product in a way that makes sense and helps my customer? Does it give a customer a reason to buy more of what I already have? If no, that's not a stop sign, but it should slow you down long enough to think.

04 Is this the right season, really? +

Two timelines have to align: your production schedule and your customer's buying psychology. One is always more unpredictable than you think, and they both have to be ready at the same time.

Going back to the candles.

Are customers reaching for spring candles in spring or are they looking for something else? Could it be they rather have a diffuser blend instead? Can I realistically launch this product (with everything, from formulation to PDPs) by the time I have in mind?

05 What does a successful launch actually look like to you? +

Think past "selling out." Selling out once doesn't prove the product belongs. What do you want this product to do for your brand? For you?

Going back to the candles

"Wildflower Field" may sell beautifully… once. But does it have the demand pattern to justify a second run, a bundle, a waitlist? That answer should exist before you invest in production.

?

Define what success looks like
before you start

5

Questions Before You Build

1 Are customers requesting this?

2 Does this already exist in your line?

3 How does it fit your ecosystem?

4 Is the timing right?

5 What does success look like?

 

02 —

Before You Launch Anything

If those five questions feel solid, the next step is not marketing, but positioning. It's easier to sell a product once a customer truly understands what it can do for them. That begins here.

01 What does this product actually offer? +

Not the features. Not the benefits list. What does it offer that nothing else, including what they could grab at Target today, can match? Most founders describe what the product IS. The work is figuring out what it DOES for someone.

Real wellness example: Magnesium spray → magnesium drink

Say you want to launch a magnesium product (because who doesn't?). Yet, you notice your customers would rather sip wellness drinks than spray something on the soles of their feet. It's not that they don't use sprays, it's that from YOU, they rather DRINK something. The drink doesn't offer "more magnesium." It offers convenience. A lot of people skip lotion/sprays. Everyone drinks something. The drink meets people where they already are. That's the actual offer.

02 What state of mind is this product helping protect? +

Every product your customer buys protects something—an identity, a feeling, a story they need to believe about themselves. When you understand what that is, you start connecting to something that actually moves people.

An example of non-toxic baby lotion

Say a brand sells baby lotions. What would the biggest motivation be to purchase? Is it skin protection? Purity of ingredients? Scent? If you go deeper, this product protects the sense of being a good parent. "I care for my baby's skin because that's what good parents do." Your product alleviates that anxiety. Sell to the story, not the ingredient list.

"

You're not selling a product. You're protecting a story someone needs to believe about themselves.

Branded Quote Graphic

03 How is this different from what's already on the shelf? +

Your customers compare, not because they're disloyal, but because that's how humans make decisions. The question isn't how you stack up against other small brands. It's how you stack up against the version they could grab at a big store today without thinking twice.

Your real competition

Stop tracking what other small wellness brands are doing. Your real competition is familiar, convenient, and already in the cart. Know exactly why someone would pass that up to choose you.

04 When will a customer reach for this? +

Products live in moments. The more precisely you can picture when someone reaches for yours, the more accurately you can position it, price it, and speak about it in a way that feels inevitable.

Going back to candles

When would a customer light it up? After a long day? A birthday dinner? Saturday after cleaning? Know the moment before you build the campaign.

05 What is the plan for after launch? +

Success doesn't come from launching something, but from landing it right. A plane that takes off beautifully, yet doesn't know how to land is in trouble. Same with your product launch. Plan your landing strategy.

Decide both before launch day

If you sell out: is there a waitlist? A restock timeline? If it moves slowly: do you have a promotion, a bundle, a repositioning play? The plan for after is not optional.

2

Plans every launch needs
Sell out plan + slow sales plan

5

Questions Before You Launch

1 What does this product actually offer?

2 What state of mind is it protecting?

3 How is it different from the shelf?

4 When will they reach for it?

5 What's the plan after launch?

 

03 —

The Landing Is Everything

Most founders plan the launch obsessively and wing the aftermath. That's where the business actually gets decided.

The principle

Success doesn't come from launching something.
It comes from landing it right.

A plane that takes off beautifully and lands catastrophically didn't have a good flight. The same is true for any product launch without a plan for what comes after. It's not morbid. It's just logic.

If you sell out

Capture the Demand

Have a waitlist ready before launch day. Know your restock timeline. Don't let demand disappear because you weren't ready for success.

If it moves slowly

Use the Data

A slow launch is information, not failure. Have a promotion strategy, a bundle option, or a repositioning play ready to deploy, not to invent in a panic.

Either way

You're Not Reacting

You planned for both outcomes before you started. That's the difference between a founder who runs their business and a founder whose business runs them.

 

Growth Strategy for Wellness Brands

Run your business without it running you

From Founders to CEOs

Ready to launch your next product?