We're taking a break from the deep dives into the nitty gritty of nutraceuticals to bring you something more lighthearted. We asked the members of our sales team and account managers for an exclusive interview. But, instead of the predictable questions about targets and strategies, we decided to shake things up with a series of funny, offbeat questions. From their ingredient superhero to their most memorable encounters, get ready to meet the people behind the numbers in a new way.

What's the most creative way you've ever explained what a certain ingredient does to a potential customer?

Alyssa: I use a seed, plum, prune analogy for pre, pro, and postbiotics and compare postbiotic LBiome™ to a prune.

Eric: A building analogy. Joint protection is like the nails that hold everything together in a well-built house. 

Mark: Explaining how with Sage, the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in the brain act as scissors ‘cutting’ the communication bonds between the synapses and pathways and Sage helps to remove the Acetylcholinesterase ‘scissors’ and thus their negative effects.

Myron: “This is legal in all 50 states”

If our ingredients were superheroes, which one would you want on your team and why?

Alyssa: Bimuno® – Bimuno® is a powerhouse ingredient. It provides benefits that go beyond what you would typically see a prebiotic used for. Bimuno® has cognitive benefits, gastrointestinal benefits and immunity benefits. If you can improve these three areas in your life, you truly feel like a superhero.

Eric: NEM® – I have delt with knee and joint issues since I was a teenager and I know how important mobility is to your physical and mental health. 

Mark: NEM® = the strongest, fastest, smartest (most scientifically validated) of them all. NEM® is my Superman!

Myron: NEM®, because it impacts quality of life.

What's your go-to tactic for winning over a tough client? Is it your dazzling smile or your sick dance moves?

Alyssa: Relating on a personal level, taking business out of the equation and making it fun.

Chris: Facts, price and wine.

Eric: Positivity and persistence. I use these to try to find their pain points and figure out how our ingredients and staff can help limit or remove a pain point. 

Mark: Tenacity.

Myron: Both, I can smile on cue or break out a dance move worthy of the finest ballroom.

Which Stratum Nutrition ingredient do you secretly think could be a viral trend, and what would the hashtag be?

Alyssa: Bimuno® #beregular #byebyebloat

Chris: NEM® - #goharderlateinlife for life long workout enthusiasts

Eric: Sage - #memoryandattention 

Mark: Sage: #SagedOut!  i.e. he was #SagedOut! for the exam / she was #SagedOut! at the party 

Myron: Sage #justthinkaboutit

Describe your job using only movie titles.

Alyssa: Hard Ball, 50 First Dates

Chris: Ground Hog Day. Dazed and Confused. Office Space. The Revenant. Inception. O’ Brother Where Art Thou.

Eric: The Helpers, The Marvels. 

Mark: Superman (ANY version thereof). Able to move mountains and lift buses to get the job done. X-Ray vision allows me to see the real issues at play to overcome them.

Myron: 007, Ghost, Princess Bride

What's the most interesting place you've ever conducted a sales pitch? Did it involve any unexpected challenges?

Alyssa: The most interesting place I ever conducted a meeting was walking out of a concert. Not so much of an unexpected challenge but it was hard to hear each other. I think we both lost our voices by the end of our conversation.

Chris: Golf course. Play too well, lose the sale.

Eric: Golf course cafeteria. 

Mark: A virtual lunch I had with a busy customer. The only way I could get their time was to buy them lunch, Uber’d to their home office, and then over TEAMs I pitched them while they ate. BTW, I told them they could order anything at all, and they chose a cheeseburger and fries. Seriously.

Myron: On a boat in the Atlantic with the challenge being a violent sea-sick encounter.

What’s the funniest or most memorable reaction you've gotten from a customer?

Alyssa: I once had a customer who thought our Ahiflower® was actually sourced from an AHI tuna variety. We both got a good laugh when they realized it was from a flower.

Chris: “Are they happy chickens, Chris?”

Eric: Speed of results for NEM® & Sage regularly surprise and impress clients. 

Mark: In December I just won over what is to be my largest customer, after two years of courtship. The CEO told me that I should buy a lottery ticket because it was a Million to One chance to come true, but by my ‘measured perseverance’ I made it happen.

Myron: The most memorable reactions are customers who say that our ingredients have a positive impact on their daily life.

What's the most surprising fact about our products that often leaves your clients amazed?

Alyssa: One acre of Ahiflower® produces as much omega rich oil as 40,000 mackerel or sardines.

Eric: How quickly the results can be felt and measured – NEM® & Sage. Very rare in the supplement world. 

Mark: The depth of science that supports the ingredients. There are so many ingredients that do not have supported (and in Canada, Approved) claims – it always is a pleasant surprise.

Myron: The volume of our scientific publications combined with the statistical significance to support category-leading claims.