Exploring the future of JK, the Wellness industry landscape, and getting to know the man behind the sale.
Andy Dunn is our result-oriented Senior Sales Director here at JK America, with a specialization in Wellness Technology. With years of experience in the fitness space, he’s driven growth and innovation, and has become a key figure in shaping the future of wellness equipment. His expertise in the industry has earned him a reputation for getting things done. Whether it’s navigating market shifts, or spearheading strategic partnerships, Andy is at the forefront of JK’s wellness advancements.
Today, we’re bringing him on board to discuss the future of the industry and his journey to success.
Can you start by telling us a little about your role as Senior Sales Director of Wellness Equipment at JK America?
My role is responsible for driving the direction of our wellness efforts. The segments that we want to play in, where we think the opportunities are, and the customers in the segments that are truly driving the direction of wellness and recovery.
Understanding how to be their partner of choice is not only bringing great products but insight and partnership. JK becomes the trusted source of information as they build their plans to enhance their offerings to guests or members.
What inspired you to pursue this career, and how did you get started in the industry?
I was into EVERY sport as a kid. You name a sport; I’ve probably played it! I loved being outside, running around, staying fit and being competitive. After I completed my degree in Sports and Exercise Science (Shoutout to my Alma Mater – University of Exeter, England), I pursued a career in the fitness industry, running health clubs for various UK health club chains before a move to Life Fitness in 2007.
My love for making people healthier and delivering premium results to my customers so that they can offer the best to their customers, was and still is such an inspiring thing to be able to do as a career – I feel humbled every day that I get to help people.
Looking ahead, towards the Future of JK and the Wellness industry landscape.
What do you think are the biggest trends in wellness equipment right now, and how is JK America positioning itself in response to these trends?
One of, if not the largest trend (which I believe won’t be so much of a trend but a permanent feature from now on) is Red Light. With more products and more research out there (I recently read something that said; ‘Red Light is the most researched wellness protocol, behind creatine, in the world right now’).
Red Light is becoming a more every day, accessible, and effective form of recovery. We are so well positioned, being probably the world’s premiere light for wellness manufacturers and our history in light technology puts us in the best spot to be able to help our customers curate a full light spectrum, recovery experience for their guests or members.
How has the demand for wellness equipment evolved over the years, and what do you think the future of the welltech industry looks like?
Welltech has been on the rise now for well over a decade and with the advent of AI, it’s moving at a faster pace and allowing us to develop and deliver solutions at a staggering rate. I think that the personal experiences that we all faced between 2021 and 2023 has made us more conscious of our wellness, wellbeing and mental health. It’s opened the door even more for wellness and recovery solutions – some of them more individual solutions and many now being community led wellness events that really concentrate on a more holistic view of wellbeing… not just your personal fitness. The equipment in this space helps facilitate those wellness protocols, and as it evolves, so do the protocols. This means that we keep a loop of innovation going to support what’s next! This is only going to continue to grow!
What key qualities do you think are essential for success in sales, especially in the wellness equipment sector?
I immediately think about being insightful… If you can help a customer understand their business, interpret their needs and provide them with insightful information and data, that’s a huge part of what we do.
I also think that if you have a genuine love for the industry you sell in, that it comes through that you care. It sounds cliché but a customer doesn’t care how much you know till they know how much you care, but I believe that to be true.
Another element is being authentic… If you can create deep, authentic relationships with your customers then you stand a chance of being a true partner of choice.
Finally, you must be solution oriented – If your product breaks down (and it will), how do you support your customer? If you are working on trying to get a deal over the line, how do you support your customer to get there? Do you think about how you can make an experience great for a customer to want to do business with you in the future? – If you can get those elements right, you’re going to stand a great chance of being a top salesperson.
How do you approach building and maintaining strong relationships with key clients in such a competitive market?
Initially, I try to find out as much as possible about that customer and their business. I speak with them, ask questions, understand their needs and immediate to long-term plans – does their business look the same in 12 months as it does now?
I try to use my industry knowledge and network to ask my peers what they know about the business – often you look at accounts through a one-way lens – your own, but having multiple viewpoints can help expose any blind spots.
Finally, for me, it’s about collaboration. I like to show a customer that its not just me that supports them; but it’s our whole company, from the team in the factory, to the marketing team, to the install and service group… I’m just the facilitator – but there is a whole group here to help and create a great customer experience and hopefully that means they feel like we are the partner for them!
The Art of the Sale, from a master himself!
In your experience, what are some of the most common challenges in selling wellness equipment, and how do you overcome them?
A lot of times, the challenges come down to a few things. Initially most people will immediately say price, and while that’s a factor in most purchases, I believe that it’s not always the main pain-point.
Recently, I had a sale where a customer came to me stating that they were overwhelmed with the sheer amount of (what they felt was) contradictory and too much information about red light and were scared to make the wrong purchase. The problem wasn’t that they feared red light, it was that they were not helped to find the data they wanted and needed to make a decision. After they showed me the HUGE amount of information they had accumulated, I asked them a simple question… ‘Why do you want to provide wellness and recovery services?’ They launched into a number of reasons – so I concentrated on those and not everything else on the periphery that was confusing them.
Once we were able to do that, it narrowed the choices down and provided clarity almost immediately.
Our job is to help our customers understand and validate with data and insight what it is they are looking to achieve. Once you do that you can usually overcome any fears or objections that they may have.
Another challenge is market readiness. Some customers want to add recovery or wellness [to their business] but want to “dip their toe in” first or see what the competition is doing. While I understand their need to do that, as salespeople we have to be locked into what our customer wants.
We do this by understanding what personality type our customer is. If they are assertive and have done their research, we have to mirror that, and move at their speed – usually quickly. But, with others that want reassurance and a deeper connection with you or your product, we have to be sensitive to that too. We need to understand that sale may take more time and that’s ok too, because we use our skills to overcome initial objections, mirror the customer and help them ultimately be successful!
What role do innovation and product development play in your sales strategy, and how does JK stay ahead of competitors in the wellness equipment space?
Innovation and Product Development is huge to our success as salespeople and as a company overall. It’s a collaborative approach as we want to ensure as salespeople [and the team members that are customer-facing on a daily basis] that we loop feedback to our product designers the needs and wants of our customers. That allows them to start to understand trends and what the customer wants, so we can incorporate those features into our products.
I always tell this story about innovation… When I was in the fitness equipment industry, we went through a phase where the equipment manufacturers told the users what the new, latest and greatest products and features were.
It was very one sided.
Then the iPod-era came about around 2008-10 where the consumer now started to tell the manufacturers what they wanted, and the roles were reversed.
Imagine what would have happened if the manufacturer had just decided THEY were the authority on what the product needed… We probably wouldn’t have the features we have today and most of those businesses certainly wouldn’t exist in 2025, so for me it’s a complete collaboration between all parties. JK does a great job in staying up on trends, listening to customer feedback, and staying on the bleeding edge of technology that can make our products better. It’s been in our DNA for the last 100 years and I’m certain it will be for the next 100 too.
What do you believe sets JK America apart from other companies in the wellness equipment industry, and how do you communicate that to potential clients?
Well, the easy one is our heritage. I was told once by a fitness industry friend that “your heritage is something that no one else can ever beat or take away. It’s your advantage over all your competition.” I truly believe that it means something, especially in our company. Our heritage sets us apart. Wellness and innovation are in our blood, and our past endeavors have led us to where we are today. With the quality, precision and longevity of our product. Our equipment has always served us well and I believe that it sets us apart still today.
With customers, I try to convey these things in a way that relates to them and their business. People want to be aligned with “like” businesses and partners that they can relate to or aspire to be like. So, when you have that history and heritage, it can make a customer feel like they want to be part of your “family”, and then you apply your consultative, authentic sales approach, you start to bring forward the best version of your company to be the partner of choice.
For more information on what JK has to offer in the world of wellness, visit wellsystem for more details.
To read the latest content JK is providing on Red Light Technology and what it could do for your business, check it out here!
