Retailing 101: Adding Dollars to the Bottom Line

A lot of people in the spa and wellness industries dislike sales. It’s not uncommon to hear, “I’m not in sales, I am here to help people.” That’s true, you are in it to help people. However, if you allow them to leave after a service and don’t give them an at-home routine to maintain your hard work, why would they return to you?

Helping people is also helping them to change their bad habits. If you have a client who comes in for a facial, but goes home and uses harsh, abrasive products on their face (hello, Apricot scrub), is this helping them?

HOW TO OFFER PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Pre-emptive Sales.

  • When your service is done, your client should already know what you have used on them, name recognition is EVERYTHING.
  • Once you leave the room and ask the client to meet you in reception (or wherever) immediately go to the front and collect 2-3 items that they should take home with them. Have the receptionist give them two totals, one with your service plus 20% tip, and a total with the products that you are recommending. This is called a preemptive sale. If anything, it gets the client to ask for a breakdown of each product and gets them thinking about their at-home routine (especially if they aren’t initially expecting to buy anything).

2. You are Not Your Client’s Financial Advisor

  • You are not responsible for determining your client’s budget or feeling bad about making thoughtful product recommendations. Don’t assume what they can and cannot afford. If you do this, you are not only hurting yourself but the potential outcome of the customer’s overall experience.
  • Always give your client your expertise on products and other treatments that are right for them. Do be careful about piling on too many recommendations at once. This can lead to confusion and make it harder for them to make any decision. Also, if they take home too many products without a clear understanding of how to use them, they will probably sit unused and your client will be reluctant to take your future advice.