By Stephanie Beck

www.scripmassage.com

Why retail sales?

It’s always beneficial when you find situations where “everyone wins.”  Providing quality products to your customer base is one of those instances.  Ethical product sales to your clients can enhance your business in a variety of ways:  First, it increases your revenues; second, it should enhance your relationship with them. 

You typically see your best clients six to 12 times a year for a 30 to 50 minute session.  That’s six to 12 hours out of 8,760 for the year.  By offering your clients’ quality products that will enrich their lives 365 days of the year, you are showing them you care about them all the time, not just when they are in your facility or treatment room.  Your clients will be reminded of you—and that you care about them—every time they use the products you sell them.  This will increase visits, referrals and, of course profits. 

Customers are investing their time and trusting you as the professional to make recommendations based on their needs.  They are expecting you to keep their best interest in mind when they chose to enter the spa.  It is your responsibility as a professional to recommend products that are the most beneficial to meet those needs.  Most customers are going to be making a long term investment, meaning booking several appointments throughout the relationship building process, so it is important that you recommend the best products that will continue to produce the desired results between visits. 

A large part of what provides revenue is accomplished through the sale of recommending take home products.  Therefore it is smart way to invest in your business to make sure you are recommending the proper products to the clients.  Some feel “funny” about offering products to their clients to purchase.  Remember, even MDs sell products to their patients.  The “products” are called prescribed drugs.  They have expertise allowing them to “suggest” products to help their patients, just as you have the expertise to suggest products to your clients.  There is nothing wrong with it.  As a matter of fact, there is a lot right with it.  You have specialized training with your technique and expertise on what products might enhance your clients’ well-being.  It is time to share your knowledge.  As mentioned, some feel awkward about sharing that knowledge.  These feelings of apprehensiveness are referred to as barriers to selling. 

Barriers to Selling

Some of the more shared preconceived ideas towards selling are:

• Afraid of rejection
• Afraid that the client will think they’re pushy
• Genuinely feel that sales is not their job
• Don’t know how to sell
• Never been trained in selling
• Management does not support staff in sales
• Sales Stereo-types thinking customer’s can’t afford the products

These are the most common fears or barriers every one has no matter what type of work you are involved.  Most people cringe when they even hear the phrase: “retail sales”.  And before you start telling yourself “I am NOT a salesperson” then what exactly did you think you are doing every time to perform a treatment or service to the customer?  You are selling yourself as an expert.  Consider this, people are going to purchase products following a treatment, whether they purchase from you or not. 

Other practitioners believe the client can't afford the professional product, even though the client has never said they couldn't or wouldn't afford the professional product. Given the opportunity, the customer will purchase, provided you have selected the proper product that meets their needs. Why do hair salons carry high end shampoo that isn’t sold in retail stores? It’s the same concept: you go to a professional who carries higher quality products. Not providing them actually lowers your overall value.

Offering product selection makes customers happier and business increase. This holds true whether you are a day spa owner or an individual therapist. Just be careful not to over invest against your budget. 

You do not have to feel “pushy”, below are some very simple phrases that you can use to recommend products to your customer.

• If you would like to continue this same feeling at home, I’ve put together 3 simple products for you to use daily.
• Since we are working on keeping your skin healthy, here are 2 items that would continue on this path between visits.
• If you like the feeling of your skin right now, it doesn’t have to be just a special occasion, you can continue this experience at home between visits. 

It may seem a little awkward at first to say these phrases, but you can use your own words to make it feel more comfortable to you.  It is also important to continue your training.  Training is a great way to build your knowledge of the products and in turn builds your creditability with your Employer and customer relationships.  The more you learn how the products can benefit the customers’ skin types or create a better lifestyle the more this saying holds true: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”