Many estheticians and spa owners struggle with generating profits from their retails sales.
I once coached a spa owner who was having the same challenge and we made ONE small change to her business. All of a sudden, her retail sales went up dramatically.
That’s not an isolated case either.
I have coached many spa owners and their teams. Just by changing that one little element in their businesses, they increased retail sales by an average of 8%. Some of my solo estheticians clients saw an increase of up to 14%.
So, what’s that ONE little change?
Dressing the Part
Multiple studies and researches have shown that people dressed in uniforms or clothing that implies an authoritative status are far more persuasive that those who don’t.
Dressing professionally not only reflects your expert status and impacts your clients’ perception but also gives you the confidence to communicate with confidence and authority.
Dress for the way you want your customer to see you: beautiful and elegant. Click To Tweet“Dressing the part” doesn’t mean you have to wear those ugly white lab coats if you find them boring, stuffy or simply “not your style.” (If it IS your style, by all means, stick with it!)
Professional spa wear is now available in many shapes and forms. More and more estheticians are putting on scrubs, which work well with a pair of dress pants.
It’s important that your spa wear of choice makes you feel beautiful and elegant. Some of my favorites are from Noel Asmar:
Dressing professionally can help boost your confidence while projecting an “expert” image. When you make a product recommendation to your clients, there is an element of authority that makes your suggestion more convincing.
I’ve been in business for 27 years, and I still don’t feel like I could prescribe any kind of retail products if I wasn’t in my professional wear!
It’s amazing how making this one little tweak can have such a big impact on our confidence level. I feel so much more empowered when I wear my Noel Asmar paired with black flared-bottom yoga pants (which are super comfy yet look like dress pants.)
I like to put on comfortable shoes because they make me feel at ease. Others, however, swear by their “power shoes” because they make them stand up taller and feel confident.
To each her own… the most important point is to wear something that makes you feel beautiful, empowered, and confident.
And this extends to your staff as well.
If you own a spa and have multiple estheticians and therapists working on premise, make sure everyone is on board with putting on the same spa wear. This not only helps you boost retail sales but also greatly improve the professional image of your business.
The devil is in the detail… the next tip to increase your retail sales is also a small but significant change:
Ask the Right Questions
Some of you use an intake form, while others don’t.
I’m going to tell you, no matter how good you are at remembering everything your clients tell you, hand them a clipboard and an intake form the moment they walk into your office. Then take that clipboard and intake form with you when you see the clients in the treatment room.
When I do that (of course, in my favorite spa wear!) I gain a sense of security and professionalism, which helps me project a sense of confidence and authority that will later make my product recommendation much more persuasive.
It’s not just all about appearances either. The intake form gives you the opportunity to ask the right marketing questions so you’re set up to recommend the right products for the client.
The right questions allow you to get a glimpse into your clients’ pain points and biggest challenges, written in their own language, so you can speak directly to what they’re looking to get out of the appointment.
Those questions also help you keep track of how your clients are progressing, and having the clipboard handy means you can jot down details about their lives as you talk with them.
You can reference these details later in your conversations to build rapport or even deliver some pleasant surprises. E.g. if a client tells you that she’ll be traveling in a couple of months, maybe you can put together a gift bag of sample size products for her to take on her trip on her next visit.
Why is asking the right questions important? Because the conversation and the answers help you build relationships.
And why is building relationships important? Because trust and relationships are the critical elements for making sales and cultivating loyal customers.
What questions should you ask in your intake form to set the stage for more retail sales?
Find out what specifically is going on with your clients’ skin on that particular day. You’ll then be able to address that issue right away with your treatment and prescribe the relevant retail products for them to take home.
Be perceptive and read between the lines. Did you know that 70% of clients go to a spa or visit an esthetician for relaxation and relieving stress? They want to feel good about themselves. They want to feel confident and empowered.
Be a good listener – that’s how you build trust and relationship.
If you could understand what your clients really want, you can effectively tie your product recommendations to that reason. This will help boost your retail sales because you’re relating your products to a deeper emotional reason that drives purchasing behavior.
Of course, I’m not telling you to be manipulative. There’s gotta be a good reason for you, as a responsible professional, to be recommending a product for a client.
If a client can truly benefit from a product, then paying attention to details and understanding the psychology behind decision-making will have a powerful impact on helping you get the right products into the hands of those who need it.
And this is how we, as estheticians and spa owners, step up and become a world-class expert in what we do, and a world-class business owner so we can have more impact.
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