Salon Today - May 2008 - (Page 41)

The colorful, user-friendly make-up display at Salon Suites & Spa. What’s the bottom line? “Make sure the actual product display is consumerfriendly,” says Melchior. “Our previous make-up line was easily accessed, but it was really big and took up a lot of space. Mirabella has nice little palettes with great imaging. You need to have the make-up available hands-on so clients will use the testers even if someone is not there to help them.” something similar for Melchior and her staff when they took on the line, sending an educator for a day to do make-up lessons and demonstrations. Clients could book an appointment for $25, and the money went toward any product purchases. Within two days, every appointment had been booked. “As owners it all comes back to education,” says Melchior. “If you have two make-up lines you’re teetering between, look at what they are going to give you for education and promotional items and go with the better one.” >Marketing It When it comes to selling your new make-up line, introducing it to your customers properly and keeping it at the forefront during their visits is of utmost importance. “When you have a new launch, typically it goes well off the bat,” says Melchior. “But six months later, everyone forgets about it.” To keep your clients engaged, you have to start with your stylists. Melchior runs staff incentives, and just ﬁnished one promoting their make-up line. The stylist with the most make-up sales won a prize. Complimentary touch-ups are a no-brainer when it comes to selling any make-up line. According to Brennan, when they provide a blush or lip touch-up with another service, their make-up line practically sells itself. > >Picking a Line When it comes to choosing which products to invest in, Beth Melchior, co-owner of Salon Suites & Spa in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, says she and co-owner Lisa Torgersen went through a process of elimination. The salon’s current make-up line was being discontinued, so they went in search of a replacement. “We go to trade shows and events, and we receive a lot of trade magazines, so we see the new products being launched,” says Melchior. “We know mineral make-up is huge, so we were very interested.” At one show, they visited the Mirabella booth and bought products to take home to try. “We loved it. We decided to take on the line, because it was the one that we felt most strongly about,” she says. What they liked about Mirabella, in addition to its use of minerals, was the full line-up of products including high-quality brushes, several different foundation choices and consumer-friendly colors. Susan Brennan, owner of Destiny Lifestyle Salon and Spa in Clayton, Ohio, opened her Aveda Lifestyle salon in September 2007, and carries the full line of Aveda make-up. She’s been in the business since 1979, and owned another (nonAveda) salon prior to this one, so her experience with make-up lines has been extensive. “My advice is to get a really good line. I had trouble being successful with make-up before,” she says. “Get an excellent line you believe in, then educate the entire team—not just the estheticians.” >Educating the Staff After picking a line, get your staff on board. At the Beauty Lounge in Pasadena, California, coowner Joe Aboytes is also one of two trained make-up artists. “Education is a big key,” says Aboytes. In addition to attending classes through the salon’s make-up line, Trucco, he has also paid for advanced make-up classes at Los Angeles-area make-up academies. “Education breeds conﬁdence, and that makes it easier to sell,” says Aboytes. At Salon Suites and Spa all the stylists are educated in make-up through Mirabella classes and can perform touch-ups for their clients. The salon also has a new hair stylist, who has had extensive make-up training, and who’s role right now is dedicated to doing make-up—both touchups and full make-up sessions. “Having someone readily available, an artist on staff, is a great thing,” says Melchior. The launch of different collections for the spring and fall seasons also gives everyone on the staff something new to talk about, so utilize the demonstrations and classes for new colors and techniques offered by the manufacturer. Each season, an artist from Aveda will come in to Destiny to show the new colors. The salon turns the day into an event, with clients scheduling appointments with the make-up artist throughout the day, and Brennan offers guests who get their make-up done 10-percent off any cosmetics that day. Mirabella did Shades from Aveda’s makeup line. www.salontoday.com May 2008 | 41 http://www.salontoday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Salon Today - May 2008

Salon Today - May 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reception Fashion Sense Spa Menu Round Table Decor Rave Reviews Power Players The Business of Make-Up Products Owner to Owner

Salon Today - May 2008

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