Salon Today - July 2008 - (Page 35)

Q. How should we approach retailing in the spa? While a stylist can easily maintain a conversation about products throughout the service, an esthetician is expected to keep silent during skin care services to promote relaxation. But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be educating her clients about products—it’s just better reserved for the consultation period and the time immediately after the service. Owen aided her estheticians by creating an “At Home Skincare Regime” form. The form allows the esthetician to choose skin type and list any speciﬁc skin conditions, then lists recommendations for cleanser, toner, eye care, moisturizer and special treatment for both morning and evening care. “We don’t expect a new client to throw out everything they’ve been using and replace it immediately, so a technician can write in what they currently are using, but include her professional recommendations. How and when to properly use skin care products can get confusing—the regime is a great tool for our clients.” Since Faces is one of the most prominent spas in its region, Owen is lucky to have several estheticians wanting to work there. She’s been able to employ several employees with esthetics licenses in the reception area, as they are working toward having a full-time treatment room. “Having that expertise at the front desk really helps continue the product conversation,” says Owen, whose retail-focused spa carries 213 lines and more than 3,000 SKUs. “These staff members can continue addressing questions about products and discussing our different lines.” With the ability to tap into that expertise, Owen recently launched an express beauty bar within her retail area. The open station allows licensed staff members to perform quick addon services, such as eyebrow waxing, or offer a menu of express services to clients who are tight on time or who can’t get their desired appointment time. Q. How is retailing to men different? A. It’s easier, believes Valenzuela, who says men are more receptive to the suggestive sale. “If you spend the time to educate a man on why he should use a product, he’ll buy it every time.” Valenzuela had the opportunity to test this theory back when she was a service provider herself. “When I didn’t have a client, I’d grab a product like a cuticle eraser and introduce myself and the product to people waiting in the reception area. I’d tell men this was a great new product for them, because it addresses those tough dry cracks in the cuticle area—I couldn’t believe how many bottles I sold.” But Valenzuela reminds owners that 40 percent of purchases of men’s lines are made by women. “Don’t forget, they are one of your key buyers for men’s products, and don’t be afraid to talk to them about what you’ve got that’s great for the men in their lives. A. Q. Do retail contests encourage staff to sell and clients to buy? A. Yes, but only when structured properly, says Ogle. Be careful what individual goals you are rewarding, or the same people end up winning each time and everyone else gives up. Ogle structures competitions to include an overall team goal and reward with individual goals and rewards. “We track retail dollar per ticket for everyone here, and often will reward a growth in percentage of retail dollar per ticket. But you have to realize it’s much harder for someone averaging $20 in retail per ticket to double their percentage as it is for someone whose averaging $7—so you have to mix up your rewards.” During his last contest, Ogle organized a three-month competition. For the team reward, the salon rented out a party barge and entertainment for a Sunday afternoon event on a local lake. “When the salon reached the goal, everyone shared in the reward, but staff members who reached individual goals got to invite a friend along.” Ogle stresses for these competitions to work, results must be posted daily, “as much as humanly possible.” For this recent promotion, his staff created a chart with a boat as the goal, and as products were sold, the water level on the chart rose toward the boat. “Our staff were so excited, they actually would call on their days off to see how we were doing,” he laughs. Valenzuela recommends pulsing promotions—alternating contests that reward service providers every eight weeks with contests that reward clients. “For example, during an eight-week period, every time a stylist sells a dozen of a promotional product her name goes into a hat for a prize drawing that’s determined by your budget. Then, for the next eight weeks, every client who purchases two products gets to enter in a chance to win a spa gift card or whatever you want to give. The pulse keeps the momentum of the motivation going by switching it up.” Valenzuela believes in the “chance to win” contests, because like Ogle, she stresses that competitions can’t simply reward those who sell or buy the most. “If they do, in the end, the only people competing are those in the top two spots—everyone else simply gives up.” > www.salontoday.com July 2008 | 35 http://www.salontoday.com

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

Salon Today - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reception Fashion Sense Roundtable FirstAdvice Spa Menu Décor Share Tactics Perfectly Polished In the Bag 25 Years of Growth Products Owner to Owner

Salon Today - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.