Posted : 08/01/2003
increasing sales
by Scott Eric Barrett
Profitable indoor tanning salons sell more than just tans . Those precious moments when customers are waiting for a specific booth or bed or waiting to sign in are golden opportunities to sell merchandise tanners may want . Skincare and tan - enhancing products are at the top of the list . Increasing the sales of these items is an art form.
How a salon operator chooses to display these products makes all the difference, says Brandi Jordan, owner of Neon Beach Sun Spa in Albemarle, N.C. She increases her lotion sales by running a variety of promotions and focusing on a few specific selling tactics.
I ran a moisturizing special that worked very well in terms of increased sales, she says. I filled clear cellophane bags with bottles of water, Emerald Bay lip balms, samples of Hempz Moisturizer and I included white cards inside the bags that explained the importance of moisturizing skin from the inside out. I tied the bags with colorful ribbons and kept them in our cooler until a customer purchased a monthly package.
The promotion worked because it served two purposes it increased the sales of Jordans monthly packages and educated her tanners on something they may not have been aware of.
Angie Zomprelli, owner of Tiki Tan in Austell, Ga., says her employees always show customers after-tan moisturizers, shower gels and facial lotions that go with the products they are interested in purchasing.
Our employees explain the benefits of a full tanning regimen, she says. Customers want the best tan possible. Its important for salon operators to understand that. These complementary products may put more money in our pockets, but they serve a purpose. Recommending certain products, is a doorway to outstanding customer service.
Once my employees recommend products, they usually get more information about how a customers tan is coming along and what they like and dont like about my salon.
Selling merchandise isnt just about having quality, highdemand items. How a salon operator chooses to display hot merchandise is just as important as having it in the first place.
A customer should be able to locate a salons high-demand items right when they walk through the door.
Every piece of merchandise should have a price tag or a sign stating the price, Zomprelli says. Price tags should never be handwritten if you want to be looked at as a professional salon.
Jordans customers see her main display casea large four-door glass and beech-wood showcase that displays all of her step 2 productsright when they walk through her door. She says its important to keep the lobby neat and clean, but simple in terms of organization. I categorize my products by tingle, nontingle, bronzer, etc., she says. I then select one product from the lot and look through the tanning trade magazines to find an article about that specific product with photos and a detailed description. I tear out the fullpage article, place it in a nice gold frame and post it in the lobby close to one of my display cases that feature the product.
Jordans display cases are tall, all-glass and beautiful, she says. One showcases her free samples, another is filled with spa products and moisturizers, and one features products aimed at beginning tanners.
I have found that this works out best for my tanners, because there are so many great lotions on the market that tanners can get overwhelmed by their choices, she says. Once Ive asked tanners a few questions, I can narrow down their choices based on their needs. I think that you have to remain creative and you have to change your showcase every so often to keep things new for regular tanners and new ones.
She has had great success adding miscellaneous items every year for the past five years her salon has been in business. We sell candles, swimwear and customized sterling-silver jewelry, and we have a smoothie bar and a nail tech on our staff, she says.
Its very important to point out and talk about new items, says Linda Bisaha, owner of Perfect 10 Body Co. in Oceanport, N.J.
Keep moving your stuff around, she says. Customers often get tunnel vision. I moved one of our displays to a different location the other day and had several regular customers ask me if it was a new display.
Keeping Employees Motivated
Educated salespeople make it easy to allow clients to spend more money. A salesperson who knows how to explain the benefits of an after-tan moisturizer and shower gel, or tyrosine- and copper-enriched lotions, will impress customers and move more merchandise, Zomprelli says.
Once your sales team has confidence in their knowledge, there is no stopping them, she says.
Jordan always expects her employees to ask tanners how they are doing on their lotion when they sign in for a session. If the tanner purchases a membership package, the desk attendant will ask the tanner what kind of lotion he or she likes to use and go forward from there with the sale, she says. If a customer is drawn to the showcase before or after a session, I have enough people on staff to make sure someone will open up the showcase and offer assistance and advice.
There are few specific guidelines when it comes to increasing sales. Most salon operators learn the trade as they go.
The best thing I have learned about merchandising is the importance of training,
Zomprelli says. Never put training off. While training may be costly, the benefits pay for themselves in no time at all. We actively seek any training opportunities. An educated sales team is key to your business. You cant simply rely on tanning packages to turn a profit; you must move a lot of merchandise.
Jordan says she learned early on that selling merchandise could keep a salon in the ballgame long after the final buzzer has sounded. It can make for a financially better busy season and a less dreary slow season, she says. I have found that my tanners enjoy seeing the salon grow, stay fresh and take in new things to sell. It makes it easier for someone to come into the salon to tan and then at the same time pick up a skincare product or a gift for a friend or loved one. Salon operators shouldnt mind if customers spend their money at the salonI know I dont.
Create excitement with your displays, Zomprelli says.
Dont simply throw products on the shelves. Have fun with it.
Place products where clients can smell and touch them. A good way to kill sales is to put items in a locked cabinet behind the counter.
Salon owners have to look at where they want to be in five years and then look at the items they can bring into their salon, Jordan says. I would advise salon operators to make sure they have enough room for displaying items for sale. Your salon should never look like a flea market. If you dont have room for adding more merchandise, focus on what you have. The goal is to have an upscale business with a variety of merchandise to meet every tanners needs.
