Conversations With The Industry

Conversations With The Industry
Employee Training & Selling Incentives

Employee training is perhaps the most important ingredient to running a successful, profitable tanning salon. Continuing education is another important aspect to a salon's overall training program. Once a salon's employees are trained, offering commissions on lotion or tanning-package sales will motivate them to put their training to use. LOOKING FIT recently had the opportunity to discuss what types of training programs have worked for a sampling of salons from around the country.

Through Conversations With The Industry, LOOKING FIT hopes readers may better understand how day-to-day events affect each person and business. If you would like to express your view of hot topics happening in the indoor tanning industry, please visit www.lookingfit.com.

What kind of training program do you offer to your new employees and how do you keep their knowledge fresh through continuing education?

"The first three days the new employee starts with the cleaning--first the bathroom, then the beds and the rest of the studio. If they return after the third day they are given a manual with related tanning material from various sources, which includes information on the tanning process, skin typing, eye protection, how to use the equipment, etc.

"After approximately 40 hours of working with a manager they are evaluated. If they pass the evaluation they then handle the entire studio with the manager watching for two weeks or until they feel comfortable. My manager and myself attend at least one tanning seminar a year. We also read the various trade magazines and whatever we feel is important we post on the board."

-- Cynthia Perloff, owner
La Plage Tanning Studio
Hicksville, N.Y.

"For lotion sales we show our employees lotion-training videos and we have the manufacturers come out and give motivational training seminars. It's very helpful to our employees because when the manufacturers actually physically train the staff themselves, the staff is hearing it from somebody other than my management team or me. They get motivated to sell because of the tricks they learn in the meetings and when they get back sales go up immediately.

"As far as other training goes, we give regular sales training for 60 hours and then we give an advanced sales training class after their first month at the company that is very intense. It's more than just sales training. The idea is to find out what a customer's needs are before you recommend something."

-- Michael Poggi, owner
E-Z Tan
Boca Raton, Fla.

"We offer the NTTI's [National Tanning Training Institute] training course. I have taken about every training course that is out there, so I know how important they are. I was one of the people who pushed for mandatory training in Ohio and that is why we became a testing site for the NTTI's course.

"For continuing education, I lean on the trade magazines. I make my employees read the relevant articles and take a quiz. Some of the magazines have tests that employees can take and then send in to receive a certificate. It's a very good idea and provides extra incentive."

-- Chuck Stenger, co-owner
Total You Hair and Tanning
Columbus, Ohio

"Our employee training is done online with the NTTI for certification. We also do extensive training in-store during the first two weeks of the employee's time. We cover all aspects of the tanning process: the operation of the salon, how to deal with customers, etc.

"Our veteran employees get ongoing training from us as well. Every year we attend the program at Heartland Tanning, which is our distributor. There, we all get exposed to products we may or may not carry, we get new ideas from other salons and we get the opportunity to put faces with industry names and broaden our knowledge."

-- Rich Morgan, owner
Oasis Tanning Salon
Topeka, Kan.

"Salon owners have to continually train their employees. At our salons we do this continually, almost every day. We take advantage of the industry certification, training literature and seminars. We also have an internal Web site that sits behind our POS software. The Web site is updated a few times a week. We also have employee meetings about once a month so all can share ideas and gripes."

-- Jon Michaels, owner
Ocean Beach Tanning Club
San Diego

"Initially, a new employee is trained in all aspects of properly cleaning the tanning equipment, tanning rooms, sanitation and security via industry videos. An orientation checklist is completed by the manager for the new employee. Tanning quizzes are given verbally and in written form in regard to our polices, procedures, different equipment we offer, pricing structures, the tanning process, skincare, importance of lotions and education to our customers and a list of numerous questions customers may ask.

"The new employee will shadow a manager in daily operations and customer service as well as being supervised on their own. A lot of role playing helps new employees become more comfortable in their ability to provide excellent customer service and education. All new employees must pass a certification test to receive a certificate of achievement upon completion. Other training includes California Tan's Tanning Dollars & Sense training workbook and video.

"We also have our veteran employees take an advanced training course. All certificates are proudly displayed on the lobby walls. Subscriptions to all of the major tanning trade magazines are available for review by the managers. This keeps the salon up to date on current tanning events and articles of importance to our industry.

"When our local distributor offers lotion seminars in conjunction with the lotion companies, our staff will make it a must to attend. It is fun for the staff and provides good education and great motivation for them."

-- Tammy J. Willis, owner
Tan-Fast-Tik
Virginia Beach, Va.

"When I hire people, I start them off with scheduling a two-hour allotment for each to observe and train with an experienced employee. After a week, the new employee works one last shift with me, where I fine-tune them to be on their own. I also train them in skincare-- I am a licensed esthetician in California--and teach them about products and skin types. I personally go over every new product with each employee and I train him or her on new equipment and new lamps, then I observe their shift. They are also videotaped."

-- Mimi Jensen, owner A Tan For All Seasons Northbridge, Calif.

"We start them out on sanitation procedures. If they pass a sanitation test we move on to a certification course so they can advise customers on proper tanning procedures. All employees take a certification refresher course. We also attend as many trade shows and symposiums as possible."

--Terri Gardner, owner Reflections Tannery Peoria, Ill.

"New employees go through a two-week in-house training program that consists of cleanliness throughout the salon, tanning bed and suite cleaning after each client, client communication, computer training, lotion training and certification training.

"We try to have quarterly meetings--or monthly, if necessary--to go over any new procedures, rules and regulations. During the busy season, it's hard to have meetings. This is when I like to meet with employees one on one to discuss any matters that may arise and schedule myself to work with them to see how they interact with clients and their peers. We also send our employees to any lotion-training course that our local distributors provide. This is where they receive hands-on information about new products from the manufacturers."

-- Karen Pope, co-owner Platinum Tan Colleyville, Texas

"Employee training is the most important thing on my list. All of my employees are required to get certified. It serves our customers most because they always have questions and certified employees more often than not have the answers to their questions.

"I go to all the shows and read all the trade magazines so whenever I find out information that my employees might find useful, I pass it down. Training is important because our clients need to know what they are about to do. They need to know what their skin type is and how to avoid overexposure. Some salons just throw people in tanning beds without even thinking about the manufacturers' recommended schedules or anything. That's dangerous and it gives the industry a black eye. Efficient training can avoid those circumstances."

-- Armando DiBonaventura, owner Armando's 7 Island Collingdale, Pa.

Do you offer your employees commissions on lotion and tanning-package sales?

"I offer a bonus program where if the employees make their numbers they are given a bonus. They can and do make several a day during season."

-- Mimi Jensen, owner A Tan For All Seasons Northbridge, Calif.

"We offer commissions across the board on all sales of tanning packages and lotions and upgrades. To ensure that all employees are aware of where they are compared to other employees, we post the numbers every Monday for the previous week that lists their lotion sales and package sales. Nobody wants to be last in anything, so this really helps motivate them."

-- Rich Morgan, owner
Oasis Tanning Salon
Topeka, Kan.

"My employees get commissions on all lotion sales and if their average sale is above a certain price, say $8, they get a bonus. We also offer a $15 commission on every EFT package sold and we have a lot of contests to motivate people. It's important because, let's face it, money does motivate."

-- Michael Poggi, owner
E-Z Tan
Boca Raton, Fla.

"My manager and employees receive 10 percent on lotions, packages and memberships. I also have cash contests when I run specials for whoever sells the most within a specific period."

-- Cynthia Perloff, owner
La Plage Tanning Studio
Hicksville, N.Y.

"We reward our employees with a performance-based commission scale where they can earn up to 15 percent on retail sales and 10 percent in upgrade charges."

-- Chuck Stenger, co-owner
Total You Hair and Tanning
Columbus, Ohio

"Commission is paid on all bottles of lotions sold. Commissions also are paid on larger tanning packages and EFT membership sales. During the busy season, additional incentives with contests are implemented with bonuses above the commission being offered. This usually creates friendly competition and motivation with the sales team."

-- Tammy J. Willis, owner
Tan-Fast-Tik
Virginia Beach, Va.

"All employees earn a commission on lotion sales. We also offer free movie passes, dinners, etc. Our big promo is trips to Nashville for the ITA World Expo and to Cancun for the Solar Seminar."

-- Terri Gardner, owner
Reflections Tannery
Peoria, Ill.

"My employees get 5 percent of their total sales in terms of lotions or tanning packages. The only thing they don't get is a commission on a one-session visit. It's easy for a good salesperson to make an extra $500 a month on commissions alone. It seems like a lot but the other 95 percent is mine so it's worth it. I tell them if you want to make more money, sell, and if you want to sell, be good to the customers because they don't give money to customers who mistreat them."

-- Armando DiBonaventura, owner
Armando's 7 Island
Collingdale, Pa.