Retail sales is one of the biggest challenges in spa. The competition with beauty giants, like Sephora, is fierce. But that doesn’t mean retail can’t be a big driver of your revenue.
Here are 12 tips for increasing your spa’s retail sales.
Make products available for purchase online
This should be a no brainer by now, like online and mobile booking. If you’re not making your products available online, you are leaving money on the table.
Set team goals
Set sales targets and make sure everyone is aligned. Reward the whole team when company targets are met or exceeded.
Train and incentivize the team
Don’t assume that your massage therapists and facialists are also salespeople. Sales isn’t necessarily something you learn at massage school, but it is a skill that requires learning. Also, staff resistance to selling is the biggest challenge in spa retail sales, according to a 2017 study. Train your team, and figure out what incentives will motivate them if just commission doesn’t work. What kind of rewards will your team respond to? Don’t just constantly reward top performers, which can result in the same people winning over and over again. Reward improvement.
Performance manage
Use your software’s performance management system to track who is meeting sales goals and who isn’t. If someone isn’t meeting goals, that isn’t going to fix itself. Give extra support to underperformers.
Use your data to pick your battles
On the other hand, maybe not everyone needs to sell. Maybe your top massage therapist doesn’t want to sell product, and guests specifically request that person because they hate being sold to. Your software reporting dashboard can tell you if a team member is bringing a specific type of value and should be appreciated accordingly.
Create evangelists
It’s easier to sell a product you believe in. A client can usually tell when you’re faking it. Inform your entire team, not just therapists, about the benefits of all of your products and turn them into cheerleaders. You want everyone at your spa to love the products. That enthusiasm will be contagious and your guests will love them too.
Put product within reach
Keeping products behind a counter or locked in a case, so a customer has to ask to see it, creates a literal physical barrier to sales, as well as a psychological one. Many people will skip asking someone to get a product for them to try. Have a well-designed display set up in your waiting area with testers available, within reach, for guests to experience when they have nothing else to do.
Keep on top of your inventory
Inventory can fall on the back burner when other tasks seem so much more pressing. But if you don’t keep track, you risk not having the right items available when someone wants them. These days, your spa software should be managing your inventory, alerting you when things are running low, and even placing replenishing orders for you.
Personalize your product offerings and stay in touch
The days of pushing all your products to everyone are long gone. Make personalized product recommendations based on guests’ purchase history and other specifics.
Have an awesome loyalty program
Your loyalty program should not only reward for treatments and services, but also for retail purchases. How can you improve your loyalty program? Look at successful examples, like Sephora’s Beauty Insider program and ask what you can learn from them.
Bundles and promotions
Bundle products together or products with services. Offer discounts and gifts with purchases to move less successful products. Create holiday promotions. The possibilities for promotions and bundles are pretty much endless and only subject to the limits of your creativity and imagination.
Really get to know your guests
The better you know who your guests are, the better you can offer the products they want and need in the way that is most appealing to them. Ask questions and record that information in your spa software’s note taking function, send surveys, pay attention to what your valued customers tell you and adjust your sales strategy and retail offerings accordingly.
We get it. You’re busy. That’s why Book4Time will take care of much of this for you and help you increase your retail sales. Get in touch to find out how we can help.