Tag goals

Tag goals

Are Women the New Face of Spa Retail Success?

Tags: , , , , , , , , Training
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Recently I conducted retail training for one of the best known Five-Star hotels in Bangkok.  The most successful training is always at least partially attended by management, but this organization of women was outstanding in their therapist support.

On the first day of class, the Group Spa Director for Asia took time out of her busy schedule to make an appearance. The trainees were surprised and thrilled. The next day the Regional Director of Operations attended the entire morning session and also participated in the exercises. She is Thai as were the students so she was able to offer them a more culturally nuanced perspective which I appreciated.

On the final day the Hotel Manager, (one of the few females I’ve met) paid us a visit. Oh, and did I mention that the Spa Manager attended all training sessions and provided translation when necessary? The Training Manager also attended each session to lend her support.

Was this flood of management over the top?

Absolutely not!  I know that time is money and these women could have been doing something else.

However their presence was impactful and needed to break the complacency. It served to reinforce the critical nature of the retail initiative.

There is no longer a doubt in the minds of the therapists of their importance and how critical their performance is to the organization’s success.

If you aren’t achieving your retail goals, just telling your therapists that they must “do better” isn’t enough. That’s never worked before – you need to do something different and it starts at the top.

If you’re not willing to invest the time to learn what your team will discover you can’t support them. So not much will change.

Alright fellas, it’s your turn.

For Spa Training, the Fortune is in the Follow-up

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I think that for most of us, (especially introverts) it takes a moment for any type of spa training to sink in. We need to mull it over and process it. Any questions that we have may not even formulate until we apply the process; do some hands on. But by then the trainer or consultant is long gone. Read More

Employee engagement – how does your spa team rate?

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As we come into the holiday season most spas will begin to experience an upturn in their customer bookings and overall sales.  But is your staff  delivering the kind of positive experience that will have your new customers craving more? Read More

How Spa Therapists Boost Their WIFM

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Working at a spa may be a life calling for many of us but that doesn’t make it lucrative. When I began working in the spa industry as a therapist I saw a serious deficit in my finances. Transitioning from a management position at a Fortune 500 company was a huge change. In the past, I’d had the ability to pay off monthly bills, take two vacations per year, and save a substantial amount in my 401K and bank account. But the trade-off was well worth it. I no longer suffered from daily migraines and high blood pressure. When I left my corporate job I didn’t look back. Not once.

I never saw making money and helping people as mutually exclusive.  Early on in my position as a therapist, I realized that I still wanted to take nice vacations. I’d grown used to having them and saw no reason to eliminate them from my list of things to look forward to.  I’d simply have to find a way to earn money beyond the compensation of the spa services listed on my daily activity schedule.

I had noticed that the spa receptionists tended to book the most basic, least expensive treatments. To increase my earnings I only had to up-sell those services and sell our retail products to realize a much healthier paycheck.

I started by listing the top five basic treatments-these were the ones most frequently booked. On the same sheet of paper, I listed their upgraded versions and the benefits of each. I viewed them through my customer’s eyes; why would I shell out an extra $25, $50 or $75 dollars? Was it really justified? The answer was yes. The upgraded treatments were far superior. They were more effective and luxurious. Many of them were longer.  For most clients,  the additional time was a plus. I decided that unless a customer was adamant about the treatment they had booked, I would recommend an upgrade to everyone. I also made it a point to schedule the treatments for myself. That way I  could make my recommendations based upon personal experience.

Almost everyone accepted the upgrade. I discovered that most people just want what is best and the difference in cost doesn’t really matter to them. If you explain how they will benefit they are more than willing to defer to your expert judgement.

By up-selling my client from a basic $95 treatment to one that costs $150-$165 I was generating much more revenue. The additional commission from related retail products I sold was also making a difference in my earnings.

Buoyed by my success, I began cross-selling services in other departments to my clients as well.  After all, if I’m performing a hydrating body wrap, why not suggest that they care for their feet as well with a spa pedicure? If I felt shoulder or neck tightness during a facial I would recommend a massage. My clients would ask me to book  them with other technicians that I felt would be a good match for their personality. People enjoy having a their own “glam squad” and their return visits ensured everyone’s job security.

Interestingly, once cross-selling between therapists begins it becomes viral. It’s a feel good activity that promotes teamwork, greater client satisfaction and higher revenues for all. Therapists tend to be some of the most giving people in the world but perhaps taking the step to identify our financial WIFM, (what’s in it for me) would have benefits for all.