Tag success

Tag success

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.

Every Spa Guest Has a Story

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Training
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When training spa therapists I’ll use story-telling to measure where they are with engagement, and recommendations for products and services. If you are a spa manager or director try presenting this case study to your staff. Read More

FIVE TIPS TO INCREASE SPA RETAIL SALES IN 2017

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Consulting
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When I consult with spa managers in the United States they often tell me that their number one problem is getting their staff to sell retail products. The past three years spent working in Asia has shown me that the same challenges exist.

Their solution has frequently been to increase product training, and to remind their staff more often how important selling is. This rarely fixes the problem because they are not addressing the root cause.

The spa industry has failed to recognize that most of its therapists are introverts by nature. They are quiet people who prefer the peaceful environment which so many spas offer. They work in subdued lighting. Customer interactions are mostly one on one. Because communication occurs largely through touch, the need to speak is kept to a minimum. This suits them just fine as introverts are not huge fans of small talk.

However, most therapists have nurturing spirits. They will bend over backwards to relieve someone’s pain. And as introverts they tend to be great listeners.

The good news is that listening well is at the heart of engagement. And engagement is the key to selling retail products.

For many therapists, customer engagement is initially very difficult. But once the stress and trepidation they experience from second guessing themselves is removed, they  become the retail superstars that they are meant to be. And it happens rapidly.

Here are some tips that may help you position your team for more success in increasing your retail sales.

Tip # 1-Ask your therapists what gets in the way of their selling. Address their concerns and fears with empathy and honesty.

Tips # 2-. Divide your team into groups of three. Have them give a one minute presentation to their peers on something they love.

Tip # 3-Have the listeners repeat back what they heard the presenter say. This will help to build listening skills.

Tip # 4-In private provide positive feedback to the presenters on their presentation strengths. Guide them on improving their weaknesses.

Tip # 5-Using their strengths, repeat the presentation process using a retail product that they like. Roleplay presenting to a customer during down-time.

Join me at #ISPA2017 for Introverts: The Secret of Increasing Retail Sales.

 

How Spas Skyrocket from Bronze to Gold

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Consulting
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Day Spa Association cited an interesting statistic in their latest Snapshot Report;

Spas that generated 20% or higher in retail could potentially improved their sales by as much as 14%.

This is not surprising as success tends to breed more success. But if you’re in that lower 20% group and desperately want to make a giant leap into the elite 30% plus club,  how do you make it happen? Read More

Spa Superstars: Hidden in Plain Sight

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Innovation is a hot buzzword. Senior executives in the hospitality industry are burning the midnight oil trying to find ways to innovatively one-up each other. Flying yoga, wellness strategies, sustainability campaigns, the list goes on with one thing in common. They’re all designed to target a larger portion of revenue from the upscale leisure consumer. Read More

Customer Service Just Died; and Your Training Budget Killed It!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Training
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Once a month the CEO of a certain Five-Star resort company would return to the home office. A status meeting was always held. All vice presidents and middle management would attend either in person or via Skype.

On this particular day as we were waiting for the meeting to begin, he regaled us with a story of his visit to one of the company’s more remote locations. He said 18 hours on a plane had earned him an extremely stiff neck. Immediately upon arrival he’d booked a massage. In a luxurious hut with the ocean as a backdrop, he’d explained his problem to a therapist in detail. He opted for an add-on treatment of Thai herbal balls; heated poultices which are rhythmically applied to sore or stiff body points to promote blood flow. He’d also requested that a heated towel be placed around his neck for the first 10 minutes prior to treatment. >>>To read more click here>>huff.to/1GEycWV

Why your New Spa Product Will Probably Fail

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My friend Cheryl developed a beautiful line of organic body products. She sent me samples and I was thrilled to discover that her creations where some of the best I’d ever used.

When it won a best new product of the year award in New York City, she and I celebrated with a champagne lunch. I remember screaming in delight when it was later selected as one of the swag bag items for the Emmy Awards.  A Five-Star hospitality group  in Asia began carrying her line at their chain of spas. Her product was unstoppable. Read More