One of the biggest shortcomings of spa therapists is that they are not proactive or responsive in initial consultation interviews. Read More
Last week I wrote about training the hair stylists at a Five-Star luxury hotel in Hong Kong. This was a new area of the beauty industry for me as my experience has always centered on spa. Read More
I had the honor of being selected to present at the ISPA 2017 conference on October 18 at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. My topic was “Introverts: The Secret of Increasing Retail Sales”
I had attended ISPA in 2013 as a blogger but it was my first time as a presenter. Read More
In this final quarter of 2017, many of you are scrambling to increase retail revenues for the year. You’re juggling numbers, praying, and frantically sending out e-mail promotions to boost sales. Read More
It frustrates me when I hear massage therapists say that they don’t sell products at the spa. I think “but why should you have to ‘sell’ if you’ve really engaged your guest? Read More
I loved this article in American Spa by Nicole Altavilla
Keep in mind that selling tactics are only as effective as your staff’s ability to comfortably engage with your guest through meaningful conversation. Read More
Competition in the beauty sector is fierce, with spas and salons up against department stores and retail outlets for consumer sales. An obvious competitive advantage that we have over beauty counters are our therapists; trained licensed professionals with in-depth knowledge of skin and body. However, this advantage must be leveraged beyond mere product training. Read More
This article from Vendhq.com provides one more reason to overlay your therapist’s spa product training with engagement training. Remember, if your team is not engaging well with your guests, they’re probably not up-selling your services or maximizing retail product sales.
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.
Enrique founded a spa/beauty product line created from plants and vegetables unique to a village in South America. For each product sold he gave back 15% of the profit to assist the village in building a school. His distributor positioned the line in the spas of a very upscale hotel chain. Read More