What No One Tells You About Spa Retail Training
Two weeks ago I conducted retail training for a Five-Star hotel spa. I just received the results of last week’s product sales and they’re quite good. The overall average sales to service was 16% from the pre-training average of 6%. One therapist who had previously generated only 5% did 52% sales to service!!! Another therapist, the group’s “superstar” who typically averaged 45% sales to service, outdid herself at 73%.
Pretty impressive, right? When this happens it’s hard for spa managers not to become giddy with success and lose sight of the total picture. But that’s where coaching comes in.
Post training coaching is what most training programs lack and yet it’s the secret sauce to guarantee success.
If you’re considering a training program for your spa, always ask how you will be supported in the weeks thereafter. The response should be unhesitating with a well thought out game plan.
After training, we provide managers with a customized template to follow which includes charts and daily team meeting agendas. They’ll discuss goals, review wins, challenges and a process to set their intention.
Because positive reinforcement is just as important for managers, we review retail reports and follow up with them via conference calls every week for one month after training to ensure that they and the team are on track.
As a coach, my perspective on sales performance is often very different than the managers. For example we just reviewed the retail report of a previously low performer who generated over $1,000 in product sales the week after training. While the spa manager was thrilled, I was not. She was a dual therapist and although she had performed many facials, none of her sales consisted of skin care products. I doubted that home care had even been offered.
This therapist had struggled in training with consultations. Delivering a deeper level of engagement that facials require was a challenge for her. The manager and I discussed a plan to provide her with more support via role-play opportunities.
Coaching gives management another lens through which to view their operation.
And that’s a good thing.
If you want to increase your retail selling for the holiday season, now is the time to schedule training.
Linda Harding-Bond
