93 Operational Advice
Grow YOUR
retail by 30%
Now is the time to create a plan to boost your salon retail sales on reopening. Busi Chamboko shares five tips for increasing retail by 30%
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hat are your plans for your beauty salon post-Covid-19? When you finally reopen, you really want to hit the ground running, but some clients may still feel nervous about coming in for appointments. That’s why you should put a strong focus on scaling up the retail side of your business, as well as your treatment column. Retail sales can generate a limitless source of income for your salon, but to do this successfully, you really need to educate your clients and be confident.
1. Swot up on product knowledge If you’re not passionate about your products, this will transfer to the client and they won’t be interested either. A lack of passion is often derived from a lack of knowledge or confidence in the brands you work with, so make sure your team members are well trained, and keep it this way with regular in-house training. Many product houses have developed virtual training during the coronavirus lockdown so take full advantage of this by enrolling your staff.
2. Don’t worry about clients’ pockets, worry about your own A common mistake salon owners make is assuming that clients won’t buy their products based on the price, but it is a loss for you and a loss for them if you fail to offer them the opportunity. You don’t know their spending power. If they’re not spending with you, then they’re spending with someone else on the quest for a solution. Your retail and services need to be driven together. Don’t give your client half the package.
3. Find the talent within your business When you finally reopen, identify the beauty therapists who are most committed to making a sale, and give them the column with the most potential for retailing. It’s no use giving your luxury facial treatments to your least
motivated therapist, while the more motivated person is on brow shaping and lash tints.
4. Consultation is key This is where the selling is done – where you plant the seed – so you need to hone these skills before you reopen. Take your team through the key elements of a good consultation as a refresher. You can even do this on a Skype call before you get back into the salon. Tell them why they need to be thorough and listen well, and the importance of being clear in how they address the client throughout. Create a consultation checklist for your team of what they need to cover with every client – how the client can maintain the results at home, the treatment plan for their next visit, and getting them to touch and feel the products you recommended in order to instil a sense of ownership.
5. Be brave, close the sale Push past the fear of rejection. After discussing your recommendations, your therapists need to be direct and ask the client if they would like to take the products home. Keep eye contact when mentioning the price and ask for the sale. It’s all part of the client journey and you could do some face-to-face or online role playing with your team to help boost their confidence. A far greater percentage of clients are disappointed when they’re not offered aftercare advice and solutions beyond the treatment room than those who don’t want to buy, and this contributes to them losing faith in you as a solution-oriented professional. Those clients will seek that advice elsewhere. PB
Busi Chamboko is a skincare specialist and owner of Second Skin Therapy in Battersea, London. She has 15 years’ industry experience.
professionalbeauty.co.uk
