The power of sound in your spa space

The power of

sound in your spa space

A simple yet so powerful way in which we can make a memory last forever is through sound, writes Marisa Dimitriadis of The Spa Professionals Guild

AAs we navigate our way perception of pain. This is causes the brain to release through these turbulent interesting as many of our clients dopamine, a feel good chemical. waters, our responsibility are experiencing pain somewhere Now let’s look at the various areas as spa owners and in their body, so already you where sound makes a difference. managers, as well are helping them from a pain as the therapists perception point of view. performing the treatments, is 2. Music occupies the mind and to look for ways to contribute ‘distracts’ so to speak, thereby to our clients’ wellbeing and focusing the mind on something to constantly look for ways to positive, soothing and uplifting. enhance their treatment and give 3. Music has the ability to them an unforgettable experience. stimulate brain waves. Here’s Sound affects your business something interesting: slow beats in more ways than you think. It encourage medidative states, fast can have a direct impact on staff beats encourage alertness and productivity, customer loyalty, concentration. This can tell you brand identity and my favourite – a lot about your clients’ state of sales revenue. mind when they chose what type Yes, you read correctly – sound. of music they want to hear.

Let’s first look at how sound 4. Music has the ability to alter affects our brains and then share breathing and heart rate. It’s very some ideas on how to bring this important to consider what music into your space. you are playing for different client needs. 1. Music helps reduce the 5. And most importantly, music

First impressions really do last

From the second your client and staff walk through the spa door,

From the second your client and staff walk through the spa door, music will impact their mood, experience and spend.

music will impact their mood, experience and spend. Think about when you open the spa first thing in the morning, how does that

Photo by Anthony from Pexels

‘dead silence’ make you feel as you open the door? Then think about what happens the second you put some music on. Did you know that playing music your client enjoys makes them 24% more likely to buy a product? Action: The music at the entrance point of the salon and reception area should be different to the rest of the space. It is the first impression, so make it memorable!

Personalisation

The personalisation of music directly influences customer loyalty. A study done by Music Works found that 31% of customers would return to a business if the music was ‘right’ and 21% of them said they would also recommend that business based on their perception of the ‘right’ music. Action: Have you ever thought about using personalisation of music as part of your loyalty programme? Include music choices in your consultations and even go so far as to offer music playlists for your clients to choose from. You can give some clients the option of connecting their own devices to your speaker so they can play their own choice of music. Make this the fun part of the treatment.

Brand identity

When thinking about building a brand, we immediately shift to visual elements such as logo, signage, lighting and décor. Don’t forget about music, as it makes Action: Find the music style that aligns to your brand and stick to it in the public areas of the spa as this will be remembered.

A study done by Music Works found that 31% of customers would return to a business if the music was ‘right’ and 21% of them said they would also recommend that business based on their perception of the ‘right’ music.

a direct and cost effective way to build rapport with clients and establish a mood which has a direct influence on establishing your brand identity.

Boost sales revenue

Music volume affects the speed at which your clients move through your space. A slower beat encourages a longer stay time, which in turn encourages more spend. Specific genres of music can encourage higher value spend. Action: Choose your music at spend points carefully to encourage the client to slow down, browse more and buy more.

Staff productivity

MindLab neuropsychologist, Dr David Lewis, said: “Music is an incredibly powerful management tool in increasing the efficiency of a workforce. It can exert a highly beneficial influence over employee morale and motivation, helping enhance output and even boosting a company’s bottom line.” The cause for this productivity boost, according to additional studies, is attributed to the mood enhancing properties of music. This explains why 74% of employees who like music enjoy going to work when good music is played. And why 75% of business owners believe allowing staff to listen to music helps with team bonding. Action: Morning huddles MUST include one song played out LOUD to boost blood flow and circulation and release dopamine into the workspace. There is so much more to write about music and sounds and how they affect every single area of your business, but I am hoping that from this article you will make some important changes as to how you use music to directly affect your bottom line.

Marisa Dimitriadis is the founder of The Spa Consultants and co-founder of The Spa Professionals Guild, a training network for the industry.

marisa@thespaconsultants.co.za