How do I retail effectively?

[Lynne Baker]

I work from home. I have a "proper" salon in my home, not a space set aside in another room. I have a very professional image and an equally professional environment. from the front drive to the door, to the stairs, to the room itself you would never know that it's a home salon! No mess, no nasty niffs, no clutter, no extraneous noise. My clients are top, middle and bottom of my priority list. I have no problem selling to people and I honestly believe that my professional attitude is partly responsible, along with absolute faith in my products.
I project an image of credibility, no nonsense advice and guidance, and like Geeg, I actually do know what I'm doing!

 

[MrsHBeauty]

I watched a Lori Nestore (I think that's how you spell it) video on you tube at some point and she takes in 2 retails packs for waxing - one for facial waxing and one for waxing every where else. During the consultation she then tells them which pack the client will need dependant on the area being waxed.

Certain services you can easily recommend products to start with, others you need to do at the end.

I'd love to be an excellent retailer - and I am working on this.

Thanks for all the tips,

 

[essentia]

This is a great thread. Apart from once when I went to a hair salon in town no one ever tried to recommend a product for my hair. I actually would have liked someone to have been interested in me enough to have helped me try a professional product. It is true that pushy selling is very off putting but recommendation to meet your needs is totally different:
- it shows you are interested in the clients needs
- it continues their treatments inbetween visits
- provides the complete service that you and your client need to see improvement

Another subtle trick that is missed by therapists is when clients express interest in any product - your sale is half way complete! I used to kick myself on that one until I learnt the money was passing me by.

Start off on the right foot - my main bugbear though is telephone etiquette - the amount of suppliers that have lost me as a customer. Please answer with who you are and be interested. Only this week someone lost a potential large order from me due to their lousy telephone manner.

 

[geeg]

I find retailing whilst being mobile hard. I havent always got the stock for clients as cant afford to buy in products just to sit around. What key things should i offer. I already offer solar oil. Should i keep retail in a seperate box/bag and take into every client for them to peruse. So much harder than having a display

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And that is why you are not selling.
You need to invest in the stock (if it ain't there you ain't gonna sell it) and
You need to be confident that you are going to sell it.

Start with a dozen bottles of something you know they need. As long as you don't spend the money, the first dozen will pay for the next dozen and more in your pocket.

 

[Beauty4all]

When I'm selling Solar Oil for example I always sell 2 if I can ..one for at home by the bed and the other for their handbag!

When I am doing a hand massage and using some gorgeous Scentsations Hand and Body lotion I show them the bottle and the matching hand wash; even if they don't buy it that day, they know it's available and where to come for it. It all becomes 2nd nature after a while, especially when you have successful 'closings'.
.

I'm not the best at selling I have to say...but my 2 top selling items are CND Scentsations and Solar Oil......because I make a point of applying and talking up the products at the same time.... and with the Scentsations I ask....would you like nourishing Mango and Coconut Moisturiser today, or fresh lemon with green tea.....or Wildflower and Chamomile?....and place the bottle with the label facing them. Clients love to choose! Does the trick 9 times out of ten

 

[adventuregirl]

You can ask me but I'm not sure I can help. :biggrin: I never probably say the same thing twice and I usually don't really have to.

I have a 'style'. People/client's trust me and they trust that if I recommend something it is because they need it. I also have a certain amount of authority that comes with experience (maybe my age helps with this) but it is similar to a Doctor telling you you need something; if I say they need it and why they need iand what it will do for them then they just get it.

First thing is I know EVERYTHING about all my products .... I talk about them (no science stuff (unless it's really cool science stuff and relevant) only the things that will benefit them if they use it). EVen when it comes to a polish colour, I know what it will go with, what colours they can wear with it how useful it will be for them etc. By the time they get up to pay I might just tell them the service price and then add the total with the polish or the Solar Oil or whatever and they seldom don't include it.

I don't know what to say. I've always been good at retail and I put it down, not to fancy techniques, just a genuine enthusiasm for what I do and what I use and the fact that everything CND is high quality and the products work. I trust that with my life so it is easy to have the confidence to sell and I have a very easy friendly approach and it never occurs to me that the client wont buy from me. Maybe that is the secret .. if you think they won't buy then they won't ... if you assume they will, they usually do. :biggrin:

Thank you I know it is a difficult thing to explain when you have a flair for selling. It's not necessarily lines you use, just honest enthusiasm and knowledge!

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[adventuregirl]

For the home and mobile salons who find it difficult, why not buy some essentials in and then you can actually make a point of telling your clients about that?

Like, "I'm really excited: this week I got a delivery in of xxx. Let me show you!"

Try it out on them eg cream, let them hold it and while they're looking, run off a few (relevant to them) benefits.

Try and engage them in your enthusiasm eg "doesn't that smell/feel heavenly?!"

I get genuinely geeky excited playing with products and bet I'm not alone there! I love hearing about how good something works and if you can throw in any "insider" tips eg leave this face mask on over night for extra hydration. You get the jist!

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[noreenoconnor]

I think the best way of selling is to pretend your talking to your best friend when she asks is a product any good

You would be really relaxed and say something like " yeah i have to say i find it really good, my cuticles were in bits but after 2 weeks of using that i saw such a difference, you should try it!" or whatever you would say LOL

And definitely always assume they are going to buy, worst they say is no, and then even no doesn't mean they will never buy it , just not today I often have clients just pop in for a retail item, or pick it up at there next appointment !

The hardest bit of selling is getting into the habit of selling, it's all to easy to do the service take the money and send them out the door, but set yourself little targets and have a little fun making them everyday, you'd be surprised how much you will sell when you have the right mindset !!

 

[adventuregirl]

I think the best way of selling is to pretend your talking to your best friend when she asks is a product any good

You would be really relaxed and say something like " yeah i have to say i find it really good, my cuticles were in bits but after 2 weeks of using that i saw such a difference, you should try it!" or whatever you would say LOL

And definitely always assume they are going to buy, worst they say is no, and then even no doesn't mean they will never buy it , just not today I often have clients just pop in for a retail item, or pick it up at there next appointment !

The hardest bit of selling is getting into the habit of selling, it's all to easy to do the service take the money and send them out the door, but set yourself little targets and have a little fun making them everyday, you'd be surprised how much you will sell when you have the right mindset !!

LOVE this!! Xx

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[Tomme]

My advice is to never assume someone can't afford it. Retail to everyone as the worst that can happen is they'll say no.

Just because a client doesn't flash their cash doesn't mean they have none. Also, by buying the retail item they are getting more worth from their treatment.

Agreed. In the past I've had to sell credit cards, and something people dread when going shoe shopping is shoe care.
On both I got sales up by 400%+ most days by explaining the importance of on shop floor sales. With the credit card I gave everyone a calculator and told them to take the discount off the total bill while the person was shopping, something like ooh I love that dress, did you know it would only be £x with the discount you get with our card.
With shoes if the customers exact size wasn't there, anything above would fit with the right shoe care, the lines of "sorry I don't have a size 3 in, but try the size 4.... Oh it's only a tiny bit too big, lets try an insole and heel grips... See perfect fit! Have you tried our shining sponge? You don't need to clean them as often so you can just get home from work and forget" 4 items sold in a few minutes, the customer feels like they had great service as you cared for them and helped them get what they wanted and there are 3 more items gone than they initially wanted.

With hair I select most of my
Products at consultation, and as using them I sit them on the station so the client can look at it. If I notice them looking then I explain why I used it, what the benefits are and how it could make it quicker and easier to do their hair at home. Unless its in characteristically cheap I don't mention price, the client does. And its never "oh its £x" its always "its only £x, I've had that for x weeks and use it on around x clients a day, so you can work out how long it lasts"
Initially the price may be scary, but as an example, "its only £15, I use the cream on around 6 clients a day and its still going 4 weeks on"
Plants the seed on how it could last them 5/6 months and work out less than buying cheaper product but using more xoxo

 

[adventuregirl]

With hair I select most of my
Products at consultation, and as using them I sit them on the station so the client can look at it. If I notice them looking then I explain why I used it, what the benefits are and how it could make it quicker and easier to do their hair at home. Unless its in characteristically cheap I don't mention price, the client does. And its never "oh its £x" its always "its only £x, I've had that for x weeks and use it on around x clients a day, so you can work out how long it lasts"
Initially the price may be scary, but as an example, "its only £15, I use the cream on around 6 clients a day and its still going 4 weeks on"
Plants the seed on how it could last them 5/6 months and work out less than buying cheaper product but using more xoxo

I also do a lot of my skin care retail BEFORE the treatment, during the consultation.

You can be running through your form with them, finding out what they use currently (may be an indicator of their budget on skin care currently) and you can identify any gaps in their routine e.g. exfoliator/mask etc. You can then target what they need and sample them on 1 or 2 other products. (make a note of samples given, as well as your sales, so that you can follow up, asking them how they got on with them).

You can also ask them what they're hoping to achieve from their treatment i.e. are they looking for hydration? anti ageing? This gives you a chance to relate back to what their objectives were initially and how this can help them achieve them long term.


xxx

 

[sandwiches]

I think the best way of selling is to pretend your talking to your best friend when she asks is a product any good

You would be really relaxed and say something like " yeah i have to say i find it really good, my cuticles were in bits but after 2 weeks of using that i saw such a difference, you should try it!" or whatever you would say LOL

And definitely always assume they are going to buy, worst they say is no, and then even no doesn't mean they will never buy it , just not today I often have clients just pop in for a retail item, or pick it up at there next appointment !

The hardest bit of selling is getting into the habit of selling, it's all to easy to do the service take the money and send them out the door, but set yourself little targets and have a little fun making them everyday, you'd be surprised how much you will sell when you have the right mindset !!

I wrote out a list of items I'm going to begin retailing yesterday and set myself a target of £20 a month, doesn't sound like a lot but for someone who gave the website of where I buy my candles from to a client instead of retailing is a good start. Don't throw tomatoes at me I know it was stupid and I'm kicking myself. I have however, sent a text to that client to let her know I've ordered some and in different scents so she can smell them when she's next in :biggrin:

Can I ask all of you, do you find offering something as a package works? like a Sensations hand cream with a solar oil and calling it a hand care kit? I was thinking of doing this and then saying that I can recommend the matching Sensations hand wash to compliment the range??? I plan on doing the same with my tan extender but give a 'free' mitt in the package. AND finally where do you all get your bags from? :Love:

 

[adventuregirl]

I wrote out a list of items I'm going to begin retailing yesterday and set myself a target of £20 a month, doesn't sound like a lot but for someone who gave the website of where I buy my candles from to a client instead of retailing is a good start. Don't throw tomatoes at me I know it was stupid and I'm kicking myself. I have however, sent a text to that client to let her know I've ordered some and in different scents so she can smell them when she's next in :biggrin:

Can I ask all of you, do you find offering something as a package works? like a Sensations hand cream with a solar oil and calling it a hand care kit? I was thinking of doing this and then saying that I can recommend the matching Sensations hand wash to compliment the range??? I plan on doing the same with my tan extender but give a 'free' mitt in the package. AND finally where do you all get your bags from? :Love:

Hello!

Well done for starting - any target is better than none at all!

Don't worry about the candles. You live and you learn

I like the idea of choice. So, your client can choose a single item to take away with them OR they can upgrade to a package and maybe make a little saving? Your ideas sound great. Everyone loves a freebie and, if it's cost effective for you, then why not!

Either that or, if you have them, you can offer a few samples which could be a free gift if they take the package. Here, you can use your key questions to customise which samples they can take away. You can then follow these up next time you see your client and they will perhaps purchase the full size item? I used to work on counters and people love getting something extra for their pound!

I'm sorry, I am not sure where you could get bags. If in doubt, I always check eBay or Amazon - they sell everything!

Hope this helps

PS I love your user name and avatar :lol:

 

[souz]

as said previous in this thread once you know your products and have used them yourself it is easy to sell. I have always done a massage at the end of each treatment and whilst doing so i explain the benefits of oil and hand cream to nails and pick a couple of ingredients out and explain the benefits of those particular ingredients....im not pushy about it but just explain that they need to keep their enhancements/coatings in good condition the same as we condition our hair! that usually does it. once they see the benefits from using the products they will tell there friends also x

 

[sandwiches]

Hello!

Well done for starting - any target is better than none at all!

Don't worry about the candles. You live and you learn

I like the idea of choice. So, your client can choose a single item to take away with them OR they can upgrade to a package and maybe make a little saving? Your ideas sound great. Everyone loves a freebie and, if it's cost effective for you, then why not!

Either that or, if you have them, you can offer a few samples which could be a free gift if they take the package. Here, you can use your key questions to customise which samples they can take away. You can then follow these up next time you see your client and they will perhaps purchase the full size item? I used to work on counters and people love getting something extra for their pound!

I'm sorry, I am not sure where you could get bags. If in doubt, I always check eBay or Amazon - they sell everything!

Hope this helps

PS I love your user name and avatar :lol:

Everyone loves a Sandwich HA! :lol:

 

[Emily01229]

Just wondering how do you all sell products during a treatment, particularly facials? I need to improve my selling but I never know how to start during a facial if the client does not speak to me and I feel as though I shouldn't be talking whilst they try to relax!

 

[satinbaby]

I do a sincere consult before the facial the after I go through what I used and what I recc xxxx

 

[satinbaby]

Haha sincere predictive text ! Skincare !

 

[adventuregirl]

Just wondering how do you all sell products during a treatment, particularly facials? I need to improve my selling but I never know how to start during a facial if the client does not speak to me and I feel as though I shouldn't be talking whilst they try to relax!

Talk BEFORE the treatment. Use your consultation form as a tool for teasing information out of your client, and then use it to recap what you used during the facial and why. You can then go on to recommend home care products to complement your treatment x

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