Retail and Selling tips - share yours!

[crystaltash]

Hi Geeks,
Anybody want to share their winning retail and selling tips or ideas? I'm terrible at the retail side of things. I love and believe in all my products, but when I try to sell them to a client, i get all choked up and embarrassed, and i feel like a moneygrabber! I know we retail to our clients for their best interests, but I can't see past the fear of the dreaded rejection and my clients thinking I'm being pushy and forcing the 'hard sell' onto them.
I work with Dermalogica products and have some retail stock, but when my clients aks what price something is, I can't even look them in the eye when I tell them!!!
So if anyone wants to share their retailing tips, please do.
Love yas.
xxx

 

[geeg]

"Passion persuades"!! If you are knowledgeable about your products and you know you can solve a client's needs then just tell them about the product and what it will do for them while you are using it. Tell them what it will do for them, and leave it at that. Give them time to ponder and then remind them later about what you used.

The other thing is "Do not close your client's purse before they have opened it." Tell them the price and let them decide if it is too much to pay. If you have already decided in your own mind for them then your body language will show this and they will think you are charging too much. If you are embarrassed about your prices, then it is because YOU think they are too expensive ... doesn't mean your clients will feel the same unless they are getting those feelings from you.

If I were you or anyone else with the same 'problem' about retailing your products, then I would enrol on a good sales course. Retail is a huge part of your business, or should be. If you want to be successful then you must get over this problem.

 

[Anita]

Hi Tasha,

Remember - if a client asks you the price, then they are already three quarters of the way to buying the product.
Inform them of the benifits and how little of the product needs to be used in comparason to high street products.
Your products are more expensive than the high street because these actually work.

A few suggestions for you:

- Incorporate your retail products in your treatment menu/leaflet (so long as not to many - dont want it to look like a shopping list) or put a footnote saying 'all products used in your treatment are also available for retail purchase'

- Whilst carrying out treatment, mention which products you are using and that you have the products available for sale

- Have a nice display stand with the prices clearly but professionaly marked on them

- Make sure your retail products are displayed nicely and are always clean and tidy

- Make sure your retail display is near to where you take payment

- Whilst client is gathering her/his coat bag etc, prior to payment, pop the products used on the pay station and just clarify the products used with her/him as she is paying

- Inform your client of the benifits of using the products between treatments.

- Dont forget to smile.

Hope these suggestions help.

Have a great day

Anita

 

['chelle]

I've been selling quite a lot of the Scentsations range lately, that's because i'm wearing it! It's a good lasting fragrance, and when clients ask what fragrance I'm wearing and I tell them it's the scentsations, they are really surprised! If you use the wash in the shower, and the lotion as a body lotion it leaves you with a lovely fragrance all day and it does make people ask about it.

Another one is nail enamel. When you are painting your clients nails, nearly every time they will make a comment about how they hope they dont smudge them or words to that effect, at that point I offer then two fall back options in case they do. First, they could buy a bottle for any repairs, or they can buy a glossing buffer so they can buff any little nicks out at home.

Generally, I just listen really carefully to what my client is saying, and respond to any bits that could be turned into a sale, eg if they complain about the skin around their nails, I recommend rejuvinator, if they dont like having their cuticles nipped I offer cuticle remover, if they go on about having dry hands, sell them a hand cream etc.

I always recommend products, but I dont use hard sell. The only product that I tell clients they MUST have is solar oil. If a lady rings for a price of a new set I always say it's xxx for the nails and xx for the s.o which you will need for your aftercare.

 

[hippy-chick]

I've just started going into retail and I've got products as well as some feng shui and jewellery items, plus some relaxing CD's, pre blended essential oils and dead sea salts and foot creams.

I have a wooden tray with pebbles on and the bottles of pre blended oils on the station where they pay. I find people who write out cheques are more like to purchase as they stand at the station longer, and its in their faces.

I have little print outs of the prices.

I include some of the retail items in my monthly newsletter.

So far I sell dribs and drabs, so far only one moisturiser. The foot products have gone down a storm. I'm hoping that once I start doing the colon massage the sales may increase as I will be using a pre-blended oil for the massage, and encourage them to have a detoxifying dead sea salt bath.

 

[Katykitten]

I feel exactly the same Tasha! So what we decided to do was include them in my aftercare leaflets, for example...

Keep your nails looking shiny with The Edge Super Shiner (£)

and

Keep you tan looking fabulous by using Celebrity Secrets Tan Saving Body Moistuirser (£)

and when handing them the leaflet I just casually say, we have all the products in our display cabinet by the front desk

HTH xx

 

[essentia]

Hi Tasha

I was exactly the same as you when I was a younger therapist but the second time around I just love advising and sellling. You have to change the old mind set and think that you are advising them as an extension of your treatments and it is part of your service. Using your products at home etc reinforces you as a professional and is part of their aftercare. If you really believe in the products, know them well and you will see it as really helping your clients, not twisting their arm or fleecing them of their cash!

 

[Bracky]

I have the same fear too. All I have done so far is laminate my price list which has all my retail products on it and pin it to the back of my spray tan tent with magnets so when they can read it whilst I'm tanning their backs, they then generally ask me questions about the products whilst I'm doing the tan and I try to sound as knowlegable and as enthusiastic about the product as possible. I know it's a confidence thing and I'm sure that with experience I'll get better at it.

I'll never forget one time I went for a spray tan before my holiday, I had a fake bake tan and the beauty therapist started off my slating fake bake, telling me that it doesn't always take on some people, she told me she preferred x solution but the salon wouldn't change it, she went to to slag off the customer who was in before me, I then asked her to recommend something to keep my tan looking good whilst on holiday, primed and ready to part with £22 for a bottle of Fake Bake she told me (in a whisper) to go to Boots and buy Johnsons Holiday Skin . I felt a little cheated out of my salon experience to be honest. The tan itself cost me £28 but she basically threw away £22 by not recommending me a product that they stocked.

 

[Bombalurina]

You know, I used to be the same too, and all too often therapists are scared to sell, as it doesn't come naturally, and we feel we are cheating our clients out of money...

I went on a brilliant course at the IDI a few years ago, and it completely changed my mindset...I picked up a couple of little hints and tips, will do my best to summarise the points I put into practise with great effect...

Don't SELL, TELL!!!
If you feel uncomfortable selling, try telling instead...don't sell a product, tell your client about it, tell them what it can do for their skin, tell them the active ingredients, tell them how to use it, tell them how it will make their skin feel...and the product will sell itself!! (That was a huge one psychologically for me; once I got over the barrier of selling, and told myself I was just telling the client about the product, it was much easier if they said they didn't want to take it with them!). It's amazing how many times this works...

Group products together!!
If you show a client a cleanser...then a toner...then an exfoliant...then a serum...then an eye cream...then a moisturiser...you're adding and adding products, and the client will see the cost adding up in their mind!! Instead, when they come out of the treatment room, have all these same products grouped together, and present it as a complete skincare system. If this is too much, take one product away...then another...and psychologically it's all suddenly more affordable!!

I have loads more, PM me if you want them!!! But seriously, it was a brilliant seminar, called Implementing Your Retail Roadmap, run by the International Dermal Institute, and it was so inspiring, and the techniques they recommended actually work!!!!!!! Highly recommended for anyone who has trouble selling. It made a salesperson out of me, anyway!