In the Bag
The finer points of take-home product sales
By Lara Evans Bracciante
Originally published in Skin Deep, December/January 2005.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
One of the easiest ways to increase profits is by selling something to someone who already wants to buy it. Sounds simple enough, but honing your sales skills may make all the difference in the end result. Kim Stevens, owner of Putting on the Tips salon in Ocala, Fla., recommends a three-pronged approach to retailing: education, touch, and expertise.
Educate to Sell
The No. 1 reason clients don't buy their products from an esthetician or a salon is simply because they don't know what to buy, Stevens says. The choices may be overwhelming, they don't know what ingredients to look for and which ones to avoid. In short, clients don't even know where to start. It's up to you, as a professional, to educate your clients. And when you explain clearly and concisely how and why a product is going to help achieve their skin care goals, you have, intentionally or otherwise, created a sales pitch -- and likely an effective one at that.
Consider your own experiences: Have you ever gone shopping for a particular item, say a screwdriver, purchased one that looked like it would do the job only to discover at home you needed a Phillips instead of a regular? You end up buying a screwdriver -- or two, or three -- that you don't necessarily need or want before you find the one you really need. But when your friend or the hardware clerk educates you on the differences between screwdrivers, the guesswork dissolves, you save money, and you're grateful for the advice. In the same way, clients will appreciate your professional guidance.
Make the Introduction
The power of tactile perception cannot be underestimated in the sales process. "Put a product in her hand and let her look, smell, and feel what she can take home," Stevens says. When she begins to understand the essence of your retail items -- the look, texture, and aroma of your moisturizers, cleansers, exfoliants, salt scrubs, hydrating creams, sunscreens, make-up -- she is that much closer to incorporating these items into her daily regimens.
In Stevens' experience, sales increase by 20 percent when her customers literally get their hands on retail products. "Just think of yourself as a shopper, walking through a store picking up and examining produce or a soft sweater," she says. "You should encourage clients to do the same with your products."
Apply Your Expertise
At this point, your clients are educated about your products and they've become personally familiar with the merchandise. You have clearly established yourself as the expert, now feel free to close the deal. Says Stevens, "Create your own retailing system by getting in the habit of asking those final sales questions, such as: 'What would it mean to you to maintain this youthful glow all the time?' and 'Would you like to enjoy these aromatherapy scents at home?' Come up with the verbiage you feel will work best for you."
Furthermore, consumers tend to be more loyal when purchasing from someone they see as an authority, Stevens says. Your expertise will bring consumers back. And when they return, re-establish where they are now. Are the original skin care goals being achieved? Are they changing? Discovery -- and rediscovery --Stevens says, is finding out what someone wants and providing it. "Listen to your clients. When they have a problem, solve it with your product."
Retailing doesn't have to be calculated manipulation, leaving you feeling like a hokey car salesman. "Sales are nothing more than the transfer of enthusiasm," Stevens says. "If you get excited about how the client's skin can be, the client will get excited too."
Lara Evans Bracciante is editor of Skin Deep.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
One of the easiest ways to increase profits is by selling something to someone who already wants to buy it. Sounds simple enough, but honing your sales skills may make all the difference in the end result. Kim Stevens, owner of Putting on the Tips salon in Ocala, Fla., recommends a three-pronged approach to retailing: education, touch, and expertise.
Educate to Sell
The No. 1 reason clients don't buy their products from an esthetician or a salon is simply because they don't know what to buy, Stevens says. The choices may be overwhelming, they don't know what ingredients to look for and which ones to avoid. In short, clients don't even know where to start. It's up to you, as a professional, to educate your clients. And when you explain clearly and concisely how and why a product is going to help achieve their skin care goals, you have, intentionally or otherwise, created a sales pitch -- and likely an effective one at that.
Consider your own experiences: Have you ever gone shopping for a particular item, say a screwdriver, purchased one that looked like it would do the job only to discover at home you needed a Phillips instead of a regular? You end up buying a screwdriver -- or two, or three -- that you don't necessarily need or want before you find the one you really need. But when your friend or the hardware clerk educates you on the differences between screwdrivers, the guesswork dissolves, you save money, and you're grateful for the advice. In the same way, clients will appreciate your professional guidance.
Make the Introduction
The power of tactile perception cannot be underestimated in the sales process. "Put a product in her hand and let her look, smell, and feel what she can take home," Stevens says. When she begins to understand the essence of your retail items -- the look, texture, and aroma of your moisturizers, cleansers, exfoliants, salt scrubs, hydrating creams, sunscreens, make-up -- she is that much closer to incorporating these items into her daily regimens.
In Stevens' experience, sales increase by 20 percent when her customers literally get their hands on retail products. "Just think of yourself as a shopper, walking through a store picking up and examining produce or a soft sweater," she says. "You should encourage clients to do the same with your products."
Apply Your Expertise
At this point, your clients are educated about your products and they've become personally familiar with the merchandise. You have clearly established yourself as the expert, now feel free to close the deal. Says Stevens, "Create your own retailing system by getting in the habit of asking those final sales questions, such as: 'What would it mean to you to maintain this youthful glow all the time?' and 'Would you like to enjoy these aromatherapy scents at home?' Come up with the verbiage you feel will work best for you."
Furthermore, consumers tend to be more loyal when purchasing from someone they see as an authority, Stevens says. Your expertise will bring consumers back. And when they return, re-establish where they are now. Are the original skin care goals being achieved? Are they changing? Discovery -- and rediscovery --Stevens says, is finding out what someone wants and providing it. "Listen to your clients. When they have a problem, solve it with your product."
Retailing doesn't have to be calculated manipulation, leaving you feeling like a hokey car salesman. "Sales are nothing more than the transfer of enthusiasm," Stevens says. "If you get excited about how the client's skin can be, the client will get excited too."
Lara Evans Bracciante is editor of Skin Deep.
