Teaching Your Employees to Proactively Sell & Cross Promote Spa and Beauty Retail Products

In the world of retail sales (especially in the hyper competitive spa industry) there are two kinds of salespeople…those who are successful and those who are not.  While it’s true that some people are just born with the natural ability to sell anything, this does not mean that you cannot teach those skills to others.  However, the key ingredient to any successful retail sales plan must include three things… training, training, and training.

Many businesses spend very little time and/or money on training their employees to sell products, yet they expect them to be able to sell those products simply because it’s a part of their job description.  Most companies offer simple bonuses or use scare tactics in order to “inspire” their employees to sell more products.  Unfortunately, without proper sales training, these methods often lead to poor sales techniques, frustrated employees, angry bosses, and dissatisfied customers.  So, it is essential that you put a significant about of time, energy, and money into training your employees on how to sell properly if you want to successfully increase your spa’s revenue potential.In order to create great sales people, you first must motivate them to want to be a part of the team by instilling in them a sense of ownership.  People need to feel as if they are a valued member of any company rather than just another cog in the wheel before they can fully commit to any sales strategy.  Most employees become dissatisfied with their jobs because they feel unappreciated and underpaid. 

In order to inspire your employees to want to sell your products, it is essential that you create an atmosphere of appreciation and develop a program that will financially benefit both your spa and your employees.This is most commonly achieved by offering commissions, discounts, bonuses, prizes, parties, promotions, time off, or pay increases.  However, the trick is to offer something that your employees will truly value and will want to work towards.  The best way to determine this perceived value is to simply ask them.  While you might think offering a 10% discount on product purchases sounds like a great incentive, your employees might not agree.  Instead, accumulating paid time off or making some bonus money with each sale might motivate them even more.  A little extra motivation and a few extra bucks will go a long way to keeping employees happy and increasing your spa’s annual product revenues.

When it comes to selling retail products effectively, there are a few tips that can help your spa staff move products quickly and easily.  Most untrained employees are afraid to push products out of fear that they will be perceived as too pushy or even rude.  This is particularly true when it comes to upselling products. 

Upselling is a sales technique that aims to get customers to spend a little more money than they were planning to by offering upgrades or additions to their existing purchases.  We’ve all experienced upselling in a variety of different ways.  At the electronics store when we’re offered a protection plan for that flat screen television or at the drive-thru when we’re asked to supersize our fast-food meals.  Most upselling involves a relatively inexpensive offer that goes along with the product already being purchased.  When sold over and over again throughout the year it can add up to a lot of extra annual dollars.Upselling is a simple practice, but it does require some finesse in order to work.  Most upselling is done after the buyer has decided to make a purchase.  The upsell item is an addendum to the original purchase that the buyer might benefit from.  For instance, if a client decides to purchase a hand cream, you might want to upsell the accompanying facial cream, preferably at a reduced combination price.  When trying to upsell, it’s important to focus on the benefits of the products to appeal to a buyer’s emotions rather than just the price savings.  This should always come across as a genuine suggestion for your customer’s wellbeing rather than in a pushy way.  If the buyer declines, let it go.  Upselling is as easy as making suggestions at certain moments, so make sure your employees are always offering these upgrades without being overbearing.

Cross-promoting is another sales technique that can increase overall sales with little effort, but needs to be done properly to be effective.  There are two kinds of cross-promotional methods…external and internal.  External cross-promoting puts two different companies together with similar goals to sell each others’ products or services, like a spa and a gym.  Both companies benefit because they are offering closely related products to each others’ customers.  It is inexpensive and focused on a specific target market.

Internal cross-promoting mixes products or services together that your employees can promote as a combined benefit.  For instance, your massage therapist casually discusses the benefits of her favorite massage oil before, during, or after a client’s massage.  Or, instead of just booking a client’s facial, your receptionist offers her a package deal that includes a facial, massage, and pedicure at a discounted rate.  Cross-promoting is simply a way of selling other products or services that may or may not be directly related to what the customer is buying or experiencing at the time.  By offering these products or services in an informative manner while focusing mainly on the benefits, additional sales can be made with little effort on the part of your staff.