At some point, increasing revenue is a priority for every business. For a salon owner, an often overlooked opportunity to add to their bottom line is through selling exclusive product lines in store.
In a salon the hairdressers, stylists, and barbers are the front line of the company and gateway to achieving your increased revenue sales goals. As their product knowledge, trust, and relationship with clients grows, so should sales.
The team at Salon CA has carefully selected 5 retail sales tips to help salon professionals turn simple conversations into trust, and that trust into increased revenue.
Salon Retail Sales Tips
Selling a line of products is much more than having good prices and visual appeal (although this does help in the long run).
At the least, champions of sales are likable and earn their customer’s trust. Their ability to generate sales stem from their skill in understanding the needs of their customers, and procuring a strong sense of desire for a respective product.
Next, they effectively demonstrate how purchasing this product will produce the desired outcome, and how much better the customer will feel once they look better.
The following tips are designed to transform your need to “Sell, Sell, Sell” into an altogether different and conversational interaction.
Identifying and Fulfilling a Need - The majority of purchases (everywhere) are made when the desire for a product or its results are present. Such desire is based on a perceived or real need, either of which can lead to a purchase.
The dynamics of sales in a hair salon is no different; become aware and in tune with customers ultimate emotional or aesthetic goals. As you are teasing, spritzing, and cutting, you are also examining. Is the hair dry and brittle? Is there an increase in dandruff? Is something happening that the customer desires to fix?
Then, more importantly, do you have the knowledge and/or proof that your product is the solution they need?
Through your work and the ensuing conversation, make sure they are aware that there is a solution they have never tried.
NOTE: Ask about known allergies. The last thing you want is to use or sell a product that will create a problem or cause an unfavorable reaction.
Stop Selling and Start Educating - It’s easy to talk about a product and its features. In fact, you could go on and on about how it does this and transforms that, but talk is cheap unless what you are saying directly and emotionally appeals to the customer.
The shampoo station is the perfect opportunity to begin a conversation while educating your client in an entertaining and nonthreatening way. “These products are all made with organic non-toxic ingredients”, “This shampoo cleanses the scalp as it lathers and won’t leave a residue that makes your hair appear oily.” or “This conditioner prevents brittle hair and unsightly split ends.”
Ask questions and highlight things that pique interest, arouse desire, and raise your client’s awareness. “Touch right here, do you feel the difference on your scalp? or “Doesn’t your hair feel softer we we put that on it?”
In order to educate someone, you must capture their attention, and generate an interest in learning a solution. Intuitive questions serve to engage and increase that interest.
Continue raising awareness to the benefits your client will enjoy by using your products (while you are applying them). And at the end of the appointment, ask “How do you feel about your new look?” The response will likely be positive; in this heightened emotional state lies a powerful opportunity to reinforce the products and steps that caused their transformation.
Starting with the shampoo, line up the products you applied while speaking to the benefits and clear results each product produced.
More often than not, your client will see the result, like it, and want to reproduce it at home. This translates to the sale of one, two, or all of the products used.
Remember, people are heavily inclined to purchase something that solves a problem or creates a better feeling within themselves. Especially, when the solution is right in front of their eyes.
Build Confidence and Trust - As with any relationship, it takes time to build confidence and trust. The relationship between you and your client depends more-so on your ability to listen, observe, and take heed to their pain points.
A great indication that this process has begun is if they contact or return to the salon and request a service appointment with you exclusively.
Then in each of their appointments, every time you are able to identify a problem and solve it, you are building trust. Likewise, every time your client leaves with flawless results, you are gaining their confidence.
However, don't lose sight of the fact that the client is human, and being genuinely interested in them outside of the sale goes a long way to establish an authentic relationship.
Selling is one of your goals, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture and alienate yourself by being too sales focused.
The service you provide enhances their physical appeal, thus resulting in them feeling better about themselves. Purchasing your products is not their goal, but when they discover that using it will accomplish their goal, they will often make the purchase.
Be or Become an Authority on Your Products - If all you can say is “It smells good.” or “it’s our new product.”, it’s time to start increasing your product knowledge. Superficial information no longer carries weigh. There are too many competing options in the market vying for your client's dollars, that have a clear benefit and proof of results.
If you plan to differentiate your product from the ones at the supermarket or dollar store, you need to understand a distinct value or problem your product solves that customers truly care about.
Know the ingredients, how the product works in cold vs. warm water, which ingredient is responsible for the aroma, when and how many times it should be applied, and what other products it works best with.
Since everyone’s objective is to attain or maintain healthy hair, know how and why your products make that a reality.
The company that manufactures or distributes your product line often makes fact sheets, booklets, videos, and training events available to you. Take this opportunity and become an expert on the product line
Extensive competitor product knowledge is another advantage that is sometimes overlooked. This is a costly mistake, but could be one of the most important tools you can have when positioning. It allows you to differentiate your product from the competitor or seemingly functional products readily found in the grocery store.
Consider and contend that you must strongly outweigh the benefits of the often cheaper and more convenient hair and beauty supplies found in the grocery store.
Visual Merchandising and Your Retail Display - There is an art to merchandising products in a way that invites curiosity. The following suggestions are tried and true ways of increasing client interest in your hair products and beauty supplies:
- Keep your retail shelves clean. There should be no dust accumulated on your products either. It gives the impression that no one is buying them.
- Informative signs with the price should stand out. There should be no confusion as to what products cost.
- The “five foot rule” means that nothing should be merchandised above what a five foot tall person can easily reach.
- Eye level products will get the most attention. Your featured or sale items will be more successful when placed here.
- If your product’s packaging is green, the wall behind your product should not be green! Contrasting colors work well, but be careful not to overdo it with a color scheme that diverts attention away from the products.
- Full shelves are always more appealing than empty ones. Neatly stock and keep them full.
- Lighting is another key factor in enhancing the appearance of your product. Your display should be the brightest spot in the reception area. Arrange or install lighting that allows you to not only light up the display, but to create a “spotlight” on featured items.
Best Hair Products, Sales, and Increased Revenue
In order to increase revenue through sales, salon professionals should possess product knowledge and a genuine desire to understand and solve client problems.
Make sure that the products selected for your salon are not only the market’s best, but ones that fit the overall “personality” and demographics that your salon services.
Transitioning away from traditional sales tactics, to becoming a provider that helps customers solve problems through informed decision making will make your salon unique and trustworthy.
Acquiring a differentiated position and credibility amongst clients creates an environment for repeat sales, referrals, and lifetime customers. This will help you increase the “lifetime value” of each client, which ultimately increases revenues for your salon.
This article appeared first on https://salonca.com/blog/5-salon-retail-sales-tips-increased-revenue/
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