Psssst… Hey you, yeah you! Want to know the Secret to having a successful and profitable salon? One word: UPSELLING. That’s right! Upselling is the key your stylists need to increase profit margins and make the sales climb all year round!
Unfortunately, for some service providers they hold back on proposing items to the client whether they themselves assume the product is out of the clients budget (never assume) or they don’t like rejection (no one does) but the truth is you are the professional hair stylist! The professional needs to have an unwavering amount of confidence, own your confidence as a stylist. After all, you are the one who went to school to specialize in cosmetology and you are the one with the license. They know and trust you, otherwise they wouldn’t be in your chair. If they trust you, they will buy from you!
The best part of upselling in your salon or spa is that it’s pretty much an effortless endeavor. Since it’s done after the client has already booked the service and is already in the chair they have already agreed to go ahead with a major purchase, so the hard part has already been done and they are eager to learn your expertise. You’ve already established a bond, identified their hair/skin needs, and presented benefits to help him or her. Upselling is just presenting more options by making “recommendations.” Once you recommend the product the only thing you have to do sell the benefits…and voilà! You have increased your ticket!
One of the other key tools I notice about some stylists, especially those who have “been in the game a while” is not thoroughly understanding the new products as they come out. THIS IS CRUCIAL! Upselling can only truly be done if you, the professional, understand the new lines of products and why they’re good for hair/skin/etc. Also, read magazines, blogs, reviews, and websites all the time. Love what you do and never stop learning because beauty trends change over time, so it’s crucial for you to stay well educated so you can remain at the top of your game. “Knowledge is power” is not just a clever catch phrase.
Lastly, owners, you can create goals and incentives for the stylists to get them into the groove of upselling (even though that added commission should be a big influencer) If you’re like most business owners, you dread spending money on advertising, even though we all know it is a necessary evil. Upselling existing clients can provide the most bang for your buck. Target an existing market to earn more money per individual without spending anymore on reaching them. You’ve already laid the ground work, put the sign over the door, convinced clients and prospects to come into that door, and hired the right stylists to create a masterpiece in those chairs inside. Therefore, you should take full advantage of this captive audience. By teaching and developing the stylists/service provider’s upselling techniques, you are the captain of the salon ship and their ability to upsell is your map to buried treasure!
To learn more about Automated Retail Marketing, Automatic Product Recommendations, and more ways to increase revenue within your Envision salon software, visit Envision Online University!
