Pulse April 2021 | Page 21

— DAWN MACLELLAN during the pandemic , virtual events can also serve spas ’ interests in other ways . “ I would definitely plan these events with an end goal in mind ,” says Dawn MacLellan . “ Is it to generate revenue ?

The Spa at St . Andrew ' s held virtual spa parties featuring product and education from Farm- House Fresh .

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Spark interest in a particular department ? Educate guests on treatments or a specific ingredient ?” Whatever the goals , MacLellan adds ,“ Be sure to create value .”

One thing virtual events probably should not be , however , are sales pitches , notes MacLellan .“ Do not make it about sales ,” she says . Rendy Nelson agrees , pointing out that by focusing on educating guests about the products they are using as part of an event , spas are likely to see product purchases happen anyway , without requiring the hard sell .“ What I like to do is build a rapport with my members and let them know that everything that we use during an event , I ’ ve personally curated . There ’ s a reason or a story behind it . I get to share that with them and share my passion , share what ’ s special about [ the products ] without feeling salesy ," she says .

Betsy Abrams has taken a similar approach , focusing her spa ’ s virtual events on the guests and what they might be using the event to celebrate . “ We ’ ll engage with the groups about what they ’ re celebrating that day . We really engage with the people , and I think that ’ s important . Really , it ’ s a way to connect and have fun . We don ’ t want to take over and do a huge sales job ,” she says . Instead , she advises using high-quality products that participants will naturally want to use beyond the hour or so they spend attending an event . Dawn MacLellan has seen strong results from her spa ’ s personalized , educationdriven approach .“ Each attendee purchased a full-sized product following the event ," she says . " One even purchased 12 masks as gifts !”

The success these spa leaders have seen as a result of their virtual offerings during the pandemic has led them to look ahead to the ways they might continue to utilize online platforms to extend the spa and wellness experience into the lives of their guests beyond the four walls of their spas .“ You know , we ’ ve created an experience for people that they know is going to bring them and their friends together , says Betsy Abrams .“ So I have no doubt it ’ s going to continue .” n