MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
“... we ensure all team members are well-educated and informed on product offerings .”
— ANDREA DUNHAM n Manager of Spa Operations Miraj Hammam Spa by caudalie Paris n Shangri La Hotel n Toronto , canada factor in sales success . Your employees aren ’ t going to be able to sell something they know nothing about , and they aren ’ t going to want to sell something they don ’ t believe in .
“ In conjunction with our brand partner Caudalie , we ensure that all team members are well-educated and informed on product offerings ,” says Dunham .
When choosing resource partners and retail products for your spa , keep in mind their educational offerings , or ask if they ’ d be willing to work with your staff if they don ’ t already have an educational program in place . “ It is very important for our vendors to partner with us and come into the spa on a regular basis to train and retrain our staff ,” McWhorter points out . “ We believe in continual education and have internal trainers as well .”
Your staff ’ s continuous training should involve product and treatment knowledge but be sure to squeeze in some practical and business training as well . Most service providers in your spa aren ’ t natural sellers , so giving them more confidence through education has worked wonders for many spa managers .
“ Our team is not only trained on product knowledge , but also on how to sell without the ‘ pushy ’ approach ,” adds Dunham . “ After a relaxing spa experience the last thing a guest wants to feel is pressured to buy ! All staff members complete a training session on retail sales techniques upon hiring to ensure they understand that our spa takes an education-based approached to sales . We have always instructed our staff to avoid the ‘ hard sell .’ We are here to help our guests with their skin care and body care needs . If there is a product that we think will genuinely assist the guest with their goals , we educate them by making the appropriate recommendations . We never sell for the sake of selling !”
Education can give your staff members the motivation to sell , but it also gives them confidence — something they should already have in spades considering your guests already think of them as experts . Many spa directors have already figured out that half of selling is confidence , so make sure your service providers know how much they ’ re knowledge and expertise
The Spa at Woodside ' s retail space focuses on exclusive products that can ' t be sold online .
mean to your guests . Caroline Perdomo , director of spa and retail at The Spa at Woodside in Westwood , Kansas , promotes her staff ’ s expertise outside of the treatment room . “ We recommend products promoted by our professionals in the retail area and run product-of-the-month incentives that entice customers to buy based on our staff ’ s product recommendations .”
Implementing Sales Strategies It ’ s not enough to motivate your staff to sell , you must give them the tools to be successful at it . Education is a great way to start , but there are several strategies your fellow ISPA members have implemented that have worked well ( plus several more throughout this issue of Pulse !).
“ Our spa holds to the value of our retail products , including safe and healthy ingredients ,” notes Perdomo . “ We try to carry exclusive products not sold online and promote to our customers to not buy online either . It ’ s important to instill a sense of exclusivity to your retail area so your customers are more inclined to make a retail purchase with you .”
Exclusivity is a great way to entice a sale , but it can also be a great strategy for spa retailers who do sell products sold online .
28 PULSE ■ May 2018