SPECIAL MAY SUPPLEMENT
WEATHERING THE STORM
AS A RESOURCE PARTNER
BY JAMISON STOIKE
SPAS AREN’T THE ONLY businesses in our industry to
feel the impact of COVID-19: resource partners have
been similarly hit hard by the sudden shuttering of
spas and a slowdown of sales. Pulse recently spoke with
Judy Terry of Sonoma Lavender and Hannah Duncan
of Well Products to gather their advice for
resource partners on how to make it through
the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Work Together
Across the industry, we all have the same
goal: to help spas provide memorable experiences
and deliver exceptional results to
clients. Now, more than ever, is the time to work
together towards that goal, suggest Duncan and Terry.
Terry mentioned that Sonoma Lavender is partnering
with another vendor to develop no-touch protocols.
And when U.S. spas began to shut down in mid-March,
Duncan’s Well Products began to work with Circadia and
LightStim to centralize customer service and create a
“truly at-home spa kit,” says Duncan. “We’re combining
our strengths to weather the storm, and we’re making it
easier for the client.”
2. Focus on Sanitation
As the spa industry reopens, proper hygiene and sanitation
will be front-of-mind to spa-goers—that
means that it should be front-of-mind
for you, as well. “People will be looking
for cleanliness,” says Terry,
“so we’ll be looking to our back
bar. We’re going to be using new
fabrics that can be wiped down.
Using new fabrics for our inserts
that can be sanitized.” The goal,
Terry states, is to help spas maintain
a spa-feel while staying sanitary.
Finding ways to tweak products and protocols to
increase cleanliness will make your offerings more appealing
to spas seeking out ways to display obvious hygiene to
their clients. Most spa products were already conducive to
sanitation, but the perception of sanitation is more important
than sanitation itself to bring customers back.
3. Support Your Spa Partners...
There’s never been a better time to show the value you
bring to your spa partners through new trainings, protocols,
marketing materials and more. Well Products
is focusing on creating new training videos
about CBD rather than launching
webinars—with so many webinars to
choose from, says Duncan, she wanted
to create something that spa directors
could watch at any time. Duncan
began drop shipping for spas’
customers on March 13; Sonoma
Lavender likewise created an ambassador
program to help spas with their retail revenue.
Duncan is also working with spas on creative ways to
boost demand when business resumes via enhancements
and add-ons, and is offering guidelines on promotions
and pricing. Terry suggests simply listening to your spa
partners without focusing on selling—“ask your partners
what they think their client may want and what they
imagine that facility to be. Get feedback on what their
needs are.”
4. ...But Don’t Be Afraid to Go Direct-to-Consumer
You can’t help your spa partners if your business is not
financially whole and ready to serve them. For that
reason, it may make sense to consider selling direct-toconsumer
to supplement existing spa and wholesale
customers, if you’re not already doing so. Sonoma
Lavender has been able to better support its spa
partners in part because they launched an online
storefront shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic
hit; in addition to boosting revenue, this storefront
made it much easier for Sonoma Lavender to
begin offering affiliate sales through its website. n
Judy Terry Sonoma Lavender Hannah Duncan Well Products
MAY 2020 ■ PULSE ■ COVID-19 UPDATE