The Four “Feel Good Senses” that make ALL lotion sales
With the tanning season well in flow, it’s crucial that you maximise your lotion sales while you can! The question many salons will ask us is ‘how do we encourage our clients to buy in to using a lotion?’
To keep things simple for staff we always recommend using the four “Feel Good Senses” that make all lotion sales happen.
#1. SEE
Will my tan look darker, deeper, better? Will my skin look brighter, tighter, sexier? Face it: for most of our bronze-seeking beauties, seeing is believing. Every tanning product in your salon has benefits that can be seen – from that instant “off the beach” colour created by numerous natural bronzers and potent skin-firming compounds helping to improve appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The secret: As you present a product to a customer, paint a vivid picture of how their skin will look after they use it. An ingredient list will always be far less important to the more “visually stimulated” customer.
#2. SMELL
Will I love the lotion’s essence before, during and after tanning? What is its aura – fruity, floral, sweet? So many tanners tend to be very fragrance-driven. Sometimes, the scent alone can be the deciding factor for purchasing a lotion, regardless of all its other benefits. The secret: Learning to describe a product’s essence is a far more valuable sales tool than describing in detail how much you loathe a particular fragrance! Why? Because what you loathe may be their new fave!
#3. THOUGHT
How will the end result make me feel? Will it help fulfil a desire, solve a problem, ease a fear? When you really listen to your customers they’ll tell you what matters to them. If your customer says, “I just started working out again and my legs are so white!” they have clearly expressed a desire to get rid of those pasty legs and replace an embarrassing work out with a glowing, bronzed and confident one! The secret: Help by making what’s important to them important to you.
#4. TOUCH
How will my skin feel? Softer, firmer, smoother? Your “touchy-feely” types will leave obvious signs about how the lotion makes them FEEL. For example “I love how this lotion makes my skin so soft!” or “My face gets so dry in this weather.” Salons are filled with masterfully crafted moisturizers, hydrators and skin-perfecting conditioners that are designed to nurture and rejuvenate every skin type. The secret: These silky skin connoisseurs can’t help themselves – they must have the latest and greatest skin care breakthrough. Let them sample new products liberally and often, because once they love the way it feels, they have to have it!
Every salon client you encounter will naturally gravitate to one or all four of the “feel good senses!” Your job: Be a “feel good sense” detective! Listen for the clues and cater to the senses they care about.
I have to credit Sun Evolutions International Trainer David McFarland who inspired this blog during his UK training sessions last year.