The tanning business is affected, naturally, by the weather and the changing seasons. It is further influenced by the relentless marketing efforts that surround man-made calendar events such as the New Year, Valentine’s Day, Spring Break, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, etc.
The list of product and service combinations that you can offer in conjunction with life’s moving calendar is endless.
However, inside all of us runs an inherent, psychological current that provides the basis for what truly affects the ebb and flow of our spending habits. Tapping into this underlying current will help you increase sales and create a more consistent revenue stream.
Consider the following scenarios:
It’s the New Year and you want to lose some weight to feel better about yourself. What’s the first thing you do? You go on a diet. And going on a diet typically involves buying special foods, pills, books and DVDs. Valentine’s Day is almost here. Perhaps a new hairstyle, whiter teeth or an “anatomical enhancement” will keep your romance sparkling.
Regardless of the outcome, whenever we have the urge to enhance our appearance and the way we feel, there is one step that we always take first: WE SPEND MONEY!
To lose weight and get in shape, we could simply eat less and take more frequent walks around the neighborhood. But we don’t. Instead, we choose to spend money to make it happen. Millions of people will brag about joining a gym – and then never go. Millions will purchase an expensive diet plan and six months later, will actually have gained weight. And, we all have our credit cards conveniently holstered and ready to pounce on next “big thing” that promises to help us look and feel better.
And, if we want to make someone else feel good (which in turn makes us feel good), we buy them a gift, or take them to dinner – we spend money!
Why are we so easily played? Because spending money is easy. Spending money provides a feeling of accomplishment and it also removes our sense of guilt from the equation. Eating that cheeseburger is more enjoyable when you know that you’ve just purchased a treadmill for your home, right?
The truth is that dieting and exercising are hard work – and unfortunately, most of us lack the discipline to stay with the program. But now consider the business of indoor tanning (UV and spray-tanning): products and systems that help you look and feel better … by doing nothing! And the first step necessary to participate: spend money. People are ready to spend. As a salon operator, your job is simply to get people to spend their money with you.
Using indoor tanning systems as the anchor, you can effectively sell your salon guests a variety of products, services and accessories that all revolve around the “look good/feel good” principle. And all they have to do is spend money.
For example, your menu of retail items can include diet and weight loss products. Your competitive edge over the big chain stores that sell the same things: how about a month of free tanning or a free spray-tan with each purchase? You can offer beauty, spa and hair care products, and again, the enticement to purchase and your competitive edge is a few free tanning sessions with each purchase.
The list of product and service combinations you can offer in conjunction with life’s moving calendar is endless. Spending money is easy; and so is making money if you apply effective marketing and selling strategies.
