It’s April! By this time, your lobby should be full of tanners preparing for summer, maintaining their spring break tans or just putting on shorts for the first time this year and realizing how pale their legs are.
[gap height=”15″]
Your salons are busy for many reasons now, and it’s crucial to educate existing customers on all the products and services they may need to achieve and maintain their results. We typically sell tanners lotion and eyewear when they purchase a package. But what I have noticed in my travels are the “missed connections” happening when selling after-care and add-on products.
[gap height=”15″]
Not all current salon guests will be year-round tanners and some are just with us for a couple of sessions, which is why it’s critical that you promote all the offerings on your menu to ensure they will return to repurchase items even when they are not tanning.
[gap height=”15″]
Tan Extending Moisturizers and Body Washes – Throughout my years on the road, I have encouraged salon operators to change the way they speak to guests about add-on products and NOT call them “moisturizers” or “body wash.” To me, moisturizer and body wash are things you can get at the drug store. Tan Extending moisturizers and tan extending washes are formulated for a tanner’s skin – to lengthen tan life, and replenish moisture, nutrients and vitamins that can be lost while tanning. The perfect question to ask your guests is, “What are you using at home to protect your color?” This opens the door to educating them about how “drug store” moisturizers contain mineral oil, which is known to strip the tan and break down the results of DHA (the bronzing ingredient). A salon-quality tan-extending moisturizer keeps skin hydrated, makes color last longer and preserves results created by tanning lotions. The same is true for body wash – typical formulas contain alkalines that can break down your tan. I call tan-extending products “the conditioner to your shampoo.”
[gap height=”15″]
In my travels, I’ve noticed the “missed connections” when selling after-care and add-on products at salons.
[gap height=”15″]
Outdoor Oils & SPFs – It’s inevitable: in the summertime, some of our tanners choose to tan in the outdoor sun, but that doesn’t mean they can’t buy their outdoor products from you! Most people who lay out or enjoy summer activities use SPF products or outdoor tanning oils. During the months leading up to summer, why not offer them in your salon? Most manufacturers make outdoor products intended for salon retail – some even have 2-in-1 lotions or sprays intended for both salon and outdoor use. So, next time you have a conversation with a guest and their weekend or summer plans include BBQs, pool time or just laying out, show them what you sell that they can use outdoors. They are most likely going to buy outdoor products somewhere – why not from you?
[gap height=”15″]
Bronzers, Lip Gloss, Night Creams & More – Of course, not every salon guest is looking to buy a new tanning lotion every day, which is why lotion makers offer many add on products that you can sell to fill the gaps between lotion purchases. Now, as a woman and regular indoor tanner, I know the one makeup item I just could not live without is bronzing powder. I apply it every morning as part of my makeup routine and reapply throughout the day, just as many women do. Some companies make bronzing powders formulated with the tanner’s skin in mind. Same goes for lip-gloss, lip balms and night or day creams. Your guests are currently purchasing and using these items – they’re just not buying them from you … yet!
[gap height=”15″]
To increase retail sales and capitalize on current salon traffic, I suggest offering products your tanners already buy at local drug stores or beauty counters. As long as your staff is trained to effectively sell these items, you should be able to re-direct some of the money spent at local drug stores into your cash register!
