In the tan biz, October is a very exciting time of year! Salon operators are gearing up for a busy season, product makers are launching new offerings and industry tradeshows are happening.
I feel very fortunate to have worked for a product manufacturer that does all product creation, testing, manufacturing, bottling and warehousing in-house at our facilities. By having all the components that go into making a tanning lotion right at my fingertips, I’m able to dive head first into the process. We work for many months leading up to the unveiling of our new products, which generally happens at the first tradeshow of the season, and we view this as the start of our tanning season. It’s when you as the salon operator get to attend industry events to learn about and choose what new products you’re going to bring in. One of the questions asked most often this time of year is, “What products do I phase out and how do I do it without devaluing the products by putting them on sale or marking them as ‘closeouts’?”
Whether your top-seller came out two years ago or last month, remember that people don’t buy from businesses … people buy from people.
When changing your line-up for the new season, the first thing to do is to pick the products you want to sell. What products catch your eye? What does your distributor say will be a big seller? Take this info and compare it to your already-existing SKUs. For each product you bring in, you need to eliminate one you sell at the same price point. This will not only greatly simplify your line-up for your salon guests, but also simplify training your staff. For example, if you had two $80 tingle products, one new and one that was released a while ago, you are giving mixed signals to your tanners and staff.
Now, this number varies from salon to salon, but a good number of SKUs to have on your shelves is about 18-22. Make sure the price points, bottle sizes and fragrances vary. A very successful salon owner friend of mine brings in something new every month. He says it keeps his staff excited about a new product to sell. He takes the product off his shelf that he sells the least of, and replaces it with something new. If his staff gets upset about “losing” a product, he just explains that it wasn’t a good seller and that he is focusing on products that their team can and wants to sell (#commission).
In order to get your staff to participate in helping you weed out the older products before bringing in new ones, I highly suggest using this incentive program – one of my favorite in-salon games that is super successful with a money-motivated staff. Pick a prize for the top salesperson and it will really get them excited about selling lotion.
For this game, you need to create a super-sized BINGO card. Instead of numbers in the spaces, replace them with names of the lotions you want sold. At the top of the card, include the prize they will win. Team members can “sell” the same space on the card, just have them initial the space when they sell the product (spaces can have multiple initials). Decide whether the players have to fill in a single row, cover the board, go vertical or horizontal, “around the block” or diagonally to win. The first team member to fill the spaces with sales wins the prize!
However you decide to arrange your shelves and whatever new products you decide to carry, remember: education is the key to sales. The more knowledgeable you are about your product line-up, the more you’ll sell – period. Whether your top-seller launched two years ago or last month, also remember that people don’t buy from businesses … people buy from people. Be educated, be confident and don’t forget to smile!
