When they brag about their tanning results from a session at your salon, you’ll rarely, if ever, hear a guest mention a specific lotion ingredient. They will say, “I got so dark” or “My skin felt amazing,” or “My tan has never lasted this long!” They never say, “WOW! Tyrosine really increased my melanin production,” or “OMG that erythrulose really boosted my tan and helped it last longer.”
When selling a product, just rattling off ingredient names won’t get your tanning guests pumped and ready to spend. Instead, focus on the benefit of the ingredient and how it appeals to each one of the four very powerful “feel good” senses!
The 4 “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 lotion in your salon offers benefits that can be seen – from the instant “off the beach” color results of numerous natural bronzers to potent skin-firming compounds that can soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. THE SECRET: As you present products to your guests, paint a vivid picture of how their skin will look after they use the product! Naming a list of ingredients will always be far less important to your more “visually stimulated” tanner.
2. SMELL: Will I love the lotion’s essence before, during and after tanning? What is its aura? Fruity, Floral, Sweet? Many tanners tend to be fragrance conscious – often, the scent alone can be the deciding factor in a lotion purchase, 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 graphic 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 fulfill a desire, solve a problem, ease a fear? When you really listen to your guests, they’ll tell you what matters to them. Your guest says, “I just started working out again and my legs are sooo white!” In this one simple sentence, she has expressed her desire to have golden bronzed legs, asked you to help her solve a problem and expressed a fear of being embarrassed in front of other gym members! THE SECRET: Help her by making what’s important to her, important to you.
4. TOUCH: How will my skin feel? Softer, firmer, smoother? Your touchy-feely types will give you blatant hints when they are all about feel – like, “I love how this lotion makes my skin so soft,” or “My face gets so dry in this weather.” Your salon is filled with masterfully crafted moisturizers, hydrators and skin perfecting conditioners 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 skincare breakthrough. Let them sample new products liberally and often because once they love the way it feels, they have to have it!
If you keep the four “feel good” senses in mind during the sales process, every salon guest will naturally reveal which one appeals most to her … maybe it’s ALL of them! Your job: Be a “feel good” sense detective! ■
Your job: Be a “feel good” sense detective!
