WOW! It’s tough to get your customers to spend the big bucks. However, I’m going to give you ten ways to sell more small priced items and bring in easy sales. Here’s your new mantra: SMALL SALES ARE EASY SALES! So, let’s get to it!
1. Educate the Team. To become really great salespeople, your staff needs to know a lot about all of the accessories sold in your salon, including eyewear. Have your team tan with each eye protection product you carry, including disposables – so they are experts at folding them into a cone shape and can easily demonstrate it to your tanners. For just $9 each, every member of your staff can learn about eyewear with the Sun is Life® Training “I Care for Eye Care” online session, or check out other training materials available from eyewear manufacturers. Also, I recommend you have each team member tan wearing a hair protector (wash between each use!). Better yet, if you give each of your staff one of their own as a contest prize, they’ll sell a ton of them once they realize it dramatically extends the life of their hair color. The money you spend having your staff all try after-tan wipes and nail protectors is money well spent, as it will lead to increased sales. You know that for anyone to sell a lotion, they need to try it – tanning accessories are no different.
2. Display Eyewear Nicely. I’m always shocked that a salon’s lotions are so well displayed and lit, but all their goggles are jammed into a basket. Many eye protection makers offer displays and it’s well worth making room for it, as it will sell a lot more eyewear than the “goggle basket”. I’m a big fan of arranging all your eye protection styles on a black velvet jewelry display for your customers to see, feel and touch. You’ll be surprised how many of the expensive, designer styles you’ll sell when you display them well. When accessories are within reach for your tanners, the display and packaging will catch their attention. Again, it’s the same as lotions; the ones you feature will be the ones to which your tanners are drawn.
3. Create Eyewear Events. Try holding a couple each year. One of my favorite salons holds a “Crappy Eyewear Week” when she gives 40% off a pair of new goggles to tanners who turn in their old pair. It gives her time to explain how goggles should be replaced at least once a year. She has a huge fishbowl that holds all the worn out, disgusting goggles that have been turned in, so she can talk about keeping eyewear clean by storing it in the sandwich bags she provides. Another salon operator uses the color vision test from an eyewear maker, giving a free pair of disposables to tanners who can pass the color vision test. It only takes a second and the tanner gets something for free while learning to protect their vision. If you let your distributor rep know you’re having an eyewear event, they’ll send you samples you can raffle or give to top customers.
4. Different Eyewear for Different Uses. Eye protection is not “one size fits all”, any more than “one lotion fits all” or “one tan fits all”. For example, if you have a super-duper bed with very powerful fans, you need to make sure your client isn’t using eyewear that will blow off during the session. For a stand-up session, a tanner can’t use a two-piece eyewear style and most won’t wear the elastic strap on their goggles in the standup, so you’ll find that disposables work best here. Use very specific eyewear to cut down the brightness of red-light sessions if you offer them. And if you administer cosmetic laser services, be sure you provide appropriate eyewear, as laser light works on a different spectrum for which most goggles do not provide protection. For sunless tanners, there are new clear disposables and new clear goggles that work very well, meeting FDA recommendations for eye protection while tanning. And your bed technicians need to wear UV-blocking glasses during lamp changes. In addition to different needs for different uses, everyone’s eye shape is different, so you’ll find some tanners will prefer the deeper disposable cone or the deep goggle that offers more eyelash room. That’s why a display that allows everyone to see what works for them is such a great idea!
5. Buy Smart! Get on the email and mailing lists of several product distributors to stay informed of their special deals. And talk to your reps when they call; they often have deals available for limited times. Eyewear and accessories are often featured on mailers, so take advantage of one or two small items when offered at low prices to rotate through your salon to always have something new. Maybe this month, you offer bracelets and t-shirts; next month is after-tan wipes and sunglasses. And if I were selling t-shirts and bracelets, I’d have all my staff “win” them for perfect attendance for the week or if they’ve sold their week’s minimum in product.
See you next month with more tips!
