Armed with the title “National Educator” for Performance Brands, I’ve salon-hopped across the country from coast to coast, boldly weaving my way into the very fabric and soul of the ever evolving tanning industry. Yes! The best part about my title is it’s basically like having a special “freelance” badge I can flash that allows me to work at pretty much any salon in the U.S. It’s great – the salon team gets free training and I get to work with and learn directly from the people who use and sell tanning and skin care products.
Profiling the ultimate lotion salesperson can be tricky, because it can be anyone; however, one attribute they all share is that for them, the word “no” is only the beginning of the sales process – not the end!
Every salesperson hears thousands of “NOs” – it’s usually the first word out of a customer’s mouth. Now, there are several different kinds of “no”. The ultimate secret to making big bucks in sales at your salon is having the ability to decipher what someone really means when they say it, and knowing how to respond.
KNOW how to recognize and respond to the three most common NOs heard in a salon:
- “No. It’s too much money. I can’t afford it.”
- “No.” (they don’t think it can benefit them.)
- “No. I’m just looking.”
“No. It’s too much money. I can’t afford it.”
Best Response: “Let’s face it: you’re making a huge investment in your tan/skin by coming to this salon. My only job is to recommend products that will guarantee you get the color/skincare results you expect. Your money and time are valuable, and these products will insure that you get the most out of your sessions.” (Insert product benefits here.)
“No.” (They don’t think it can benefit them.)
“Does this stuff really work?” they ask. You have to make it easy for them to understand, so simplify the answer to this question.
Best Response: “The UV light from the tanning equipment will stimulate melanin cells in your skin, which create the tan; however, there are two facts that are vital to know. First, it takes several minutes for UV light to actually stimulate melanin production and secondly, UV light exposure will definitely draw moisture out of your skin. Not only will all of our products speed up melanin production so you get more color in less time, they also help nourish and feed your skin moisture during and after your session.”
“No. I’m just looking.”
Remember this is a conditioned response that a guest will say without even thinking about it! We’ve all said this very same thing to a salesperson, too.
Here is the best response: “Great! What are you looking for today?” This response throws them off, because most salon professionals answer, “Okay. Let me know if you have any questions.” The response I recommend forces them to actually say the words, “I’m here to get a tan” or something similar. You then simply reply, “Great! I have exactly what you need to get the most beautiful color ever!” Now the door is wide open for you to get them excited about and purchase your products.
Now, I’m not gonna lie and say this will win every sales battle, or that there is a magic phrase to utter that will overcome any sales objection and will suddenly open your prospect’s wallet; however, I’ve seen salons double their lotion revenue just by teaching the entire team how to respond to any “No”.
