5 Tips to Increase Client Retail Purchases
“What is it that makes us want to buy something we may or may not need? Even the customer least likely to buy retail in a salon wants to purchase something that will make them feel or look good,” notes Jeff Grissler, in his hit book, How to Get a J.O.B. in a Salon. Whether you are looking for a new position in a different salon, a recent Cosmetology graduate, or wanting to step up your performance in your current salon, strong retail sales help make you a very desirable employee. Below Jeff shares his top 5 tips for motivating your clients to buy.
1. The best thing you can do is dress like a pro. Suggest a dress code for your sales team. Clinique came up with a great idea to lend credibility to their sales consultants – wear white lab coats. While you don’t have to wear a lab coat, dressing professionally, including hair and makeup, suggests you know what you’re doing and have it together. This translates into more effective communications through your body language and gives you more confidence. Combine your professional appearance with staying current on product knowledge, and you’ll increase retail sales.
2. The nose knows. Retailers take advantage of the studied fact that scent motivates buyers by appealing to their emotions. Scents trigger the desire to buy. Department stores rely on fragrance to help sell bathing suits by spraying beach-like scents in the swimwear departments. Infant apparel sections often have a baby powder smell in the air. In your retail environment, lighting a scented candle can set the mood to encourage retail sales. Citrus scents boost happiness. Happy clients tend to purchase more. Try a candle that smells similar to a product you’re selling. How many times have you found yourself buying something that smelled so good you just had to have it? Don’t use a scent that is heavy or overpowering, since that can irritate people with allergies or sensitive noses.
3. Music to your ears. Many retail stores play music to keep shoppers relaxed, soothed and happy. When customers are happy, they tend to splurge on purchases. Have you ever had the experience of staying longer than you wanted in a store because your favorite song was playing? Those two to three extra minutes could be all the time needed for a customer to find another product they want to try or even purchase as a gift. Remember to play music that suits your audience at all times and keep it at a decibel level that is background in nature. You don’t want to make conversations challenging.
4. Make it shine. If you want to be successful in retail, every product, counter and surface your product rests on must be clean and pristine. Give your customers the impression that your products are worth every penny you’re asking them to pay. Set up a weekly dusting and maintenance schedule and adjust the frequency, as needed.
5. A little loyalty. Design a retail buying program that rewards loyalty that will turn one time buyers into frequent buyers. All it takes is investing in printing attractively designed wallet cards and a special, custom designed hole punch or stamp. Whether you offer a free bottle of shampoo after a client buys ten, or a free hair or nail care product after a certain number of services, it’s a great idea to give the customer one free stamp or hole punch on the card just for starting the program.
As a salon owner or stylist, you can increase retail sales by following these simple tips. By dressing the part, knowing your product, sharing your knowledge when you ask for the sale and creating a pleasant, happy retail environment, you will naturally increase your retail sales. If you’re a stylist looking for a position in a new salon, or a student fresh out of school, the ability and desire to combine effective retailing with your services makes you more desirable for potential employers.
For more tips on preparing for interviews, dressing appropriately, language to use, creating an effective resume and understanding what salon owners are looking for in stylists, Jeff’s new book, How to Get a J.O.B. in a Salon, is a must-read! Available now in the BTC Bookstore.
