Beyond the Sale: A Genuine Approach to Upselling

Adding waxing services to your spa menu is a great way to grow your business and your bottom line. Waxing is a high margin service that is an effective and quick method of hair removal. Clients feel instant gratification after the service and leave the spa feeling hair-free and smooth. The immediate smooth results are what makes waxing so popular and keeps clients coming back. Additionally, waxing services provide a great opportunity to upsell services, enabling you to further increase profits. So, when it comes to upselling, where do you start?

HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Upselling is about providing great customer service and not about selling. It is being able to recognize an issue and offer a solution. You are helping your client to achieve the best possible wax and feel good about themselves. It is important to adjust your mindset so that you are not feeling like you are pushing products or additional services, but instead offering suggestions to your client that will benefit them in the long run. Your clients will pick up on your caring, genuine approach. Their trust in you will grow and they will be more likely to listen to your suggestions. Making them feel comfortable will allow them to leave feeling their absolute best.

ADD-ON SERVICES

Waxing clients are often your most loyal clients, as they return every four to six weeks. They return knowing the service they want and expecting the same results. These loyal clients are perfect for offering more services, as you have already established trust with them. They return to you for a reason. If they book for a bikini, suggest a speedy eyebrow wax immediately after their wax or, if you don’t have time, offer them a discount when they return. These are the clients that will listen to your suggestions and trust what you are telling them. Most often, your clients may not be aware of all the services that you offer. Mentioning the benefits of a leg wax or that you can wax their upper lip might entice them to want to get more areas of their body waxed. It is important that your approach is open-ended and not forceful in any way.

Suggesting you can add on a service easily, and the benefits of that service (like, ultra-smooth legs or perfectly shaped eyebrows), will make a client feel more comfortable and empower them to make a decision on whether or not they would like to go ahead with the extra service.

DON’T FORGET RETAIL

Retail products are a great way to increase revenue while adding value to your overall service offering. It is important that all staff in your spa are educated on the retail products that you sell. Understanding how each product works and what benefits they have for your client will reduce the pushiness of the sell. Frame the retail product you are offering as a solution to a common problem, rather than an upsell. Encourage your team to ask discussion questions during treatments, such as “Are there any other concerns you would like to address today or for your next appointment?” Clients may ask questions about certain conditions, such as ingrown hairs or redness after waxing, so be prepared to answer with confidence and offer a solution. Remember, you aren’t selling them a product, you are helping them to achieve the best and most comfortable wax possible. Additionally, you can also leave out literature in the waiting area that answers common questions about waxing that potential clients may be too shy to ask, as well as provides product suggestions that may help.

BE CONFIDENT

The word sell can often be intimidating and we all tend to shy away from it. However, upselling should not be a word you are afraid of. It is a great way to grow your business through various means, whether it is adding on services to that bikini wax or suggesting a retail product for those pesky ingrown hairs your client can’t get rid of. In the end, you are helping to provide a solution to a problem and, for that, your client will be loyal to you. Be confident in your suggestions and know your products and client. Confidence and great customer service are the foundation to a successful business.

 

Lindsay Miller 2019Lindsay Miller is the president of LYCON Wax North America. Having first discovered LYCON wax in the United Kingdom 10 years ago, she has dedicated her time to growing the brand across North America, including introducing LYCON to Canada. Training and product quality are extremely important to Miller and she prides herself on building a strong team around her that can offer the best customer experience possible. LYCON continues to be a market leader in hair removal wax and is used in top spas and salons around the world.

Learn more from Lindsay Miller, president of LYCON Wax North America and featured columnist in Dermascope Magazine: https://www.dermascope.com/business/10764-beyond-the-sale-a-genuine-approach-to-upselling