Opportunities for Body Massage Clients Retail Opportunities for Body Massage Clients

Why retail? The client has just had an amazing experience with you and has listened to your aftercare advice, if she follows your advice but uses an inferior product then when she does not achieve results she would think it would you your advice, not the product she chose By taking your recommendation you can honestly say what the benefits of using the product will be.

Features and Benefits When providing advice on products and treatments it is important that you have detailed knowledge of both the features and benefits.

What is the difference? A feature is what is unique about the product BENEFIT A feature is what is unique about the product A benefit it what that product will do for the client

Services - you will need to know: What services you offer The price of each service Suitability of each service How long each service take What each service involves The results or benefits of each service Products - you should have knowledge of: How much the product costs What products you have available Suitability of each product Features and benefits of each product Method of use Matching the most suitable product for the clients needs

Television shopping channels Selling skills You must remember that products can be bought from many different avenues and so therefore there is a large amount of competition from: Parties Chemists Websites Department stores Supermarkets/ shops Catalogues Television shopping channels

Unique selling point You have personally spent time working on the client’s condition and can therefore make a recommendation, prescribing professional products (only sold in approved spa’s) for the client’s individual needs. As the client has usually spent a minimum of an hour in your company you will generally have built up a certain amount of trust and the client will value your opinion. Reinforce that if the client was to purchase their products from the other avenues they would usually get no assistance, or very little, in choosing products which meet their requirements.

Making the sale

There are many different types of products that can be recommended to your client following a body massage to suit the treatment plan and their individual requirements

Body brush Used to remove dead skin cells, combat cellulite by visibly improving the skin’s texture and increase blood & lymph circulation. Advise your client on using and cleaning the brush

Body Exfoliators Always refer to the manufactures training and ingredient manual for specific details on which product is the best to recommend to your client Exfoliators are used to polish and refine the skin using different spec aliased ingredients from spherical balls to walnut shells to sweep away dead skin cells

Body Moisturisers Always refer to the manufactures training and ingredient manual for specific details on which product is the best to recommend to your client Used to smooth, hydrate, protect, a body moisturisier is the must have product for clients’ visiting the spa

Bathroom Products Many different product houses recommend their own product line for the spa experience at home. The products that are available: Shampoo Conditioner Bath foams/milks Shower gels

Massage Mediums To extend the experience the product range may allow the client to purchase the massage mediums you have used for use at home. Always explain how to use and the quantity required This may also have a link sale to customer ‘training’ in massage movements

Candles Either a scented candle for use anywhere in their home to remind them of their spa experience or a massage candle that warms up before being used Both offer the client the sense of indulgence

Making a successful sale Find out what the client’s needs are, you need to establish what the client feels they need. Relate to your own personal experiences of the product/treatment (this is your best retailing tool) or recommendations by valued customers. If any famous celebrities are using the products or having the treatment don’t forget to use this as a selling point. Use open-ended questions as this will provide information that is more detailed from the client. Remember your body language - always smile, maintain eye contact, use encouraging head nods and open body language. Explain the features, benefits, and method of use for the product.

Allow the client to hold the product and use a tester so that the client can smell and see the texture of the product. Often it is appropriate to use a link selling technique where you recommend more than one product that compliments each other such as exfoliant and body moisturiser. It is quite often just as easy to sell a few products, as it is to sell one. Be confident when stating the price to the client, if you hesitate to mention the price then you may give the client the impression that you feel that the product is too expensive.

Always be honest, do not retail a product to the client if you feel it is inappropriate or not beneficial to the client. Look for signals from the client that indicates they are going to take your advice for example head nods, asking more questions about the product or service, eye contact, asking about prices, enquiring about accepted methods of payment or looking at the product in more detail. The client may simply tell you, or you may need to ask “Would like to take the product today?” Do not be afraid of silences, the client may simply be deciding whether to take your advice.

Always be honest, do not retail a product to the client if you feel it is inappropriate or not beneficial to the client. Look for signals from the client that indicates they are going to take your advice for example head nods, asking more questions about the product or service, eye contact, asking about prices, enquiring about accepted methods of payment or looking at the product in more detail. The client may simply tell you, or you may need to ask “Would like to take the product today?” Do not be afraid of silences, the client may simply be deciding whether to take your advice.

Phrases to help you close the sale “These products are on special offer for a limited period so you would save money if you took them today.” “Which products do you feel are most important for you to take today?” “Because of the quality of the products you do not need to use as much and so should last 6 months.” “I recommend that you purchase this product today and then gradually build up your product range by purchasing a new item each month.”