How To Sell Retail In A Salon (Without Feeling Pushy)
Having quality makeup for salon retail boosts your revenue. But how do you confidently make the sales?
When clients think about salons, they usually picture their services. Hair cuts, coloring and styling, makeup, esthetic and spa treatments. Yet the typical salon only makes a 36 to 40% profit margin with services!
On average, however, a salon’s products are sold at a 42 to 48% profit margin. Meaning your salary, rent, and more may depend most on the products you sell.
To keep your salon afloat and thriving, you need to sell products your clients love. But what’s the secret? Even if you’re stocked with quality products…nobody likes a slimy salesman.
How do I sell my products at a salon without being obnoxious? Thankfully, there’s a classy way to do it. We’ve all felt it. It’s the difference between getting cornered by a mall kiosk worker–and discovering your new favorite product from a friend’s recommendation.
When you’re sold a product by a trusted esthetician, it feels like a VIP offer. The experience of getting a personalized deal isn’t slimy. It keeps you coming back for more!
Here are 10 ways to sell your product with your service in a way that your client will love.
1. Choose products you truly love.
You can’t hide your authenticity when it comes to products you believe in. And when you recommend products you really like, you can speak from experience. An eye-popping 83% of people are more likely to buy something when the recommendation comes from a friend!
By selling only your favorite products, you make being your own salesman much more enjoyable. Not many people want to sell (or get sold) products they’re not thrilled about. But it’s easy to rave about a product you adore!
If you use the products you’re selling, pick ones based on the common problems your clients have. If you've used it with clients, pick ones that they tend to love. What products do they ask about? What skincare, hair, or makeup woe do they keep complaining about? If you’ve stocked the mascara, anti-frizz spray, or whatever product that meets their question, bring it up!
2. Understand your product.
Educate yourself and your staff on what’s in stock. What ingredient or feature makes it work so well? What are those key benefits a client gets when using your product?
Your client is overwhelmed by a sea of products. But when they're in your chair for your service, you get to help navigate them through their product confusion. Clients are relieved when their esthetician or cosmetologist saves them from being overwhelmed with options.
This is also where complementary products–and not just the obvious products you use in the salon–can be a great choice. For example, say you mainly offer hair services events but know your clients would benefit from longwear makeup. Having longwear makeup for salon retail lets a client take it home, feeling even more prepared for their event.
3. Explain to your clients why you’re using a product.
A product is just a product until you describe the details. What does it do for your client that other products don’t? Why would it be valuable for taking home–not just having it applied at the salon?
Educating your clients helps them feel like they have your insider knowledge. It also helps them justify why they should take it home! Knowing your product well gives clients confidence in buying from you.
4. Customize your product recommendations to your client.
A great product isn't always great for everyone. When you recommend products, make sure you specify who it’s especially for. Is a shampoo you sell better for color-treated hair, but not uncolored hair? Will the eyebrow mousse you stock help sparse brows, but overwhelm thick ones?
Being honest lets them know you’re not simply recommending products to anyone who will listen. And when your client knows the details of the target audience of your products, they'll know you picked something just for them.
5. Emphasize the perks of buying from you (if you offer client deals/discounts).
If a client can get a product cheaper through you–mention that! If your product is often sold out at other stores or online–tell your client!
Clients love the thrill of getting in on the exclusive offer. Offering exclusive deals also incentivizes your client to tell others about the deal they could be getting through you. Studies support it: people can't resist telling others about a deal they snagged. That’s great news for you!
6. Apply a sample before sending them home.
There's no better way to recommend a product than by letting your client test run it. For example, if you've given your client a new hair color, and you know a darker brown eyebrow mousse would pair better than their natural brow color, apply a little to your client’s brows.
Don’t forget to mention the product’s benefits! Even if your client doesn't choose to buy a product before heading home, applying some lets them see how well it works. They’ll know exactly who to get it from when they’re impressed by how well it held throughout the day.
7. Have an inviting display.
When you've given a client their service, you've already primed them with a fun, relaxed environment. A beautiful, organized display is a fantastic touch to both your salon’s look and your client’s desire to discover products made just for them.
At blinc, our displays have a small footprint, yet plenty of space to arrange products. Don’t let your stock sit in a bland container or stacked on a shelf. Appeal to that shopping experience your clients love.
8. Talk about why salon products are worth it.
Salon prices can stop clients in their tracks. But you understand the difference between what you sell and the drugstore dupe. Drugstore brands are often diluted. Salon brands are usually much more concentrated and have better ingredients. That’s why they’re often sold in smaller amounts–yet go even further.
Your customers may not know they're getting a better deal buying from you. For example, if you carry blinc mascara, you know it’s not sold in drugstores or at drugstore prices. But if you educate a client on how the formula performs better for oily skin than their current favorite, you’ll pique their interest.
9. Emphasize the time you’re saving your client.
Is your client going to an event? About to travel? Prone to forgetting to order something they want? Deals are seductive…but never underestimate how powerful convenience is in swaying a client’s decision-making.
When clients buy from you and get to take home their product, they're not going to need to worry about shipping time or cost. You’ve freed them from having to do their own bargain shopping–and from remembering to do it.
10. Reward your repeat buyers.
Clients love the exclusive feel of getting bonuses with the products/services they were already using. Throw in a sample they’ll like, a small bonus service, or a discount for your tried-and-true customers.
Want to stock makeup for salon retail?
If you’ve been stressing–how do I sell my products at my salon?–then picking quality, one-of-a-kind, high-performing products is your solid start. At blinc, we’ve pioneered the original tubing makeup for salon retail. Tubing mascara, longwear eye makeup, and more…now wholesale! Start browsing your salon’s future stock today right here.
