smart Tan Magazine is the leading source of information for indoor tanning salons, covering everything from the newest tanning technology, Vitamin D and the lastes tanning lotions to detailed ways to improve your salon's success.
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61 ❘ SMART TAN MAGAZINE ❘ SmartTan.com FEATURE when we had a sale going on, but this simple phrase let them talk about a lotion even when it wasn't marked down," says Ligon. If you're not a fan of having extensive sales scripts, opting for a few scripted moments can provide a nice compromise between natural conversation and consistently asking for the sale. Look for extra moments where you can ask the client what they want or get them talking. To take another note from fast food chains, introduce a service directly after your wel- come statement. Try something like this: "Welcome to ABC Tanning! Would you like to book a session in our new luxury tanning bed?" You'll make more customers aware of your promotions and engage them in conver- sation. "Little sayings like this can increase your per tanner averages by a little bit for each cus- tomer, and adds up to some real profit at the end of the year," says Miller. Scripted moments are also great for your ever- changing promotions. Every time you run a new sale, give your employees a little scripted speech about it instead of just telling them what the sale is. This way, you can ensure that they are all sharing the value of your offers in a consistent way. "We used to give a full rebate on lotions in the form of free tanning. We stopped doing it not because it didn't work, but because over time the employees were explaining it like it was no big deal! Even though it was an amazing value, people got used to it. It's all about the presenta- tion," says Ligon. Homer saw that his employees were giving all kinds of different answers to his clients' ques- tions, so he decided to create a tool that would put everyone on the same page. He created a presentation on his tablet that showed every- thing from pricing to the benefits of lotions and tanning beds. The presentation helps employees give out the same comprehensive information with each sale, and has improved engagement with customers, who enjoy the interactive visual component. "My employees would tell customers different things about the same equipment, and sales suffered due to inconsistency and unprofes- sionalism. I created an app on our iPad that's part of our sales presentation now. It has detailed, standardized descriptions and images of the equipment and products, giving every client the same story," says Homer. "In the last two years, it has rewarded us with decreased customer complaints and increased sales." But tweaking your sales conversation isn't always about bringing money in; sometimes it's about keeping money from flowing out. Do you know how many people cancel memberships with you each year? Lowering that number may be as simple as asking a few questions. "If someone was coming in to cancel their EFT, I'd ask if they were moving out of the area, as if that was the only reason it made sense for them to cancel. I ask if they plan on tanning anymore, or if we can simply freeze their ac- count for them. Sometimes I will try to keep them active by throwing in a free upgrade. If you don't train your people at the front desk to have a conversation about it, they just let your customers cancel," says Ligon. GIVE CUSTOMERS A RING Your business is already paying for a phone line, so why not use it to make your salon some money? Texting, email and smartphones have made phone conversations feel a little I created an app on our iPad that's part of our sales presentation now. It has detailed, standardized descriptions and images of the equipment and products, giving every client the same story. In the last two years, it has rewarded us with decreased customer complaints and increased sales. J.R. Homer, owner of InstaTAN feature success.indd 62 3/14/14 4:38 PM