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21 SMART TAN MAGAZINE MAY 2017 WWW.SMARTTAN.COM MEMBER OF THE MONTH as 3 minutes and gradually move up until they get a good base tan going. Of course, when customers come from other salons who don't use smart practices, Julia takes the time to explain the why's and how's of low and slow. "In Canada, we have to have these huge yellow and white signs from the government of Ontario that say UV causes cancer. It has to be posted in every single room. We explain about the tanning process, that they don't want to overstimulate their cells and don't want to burn. No one has ever gotten a sunburn in our tanning beds." Most customers, says Julia, appreciate the information. There are others—as most salons experience—who come in expecting to set their own tanning times. A case in point is a young fair-skinned woman who had tanned 20 minutes at another salon on the first visit, and said to Julia, "I'm going in that bed for 20 minutes." Julia replied, "My dear, you're not. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't tan you." The woman left, and Julia saw her two weeks later sporting a sunburn. "I thought, thank goodness that didn't come from us," she said, "because that's not a piece of advertising I want." PURE PROMOTION When it comes to promotion, Julia has learned a couple of things. First, newspaper advertising isn't effective. Second, her husband Gaetan is a promotional rock star. While the salon did have some success with newspaper ads for its grand opening event in early 2016, since then she's relied on Facebook and word of mouth. "We live in an electronic world," she says, "so we put things on Facebook all the time, and we purchase ads there based on our demographic. But my husband is our biggest sales rep." Gaetan, who proclaims himself "a charmer," is out in the world of Angus talking about Purity Esthetics and Tanning. Julia says he strikes up conversations everywhere, noticing and commenting on a well-done manicure, or a great tan. He hands out a business card and says, "Come over and have a coffee with us (the salon offers coffee, tea, and hot chocolate round the clock) and let's talk." And, says Julia, people do come in just to check them out after meeting Gaetan. "He has this nice French accent, and the ladies like it when he's in the salon. He's there with me pretty much every night, and he makes them feel special." The salon has a high male-female customer ratio. Julia estimates it at 40 percent male, 60 percent female and notes a high number of couples who come in to tan before vacations. The salon allows couples to share tanning minutes and Julia believes the practice keeps them longer for both pre- and post-vacation color than if they were required to purchase minutes separately. In addition to promoting through Gaetan and Facebook, the salon offers a monthly special. For example, May's special was: "May showers bring May flowers, so let us