Welcome back! 

We’re onto our fifth and final marketing myth. How many of you feel like “sales” is a dirty word? We’re here to convince you otherwise, but before we begin, let’s do a brief recap of this month-long series.

We’ve covered everything from the myth that you need to be putting out paid ads to the notion that your clients only care about the price point. Now, we’re diving into the myth that sales is a dirty word!

Marketing Myth #5: Sales Is a Dirty Word

You might be a salon owner, maybe you’re a hairstylist, you might even be both, but would you consider yourself a “salesperson”? To many of us, “sales” sounds like a dirty word. The thought of pushing products on our people makes us uncomfortable but perhaps it’s time for that to change.

We often associate salespeople with adjectives like pushy and annoying. Many of us have probably even had our own negative experiences with salespeople, whether it was someone working at one of those kiosks in the mall or someone going door to door, but in our industry, sales means something different. 

For us, increasing retail sales isn’t just for our benefit, it’s for our clients. It might sound cheesy, but it’s true. We sell the products that we do because we know they’re better for the hair and they’ll help our clients achieve that fresh-out-of-the-salon-chair look at home. So, here are three tips for selling more retail without feeling like a pushy salesperson. 

Encourage Your Clients to Shop Around While They Wait

What are you currently doing when clients first check in for their appointments? For many of us, we’re taking their jackets, maybe offering them a beverage, and telling them to have a seat while they wait. 

Instead of encouraging our clients to sit while they wait for their stylist, you should suggest that they shop around a bit. It’s incredible to see how many of them will actually take you up on it, and this way they can interact with your products a bit on their own. 

Not to mention, it gets the juices flowing. So, instead of springing product recommendations at them at the last minute, you’ll get them thinking about making a purchase prior to their appointment and they’ll be that much more likely to spend the extra cash on their way out. 

Show Your Clients What You’re Using While You Have Them In Your Chair

Make sure that you keep your client in the loop throughout the appointment. When you’re washing them in the shampoo bowls, make sure that you’re talking about which products you’re using and why. 

When you walk your client back over to the chair, let them know which styling products you’re using and share exactly what each one of them actually does for their hair. You might even want to put the products in their hands, let them see it, smell it, touch it, taste it… well, you get it. 

Walk Your Clients Over to Your Retail Area After Their Appointment

Finally, you should always walk your clients over to the retail section after you’re finished with  styling. This adds a little bit of pressure to purchase something and gives you a chance to give your final recommendations before they check out. 

You can point out the various products you used one more time and it also might be a good time to get real with your clients. Ask them about budget restrictions or hesitations. Then, make another recommendation based on their response, maybe opting for the smaller size or just sticking to the shampoo and conditioner. 

If you can change the way you think about “sales” you’ll change the way you sell, and you’ll actually wind up doing more in retail sales than ever before. So, don’t let anyone tell you that sales is a dirty word.

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