ist magazine July 2021

Epic Sales

What’s in it for ME? By David McFarland

T his is a micro statement of what ev ery tanning salon guest everywhere is thinking when a salon sales asso ciate suggests a tanning product and rattles off a bunch of meaningless ingredients! So, when is the last time you heard a guest mention a specific lotion ingredient after enjoying a great UV session? They will say, “I got so dark” or “my skin felt amazing” or “my tan has never lasted this long!” They never say: “Wow! Tyrosine really increased my skin’s melanin produc tion” or “OMG that erythrulose really kept my tan active and helped it last longer.” Just naming off ingredients like a rap star won’t get your tanners giddy and ready to spend – okay, maybe it would if you were laying down a phat beat and could free style – but let’s face it, you probably can’t rap. Since we all can’t flow like Drake, let’s focus on the benefits of lotion ingredients and how they appeal to each one of the four very powerful “Feel Good Senses” that affect all beauty product sales. Here are the four “Feel Good” Senses that make ALL lotion sales happen: 1. Sight Will my tan LOOK darker, deeper, better? Will my skin look brighter, tighter, sexier? Face it, for most of our bronze-seeking beau ties, seeing is believing. Every lotion product in your salon has benefits that can be seen – from instant “off the beach” color provided by numerous natural bronzers to potent skin-firming compounds that can soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. THE SECRET: As you present a prod uct to a guest, paint a vivid picture of how her skin will look after using the product! Talking about ingredients will always be far less important to your more “visually stimulated” tanning guests.

2. Smell Will I love the lotion’s essence before, during and after tanning? What is its aura? Fruity, floral, sweet? So many tan ners tend to be very fragrance-conscious. Sometimes, the fragrance alone can be the deciding factor for purchasing a lotion, regardless of all its other benefits. THE SECRET: Learning to describe a product’s essence is a far more valu able sales tool than describing in detail how much you loathe a particular fra grance! Why? Because what you loathe may be their absolute fave! 3. Touch How will my skin feel? Softer, firmer, smoother? Your touchy-feely types will give you blatant hints when they are all about FEEL – like, “I love how this lotion makes my skin sooo soft” or “my face gets so dry in this weather.” Your salon is filled with masterfully crafted moisturizers, hydrators and skin-perfecting conditioners designed to nurture and rejuvenate every skin type. THE SECRET: These silky skin con noisseurs can’t help themselves … they must have the latest and greatest skin care breakthrough! Let them sample new prod ucts liberally and often because once they love the way it feels, they have to have it! 4. Thought How will the end result make me feel? Will it help fulfill a desire, solve a problem, ease a fear? When you really listen to your guests, they’ll tell you what

matters to them. Your guest says, “I just started working out again and my legs are sooo white!” In this one simple sentence, she has expressed a desire to not have pasty legs, asked you to help her solve a problem and expressed a fear of being em barrassed in front of other gym members! THE SECRET: Help her by making what’s important to her important to YOU. good sense” is most important to each tanner and watch your product sales rise! Every tanner you serve in your salon will naturally be affected by one or all four of the “feel good” senses. Once you figure out which one is most important to them, focus the benefits of each product on that sense and watch your product sales rise! Q Figure out which “feel

About the Author: David McFarland is a National Educator for Sun Evolutions, offering brands including Supre Tan, ProTan, Hempz and Fiesta Sun. He

is a face-to-face sales and beauty product fanatic who gauges his success solely on his effectiveness at selling real product to real, live salon customers.

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July 2021

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