ist magazine October 2021

From the Publisher

Time to Get Energized!

Publisher Vince Lorraine Editor In Chief Vince Lorraine Managing Editor Sherron Barden Assistant Editor Peter Hinterman Editorial Advisory Sherron Barden

Dear Readers,

We’ve been enjoying some amazing late summer weather here! And, I’m beyond pumped about being able to go to The Big House (Ann Arbor, MI) this season to watch my beloved University of Michigan Wolverines play! GO, BLUE! Last month, I suggested salon operators “hit the re-fresh” and consider ways to infuse their business with some new energy. If you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, there’s no better source than a group of your peers and other industry professionals who can offer a wealth of expertise and support. Later this month (Oct. 24-25), the tan biz will have a great opportunity to get energized as they gather in St. Charles, MO for the Four Seasons School of Business event. Team FS has created a two-day format with education presented by industry veterans and manufacturer reps, valuable networking and of course, a cocktail reception. See details on pp.30-31 and register at fstanning.com. The School of Business agenda includes a classroom session of Sun is Life® Training & Certification. The industry recognizes the value of Sun is Life Training – it’s the preferred program at all the major events. Our Salon of Distinction operators all agree that it takes their staff and their businesses to new levels of professionalism. Sun is Life Director, Joe Schuster, will present the classroom session on Sunday morning, October 24. Those who complete the session get a certificate (our training is accredited in all 50 states) and are eligible to be featured in IST Magazine . Get registered today! Another exciting thing about industry events: seeing all the new products! If you’re unable to be in St. Charles, look for our annual New Product Preview next month and see them all in one place. Also next month, we will reveal the top nominees for the 2021 Industry Choice Awards – we appreciate everyone who voted! Thanks for reading,

Staff Writer Joe Schuster

Graphic Designer Brett LaCross

Graphic Designer/ Web Developer Jonathan Boedecker

Accounting/Circulation Kim Davis

Senior Account

Executive Terese Allen

Contributing Writers Grant Cardone Melissa Damiani

Jerry Deveney Victoria Eckert

Brenda Fishbaugh Gina Jaeger-Morris

Gary Lipman Lisa Saavedra

HOW TO REACH US 5152 Commerce Rd. Fl int, MI 48507 810.230.1735

fax 810.230.1115 ist magazine.com

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? CONTACT VINCE@ISTMAGAZINE.COM

October 2021 | Volume 25 | Issue 9

IST Magazine ISSN#2329-8545 (USPS 023149) is published monthly by IST Magazine, Inc., 5152 Commerce Rd., Flint, MI 48507. Canadian Mail Agreement #41971515. Periodicals postage paid at Flint, MI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to IST Magazine , 5152 Commerce Rd., Flint, MI 48507. For back issues, inquire for availability. Editorial Correspondence: Address product information and inquiries to: Editorial Department, IST Magazine , 5152 Commerce Rd., Flint MI 48507, phone 810.230.1735. To authors, photographers and people featured in this publication: All materials, articles, reports and photos published in this publication are the property of IST Magazine and cannot be used without written permission. The opinions and conclusions recited herein are those of the respective authors and not of IST Magazine . IST Magazine is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials. Every effort will be made however, to return rejected manuscripts, etc., if they are accompanied by sufficient first-class postage, but the publisher will not be responsible for loss of any such material.

If there’s something you’d like to see in your IST, please email vince@istmagazine.com. Vince Lorraine, Publisher

Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

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Contents October 2021 Volume 25 • Issue 9

36 Epic Sales

COLUMNS 8 From the Publisher 20 Industry Watchdog 22 In The News 34 ASA News

IN EVERY ISSUE 52 Showcase

NEW AUTHOR!

38 Eye to Eye 40 Lync IT

ALL NEW IN NOVEMBER!

70 Health Newsletter 76 IST Contributors 77 Distributor Contact Cover image by zadorozhna / stock.adobe.com

42 Monthly Motivation 44 Notes from the Road 46 UK View

Contents October 2021 Volume 25 • Issue 9

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38

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48

32 7 Questions with ... Stuart Beauchamp Sales Representative Four Seasons 48 Get the Facts with Sun is Life ® ! 56 Business is Blooming! Using Targeted PR

60 Reboot Your Team 6 Mindsets to Help 64 Seize the Day! 68 Company Culture is Key

FEATURES 16 Tan-Link

Customer Spotlight Pacific Tanning

Long Island, NY 26 Salon of Distinction Studio K Tanning Canyon Lake, CA

Advertorial

software; however, neither is our tanning business, our investment, the equipment. With all that Tan-Link offers, you can reduce operation costs and streamline your business.Tan-Link is worth every penny. TL: Has Tan-Link offered any mea surable improvements in productivi ty or time savings? BB: The software allows for ease of use for owners and employees, alike. It is simple to add products, equipment, packages and memberships. All of this saves time and saving time saves money. TL: Can you measure any increases in revenue or growth? BB: Yes, some great tools help your staff quickly upgrade, upsell and add to existing memberships. Offer more to your guests with a smooth, fun experience. TL: What is your favorite Tan-Link feature and why? BB: The EFT payment-processing and texting are great – these two features alone make it simple to streamline and easy to connect to guests. The text features alone have helped quickly grow our tanning salon brand. TL: Have you used our customer support resources? How was your experience? BB: Tan-Link customer is impressive! Very fast resolving any issues, I usually get a response right away and it is fixed. They always keep me updated, which I like a lot. I would say it is the best customer support, hands down, for any tanning salon software. TL: What were the major “pain points” of your process before using Tan-Link? BB: Our former software was too complex with too many steps. We had to run our EFT drafts manually. The big one was the support service – it took too long and created a lot of downtime we could not afford. Tan link software cured all that! Q

Tan-Link Customer Spotlight Pacific Tanning Long Island, NY

our guests. This software helps stream line our EFT memberships, maintain the connection with our guests, help promote and market our brand and much more! Tan-Link just has so many features that, when implemented correctly, every tanning salon should use it. Set goals and see where you need to address a specific employee, product, package, or machine. After training and setup (which took about a week), we went live and within two weeks, we were off to the races!

We asked Brad Blair, Owner of a New York salon chain and Tan-Link software customer, to tell us why he loves the program. Read what he had to say!

TL: Give us a quick overview of Pacific Tanning.

BB: Pacific Tanning has been around for 23 years with four locations in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. Our mission is for our guests to rejuvenate, relax and refresh. We cater to every guest with the

most impeccable, professional, certified customer service, top-of-the-line equip ment and superior health and skincare products. Our service menu includes UV tanning, teeth-whitening, red-light thera py and spray-tanning. Pacific Tanning strives to grow and continue to be better. BB: Tan-Link is a tanning salon business-building software and is constantly being updated. We’ve used other software, and nothing was like Tan-Link. First, it is very user-friendly – easy and straightforward. Second, it is customizable to my salons as well as to TL: How does Tan-Link software help your team achieve its objectives?

TL: What made you ultimately decide to make the switch? BB: Tan-Link looks different, but it is user-friendly and offers everything we need to grow our salons. The support, the EFT processing and the texting feature are huge. Text automation allows us to con tact all your EFT declines without doing anything – Tan-Link does it all for us! We went paperless with eSign waivers and agreements, and are working smarter with the built-in call center, scheduling, online store and online appointments. TL: Can youmeasure any reduced costs? BB: The software and features can be costly and is not the cheapest tanning

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Industry Watchdog

Are sunbeds “safe?” By Joe Schuster

I wish I had a buck for every time this question has been directed at our industry. I’d throw that cash at some Bitcoin investor and be a very wealthy man! Hey, I listened to a recent Elon Musk podcast … So, why does this query elicit so much ire from indoor tanning aficionados?Well, seldomdo the authors of articles addressing this topic offer the complete picture. First and foremost, our industry is governed by the Food and Drug Administration’s 21CFR1040.20. This federal regulation categorizes indoor tanning for “cos metic purposes” only. As such, health claims regarding the relative safety of these products should not be made, and health claims regarding indoor tanning are monitored by the Federal Trade Commission. Basically, we can’t even mention the word “safe!” Let’s move on. This month’s Watchdog article comes from Pop Sugar Beauty in the UK. Among the first topics they tackle: “What Makes Sunbeds So Dangerous?” Well, they revert to an oft-quoted (and often debunked) statement, ...“there’s a 20% higher risk of melanoma in someone who has used a sunbed just

once.” So, let’s think about that. There is no generic sunbed. The intensity of a tanning system is driven by the strength of the lamp, the ballast output, incoming voltage, acrylic shield thickness. The cosmetic tanning result obtained by the user is affected by the length of that session. So, according to their quote, just one session of, let’s say 60 seconds on a low-UV output sunbed is going to increase my risk of developing melanoma by 20%? Are you sure? Howmuch is my risk increased by overexposure and sunburn from a sunny day spent at the beach without applying the proper SPF? Now, their next nugget of wisdom. “Skin cancer is common. According to the British Skin Foundation and WHO, over 100,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year with almost 18,000 new cases of melanoma recorded in 2018 – the most serious and potentially lethal form of skin cancer,” explained consultant derma tologist, Dr. SharonWong. Okay, math majors – grab your calculators. The population of the UK is over 66,000,000 (I just checked). Divide 18,000 by 66,000,000 to get the number of Brits who will get

melanoma. That number is 0.00027. That’s not even a whole person! Yet, according to the British Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is “common.” Next quote to dissect: ...“Over 2,500 people die from skin cancer a year, equating to seven people every day.” Well, that would mean that 0.000037% of the UK population will die from skin cancer. Look, skin cancer largely affects older males, mostly due to heredity and overexposure to the natural sun. So, how many of those folks are older males vs the typical indoor tanner who is a female age 18-35? They do not offer any demographic info; but I would fathom the number is – not many. Look, one fatality frommelanoma is one too many. But my gosh – let’s put this into some perspective! I think I just did. There are several more questionable “nuggets” from this article that are just too good to pass up, but I won’t go there. Check back with the ol’ Watchdog next month. ■

Team IST searches for erroneous, suspect or negative reporting by the media that adversely impacts the tanning industry. Reports such as these have plagued tanning businesses for decades. Although the media sources will seldom admit a falsehood DQG SULQW D UHWUDFWLRQ Ζ67 R΍HUV WKHVH ZHOO FUDIWHG UHVSRQVHV WR WKH QHJDWLYH reports that can be shared with your customers and potential customers, alike.

martialred / Shutterstock.com

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News

JK PRODUCTS & SERVICES EXPANDS NETWORK

JONESBORO, AR – JK Products & Services, representing well-known brands such as Ergoline, Beauty Angel and Wellness JK, is pleased to announce a recent expansion of its network of sales representation in your area. Effective October 1, 2021 the territories serviced previously by former Ergoline distributor, Tan Marketing, will become JK Products & Services Factory Direct. This includes salon operators located in AR, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, MS, NE, ND, OK, SD, TN and WI. “We are pleased to welcome longtime industry veterans Tom Niesciur and Bill Niesciur to the JKPSI team,” states Brynn Scarborough, JK President and Managing Director. “They bring over 61 years of combined industry knowledge and experience. We are excited about this new opportunity and appreciative of their support.” All Ergoline equipment sold and installed by Tan Marketing will be fully warranted per the manufacturer’s agreed upon warranty period. All warranty claims will be processed by the JKPS Service Department. “By expanding our network in your area, we are eager and ready to take the opportunity to grow our coverage and continue to heighten your customer experience with our brands of equipment, lamps, parts and service,” Scarborough adds. This marks a defined season of growth and expansion for the North American market, meeting performance with increased organizational infrastructure and improvements for

JK customers. “We are proud of the changes taking place at JK and are poised to partner with our customers on a deeper level, now and in the future,” Scarborough continues. “JK continues to be the market technology leader, and this cultivation of change is in response to the need to create new strategies, mine new ideas and allow a fresh perspective for businesses in the market that rely on us.” JK Products & Services is the U.S. subsidiary of JK Global GmbH of Windhagen, Germany and the world’s leading manufacturer of UV tanning, red-light, water massage and wellness equipment. Leading the industry for more than 30 years, North America represents the largest market globally. With corporate headquarters located in Jonesboro, AR, JKPSI employs 60+ people in the U.S. For additional information about JK Products and Services, visit jkproducts.us. ■

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News

End the Debate About the Importance of Eye Protection!

FT. WAYNE, IN – EYE PRO, Inc., world leader in clean, disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK-EASE and WINK EASE Dark, has a new way for salons to stress the importance of eye protection for indoor tanners. “Wearing eye protection while tan ning indoors is a requirement in every state and country,” explains Eye Pro President, Brenda Fishbaugh.“To help salon owners and managers eliminate the need to debate with guests about why they should wear eye protection, Eye Pro created social media memes to help educate tanners about eye protection in a more informative and light-hearted manner.” Eye Pro offers two dozen FREE memes for your salon to post – to gently remind your tanners why wearing eyewear is both critical and required. “We think salon owners and staff alike will love our ‘Tanning Tip’ series with explanations about how eyelids don’t protect your eyes from UV, and how a towel covering your face is an SPF 5,” says Eye Pro Office Manager, Jackie DeWald. “Driving this point home on your social media ahead of time in a friendly but firm manner sets a positive tone for your customer’s tanning experience,” Fishbaugh concluded. To receive Eye Pro’s FREE memes, email WinkEase@WinkEase.com and enter “IST Education Memes” in the email subject line. Eye Pro will email you social media tanning ads to post on your salon pages across multiple platforms. Visit WINK-EASE on Face book, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest to find libraries of thousands of tanning social media memes for your salon to share at no charge.

For more information on Eye Pro eye protection products, visit WinkEase.com or call 1.800.726.8322. To learn about educational information, special salon

offers and promotions, follow and “like” WINK-EASE on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. Q

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Salon of Distinction

Studio K Tanning More Than Just Color! Canyon Lake, CA S ucceeding as a tanning salon in a sunny place like the beautiful SoCal area must be challenging! Salon of Distinction Owner Kandis Langdon chatted with IST about doing business through the pandemic, her plans for the future and of course, her experience with Sun is Life ® Training & Certification. Read on!

IST: You’ve taken Sun is Life Training and also make sure that your staff does. How important is it to have a fully trained staff? KL: It’s extremely important, because in order to gain a guest’s trust, you need to have knowledge of the process and the business. Operating a salon without knowledge of the “why” behind a product or a certain level of tanning system does a disservice to not only our customers, but also the entire tanning industry. Taking the time to explain the science behind indoor tanning, how to tan responsibly and in moderation is so crucial to maintaining a professional reputation of our industry. I know that my guests feel more confident about indoor tanning when my staff and I can answer their questions factually and confidently.

IST: Kandis, tell us about how you got started in indoor tanning. KL: My background is in restaurant management, but the hours required of that job didn’t suit my life as a single mom. I thought operating a tanning salon would be a great fit for me, and it sure has been! IST: It sounds like you have built a nice niche for Studio K. Do you ever see yourself as a tanning professional/therapist? KL: Yes – tanning therapy is a REAL thing! Studio K customers make a choice to support my establishment. Everyone chooses how they spend their discretionary income and I just try to offer a place of normalcy where people feel comfortable in such uncertain times. Everyone seems to leave my salon in a much better mood than when they arrived and that’s a great feeling!

Owner Kandis Langdon

THE 411 Owner Kandis Langdon

Years in Business ............................................. 7 Staff ....................................................................... 3 UV Tanning Units .............................................. 4 Lotion Brands ..... Designer Skin, Australian Gold, ...................................................Hempz, Tanovations Software ...................................................... Vagaro Other Services .......... Custom Airbrush, Boutique Distribution Partner .................. Tan International Most Popular Tanning Package ................ Gold Membership Website .................................... studioktanning.com

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IST: Many small businesses were impacted significantly by the tight COVID restrictions in California, tanning salons included. How did you survive the last year? KL: Joe, it was a crazy time, for sure! I drove my golf cart around my community delivering sanitizers and bed cleaners (as they are a multi-purpose hospital grade disinfectant)! I was able to still get my hands on items that not everybody could, because the tanning industry was so on top of fulfilling the needs of salons for that stuff – it was great. Sometimes, my salon was the pick-up location for those items and it became another exposure opportunity for Studio K, that we exist and where we are located. I made the most of it and tried to have fun doing it. I’m still standing and have had my busiest year yet. So, I think I made the most of a really challenging time. IST: What is the key to selling your products and services? KL: Most people don’t like being “sold to” – I focus on being real. It sounds like a cliche, but that’s it. People want “realness” and that’s what I give them. But that also means having a strong knowledge base as I pointed out earlier. Thank you, Sun is Life Certification! IST: What are your goals for the next 1-3 years? KL: I plan to focus on being the best tanning option in my area and changing the way people view indoor tanning. The “look good, feel good” psychology of a moderate tan is really true. I see the way that people carry themselves more confidently when they have a nice tan. I think offering the professional indoor tanning option that minimizes the risk of overexposure and sunburn is so beneficial – so many more benefits than people realize. I really want to help people to see that tanning is more than just color! Kandis, I really enjoyed our interview and it makes me want to swing by Canyon Lake to see just how you are making it happen! All the best to you in the years to come. ■

max_776 / stock.adobe.com

27

Feature

+RZ DQG ZKHQ GLG \RX JHW LQWR WKH WDQQLQJ LQGXVWU\" In 2006, I was between jobs and saw an ad for a sales position with 8-4:30 M-F hours and decided to check it out. Fifteen years later, the rest is history! :KDW ZDV \RXU YHU\ ILUVW MRE" I worked in a video store – showing my age here ... some folks probably do not remember those.

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:KLFK RI \RXU SHUVRQDOLW\ WUDLWV DUH \RX PRVW SURXG RI DQG ZK\" I am very routine-oriented; I like my routines. If you do something one way and it works, just always do it that way. Why change? +RZ ZRXOG \RXU IULHQGV GHVFULEH \RX" Dallas Cowboys SuperFan, someone you can count on, reliable, funny, maybe smartas* too. ■

I’d love to go fishing in Alaska and catch a monster halibut! 1DPH RQH RI \RXU ELJJHVW SHW SHHYHV People who say they will call you back but don’t (and also wet socks).

:KDW ZRXOG \RX VLQJ DW .DUDRNH QLJKW" I would go for “Everlong” by Foo Fighters.

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ASA News

Help Secure the Future of YOUR Business

O

salon owners, whose businesses are being defended by these efforts, to get involved. Supporting the ASA can be done in a number of ways. Step one is to become a member. Supporting your tanning as sociation can cost as little as that latte you buy every morning. Becoming a member and making a financial contribution to the ASA is the single most important way to secure the future of your business. If you’re not an ASA member, you should stop what you’re doing and join right now! Another way to contribute is to get involved. Becoming an industry advocate is easier than you think. This is not a part-time job working every week; but, can you attend a political function in your own backyard once a year? Can you send an email or letter or make an occasional phone call to your represen tative? This small effort is relatively easy – and the rewards will surprise you. Whether you make contact with your representative in person, by phone or via a personal email, it will make a significant impact. Senators and representatives love hearing from someone from home. Local constituents have far more impact with these powerful politicians than any asso ciation or lobbying group representative. And, remember, you don’t need extensive knowledge of politics and relevant issues to meet with your representatives and

ver the years, the American Suntan

make a positive impact. We will supply you with information and coaching that you need to feel comfortable and make your visit as successful as possible. If you can’t make the commitment of time to support the ASA, that’s okay. A financial contribution through mem bership is the best way to keep your business protected in the future. So, if you’re ready to get involved in securing the future of the business you have worked so hard for, then take the first step. Simply send an email to DaleP@americansuntanning.org right now. Let Dale know that you want to get involved with the ASA and help the industry. That’s all it takes. ASA is the only organization working to stop the state and federal government from overregulating your industry and putting you out of business. Q About the ASA Founded in 2012, the American Suntanning Asso ciation is committed to defending and growing the industry through a detailed and proactive plan directed by an all-salon board and executed by more than two dozen management and consulting teammembers who specialize in this type of work.

ning Association has attended thousands of meetings in Washing

ton, D.C. to stop the continued attacks against our industry and to change the federal government’s position on UV light. These meetings include members of Congress, Senators and officials from every major agency that impacts the indoor tanning industry. Plus, ASA continues to travel to attend dozens of state hearings, working hard to stop damaging state regulations and state tan bans. Currently, ASA is fighting for you in almost every state to ensure that tanning businesses are not grouped to gether with personal contact businesses as we experienced when businesses were allowed to reopen after the COVID-19 shutdown. Our industry needs to be pre pared for potential shutdowns this fall. The amount of resources required to maintain such an effort is substantial. And, it’s not just the travel and labor required to attend all of these meetings. ASA also maintains a stable of experts who compile, review and process rel evant science and data for materials used to defend our position at the various meetings, hearings and special events. And, though the ASA has a strong team working for you, there is still only so much this group can do without your help. To win this battle waged against our industry and your business, we need

It’s time to get involved. Please contact ASA today.

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‘Tis the Season! By Gina Jaeger We all know how the holiday season can sneak up on us … if you want to make the most of holiday sales promotions, the time to start making those plans is NOW! Here are a few fun ideas to inspire you. Decorate for Attention Showing your holiday spirit with joyful seasonal decorations gets customers in the mood for a blissful experience from the minute they walk through your door. Care fully designed merchandise displays attract attention to your retail area and beauty bar Decorated Christmas flamingos, a life-sized animated “Grinch” statue or other moving displays invite customers to browse, which gives you an extra opportunity to promote your services or make product suggestions. During the holidays, people are looking for fun and easy gifts. Pre-package some of your retail items – like a UV lotion, after-tan moisturizer and a gift card – and wrap them up in a pretty package to cre ate a simple gift purchase. Bag deals and BOGOs from your beauty bar encourage guests to pick up one for themselves, as well as purchase a few gifts for friends. Of fering gift-wrapping or gift bags free with purchase also can boost retail sales during the holidays. Many people get stumped trying to figure out what to get for that Offer Pre-made Gift Baskets & Packages

Create a Holiday “Selfie Station” Generate excitement and invite guests to ose for pics with holiday-themed props – r with Old St. Nick himself – that they can ost on social media (and on your pages, oo.) Include your salon name, logo and ssociated hashtags on any selfie backdrops o ensure that they show up in customer hoto posts. Promote this on all social media and marketing formats. It will work best if you can offer the Santa selfies over he course of a few days. To help spread holiday cheer and step it up a notch, ask uests to # your business and use your spe fic # when they post their Santa pics for chance to win a Christmas treat on their ext visit or even a free year of tanning. Help Those Who Need it Most Collecting donations of toys, coats and food is a great promo, because it helps bring people into your store, as well as helping those in need! Partner with an rganization and let customers know hrough social media that you will have a donation station in your salon. For every i em donated, offer them a Christmas treat! Remember: the goal of holiday promos is o boost profits now and set you up for suc ess through the coming year. For support, contact your distributor representative. Q

special guy in their life; include gift sets and baskets with products created for men – an easy shopping solution for your guest and great holiday revenue for you!

Encourage Impulse Buys with Counter Displays

Salons are busy helping people look and feel their best for the holidays, so while foot traffic is up, you need to always be catching their attention. Attractive counter displays remind guests of what they didn’t know they needed! During the holiday season, showcase the amazing new holiday and limited edition items. Display a selection of prepackaged and gift-ready retail items on the counter with a “Stocking Stuffers” sign that reminds guests to pick up a few extra items. And make sure to promote gift cards as the perfect for the person who “has it all.” Christmas Ornament Surprise If you plan to have a holiday tree inside your salon, an “Ornament Surprise” game is a fun way to engage with your guests. Inside the ornaments on your tree, hide special deals, free tan and upgrade coupons, a gift card or just fun messages. Then, for every $20-$50 spent, you can offer guests a pick off the Christmas tree! (Make sure they know that they are not guaranteed a free promo, service or gift, but do make sure they all get at least a lit tle something, even if it is just a Hershey’s kiss or even a candy cane.)

A o

o :

team in 2006, Gina Jaeger Morris brings a wealth of sales and marketing experience to her position as Business

evelopment Manager. Known as “Miss ina” to the hundreds of salon professionals he helps, Gina combines Sun Evolutions roduct knowledge with solid retail expertise eveloped from her extensive experience in e indoor tanning, beauty and retail industries. er unique combination of talents continues provide winning sales strategies for salons cross the country.

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I thought Owner’s response was great. When we spoke on the phone, I learned that he had 17 years of experience in tanning. Owner shared, “The hardest thing about responding to this customer was that I wanted to be respectful, but firm. I thought it was important for her to understand why we require eye protection (for her safety) while not trying to hide behind a policy or pass the blame. The reason I added fifty cents on her account was to remove any barriers she might have, such as, ‘I didn’t bring any money’, etc.” First, I’m sure your insurance carri er requires you to check age, skin type and that the tanner wears eyewear for every session. If a guest had a vision issue, they could sue you and you could lose your business! Not worth it to appease a couple of people who don’t want to be asked. You can also say, “Our goal is to protect you. UV is bad for our eyes – it causes cataracts, night blindness, color vision damage and much more. We certainly want to do our part to protect your vision and reduce our liability.” Also, if you have taken the Sun Is Life® Training, they insist that you ask to see every guest’s eyewear. You can mention it’s part of your staff certification process. Here’s the link to the Wink-Ease 30-minute eye protection training – get educational materials and “Eye Protection Expert” certificates for your staff who complete it. It’s free at eyepro.net/24-7-training/ Unfortunately, Owner’s “insulted” guest didn’t return. Would you have said something different? Let me know your approach and you may be featured in a future column. Q Here are some additional thoughts I provided to Owner:

A VETERAN SALON OWNER AND THE GUEST

WHO WON’T BE “ASKED” By Brenda Fishbaugh

I recently received this email from a salon owner who has asked to stay anonymous because he doesn’t want to be publicly disrespectful to a guest; so, I call him “Owner” here. Owner wrote to me: We have a few customers who insist that having our staff check eye pro tection is not needed and that the law doesn’t actually require it. The wording of the code is a bit ambiguous to me. It clearly says eye protection is required, but it doesn’t say that the salons in our state MUST check each time. I won dered if you had something we could use to better defend the eye protection requirement. Our guest claims she uses them, but us checking is “insulting” and she doesn’t want to be “treated like a child.” Any help is appreciated. Owner wrote to his “insulted” tanner (in part): We understand that not everyone likes to use or show eye protection, but it is Federal Law that FDA-compliant

eye protection must be worn to use a UV tanning bed. Anything other than FDA-complaint eye protection does not comply with the law. Even if there were no official government requirement, we would still require it. It is my feeling this safety requirement comes with nearly no downside. Due to COVID, we no longer offer communal eye protection. This means each person must have their own pair. It also means that before we can let someone into a room, we need to physically see that eye protection. Our intention is simply to follow the law and encourage the safest tanning environment that we can. To be clear, on each visit you will be required to show FDA-compliant eye protection, or you will be refused service. To make it easier for you, I have added $0.50 to your account so you can redeem it for a free pair of disposable eye protection. If for some reason you prefer not to tan rather than show your eye protection, please let me know and we will refund you.

About the Author: Tanning industry veteran Brenda Fishbaugh is president of Eye Pro, Inc., makers of disposable eyewear. She travels

Drobot Dean / stock.adobe.com

extensively training salons on the effects of UV light on vision.

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Lync IT

AY,

allowing the support team to more quick ly and efficiently identify why you might be experiencing an issue and ultimately resolve it – yet another reason why you shouldn’t delay an upgrade. Now, on to the FUN stuff! When performance is faster, stability is heightened and the overall user experience is enhanced. Many software companies will listen to their customers’ suggestions for enhancement, so a better reason upgrading your software pro grams, you will likely see that than ever to upgrade is to take advantage of new and improved features and functionality that will likely benefit you directly. And don’t forget: that technology is ever-evolving, so staying up to-date with new program versions will often allow you to utilize new hardware. If you are at all apprehensive about upgrading the programs you are operat ing within your salon, there is a simple and effective way to ease your concern. Before deploying in a live environment, it is a good idea to evaluate a new version in a test setting. When doing so, you can ensure that your peripherals function, that there are no issues with your configuration, and you can try all of the new features so that you understand their capability ahead of time. This is also a good opportunity to allow your staff to train on the new functionality. Take advantage of software up grades when they are available. You will thank yourself in the long-run and your customers and staff alike will appreciate it, too! Q

DON'T DEL

and tokenization in order to secure your customers’

U nless you are still using a card system to track program you employ is one of your most important business assets. There are many ways to maximize the ROI of the software products you’ve implemented. Taking ad vantage of available version upgrades is not only an easy way to do this, but will prove to be fruitful for your business, as well. I understand that you might be think ing to yourself, “but what about that old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?” It’s human nature to be adverse to change from time to time. Once you learn a program, there is a level of comfort that comes along with knowing how to oper ate it with your eyes closed; but there is a level of risk in delaying upgrading to new software versions. One of the most important reasons to step outside of your comfort zone and up grade your software is to ensure that you have the most recent security updates. As a business owner, you have a responsibil ity to protect not only yourself, but your customers, as well. Do you accept credit cards as a form of payment at POS or for monthly recurring EFT memberships? If so, have you implemented encryption By Melissa Damiani your customers and their active services, the software

sensitive card data? Does the software version you are running support the latest EMV technology? If not, I bet I’ve at least got you thinking about a potential upgrade of your systems. When upgrading your software, you will likely see that performance is faster, stability is heightened and the overall user experi ence is enhanced. Even with extensive quality assur ance and rigorous testing, because the environments that software is installed in and the ways it can be used are so varied, software bugs may present themselves at some point after the release of a new program version. Once a software company identifies an issue, they work to resolve it as quickly as possible. If you delay upgrading, there is a chance you will experience an issue that has already been resolved. Newer versions of software will also typically include better logging,

About the Author: Melissa Damiani is the Sales Manager of SunLync Soft ware, Inc. a member of the JK-North America group of companies. With the com

pany since 2002, Melissa has served the organization in several capacities, and has extensive knowledge of all aspects required to deliver robust salon management software solutions that are designed to enable measur able growth within its users’ ever-evolving busi ness models. Call Melissa at 866.SUNLYNC x3 or email mdamiani@sunlync.com.

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Monthly Motivation

Instead of buying things you don’t need, start paying off your debt. Debt is the biggest enemy of wealth. Think about it like this: if you earn $1,000 and have $3,000 in debt, you are only getting a 33.33% return on your money instead of 100%. Now, if that same $1,000 had no debt attached to it, you would get an infinite return on your money. To be wealthy, you must have less debt. You can’t spend money on materialistic things that don’t matter. Wealthy people know what they can and can’t afford. They are frugal with many things in life. Remember, stay broke and sacrifice now so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor later. Secret #3 Surround yourself with winners. If you read nothing else, make sure you at least read this: You are the average of The Five People You Spend Most of Your Time With. It’s true – studies have proven it over and over again. So what does this mean? It means if you hang around broke peo ple, you will be broke. If you hang around people who live paycheck-to-paycheck and complain about money all the time, then Surround yourself with winners who care about the future, making money, building generational wealth ... and creating financial freedom. guess what? You’re going to spend your life doing just that – complaining about how nothing works for you and you don’t have any money. Surround yourself with winners who care about the future, making money, building generational wealth ... and creating financial freedom. Q

3 Secrets of the MOST WEALTHY By Grant Cardone

“The reason you don’t have money today is not because you’re lazy, not because you’re not disciplined, not because you’re stupid … you have the wrong information.” Grant Cardone T he wealthy don’t do what the rest of us are told to do, so I’m going to share with you the secrets of the most wealthy. If you want to be in the top 1%, someone who makes 10x more than the average Joe, someone who has the drive to always do more, go bigger, then you’ve gotta keep reading to find out what you need to do to become one of the wealthy. The wealthy break cycles, they help others, they create jobs, they invest in themselves, they connect with other wealthy people and have a bigger vision than others. Now, before I get into it, there are four things you need to know: • Anyone can be a millionaire. • Anyone can have financial freedom. • They are not the same thing. • Production, discipline and the group you hang with will determine how long each takes. Secret #1 Forget the Status Quo. The Status Quo is going to program you to believe you have control over things like your money, your success and

your destiny. It’s going to tell you lie after lie until the lies start to sound more credi ble than the truth. The Status Quo will do whatever it can to make sure you play by its rules and it has all the control. This is why most people end up in a job they hate for 40+ years. They have been told to go to school, get a degree, work for 40 years and then retire. They play by the Status Quo rules, and then complain about their life and all the lies they have been told – yet, they refuse to see that it is not their fault at all. They do what everyone else does because they are afraid of being different and standing out from the crowd. Wealthy people don’t play by the Status Quo. They are constantly reinventing themselves and trying new things. Be care ful of people who won’t go against the Sta tus Quo, because they are usually followers and not leaders. Wealthy people have goals and bigger dreams they want to achieve and will never give in to the old-fashioned ways of making an income. They also have at least seven streams of income. Secret #2 Never spend more than you make. You will never get ahead financially if you are spending more than you make. It’s like trying to climb a hill with your feet tied together – it can’t be done. So, how do you stop? You must start by making a budget and sticking to it.

About the Author: Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the No. 1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate invest

ing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the “25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.

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Notes from the Road

Work Your Sales Muscle! By Lisa Saavedra

i used to spend about 200 days a year on the road training the teams at our salon and distributing partners. Through the years, our methods have relied heavily on feedback from salon owners and managers on what help their team needs most. There is a common question: “how can my staff become stronger salespeople?” One thing that differentiates a successful salon from a mediocre one is not its beds, décor or necessarily its location… it’s the sales staff. You can give your team the necessary tools to succeed, but if they don’t want to be successful, you can’t make them. This month, I am talking to your staff – our tanning sales force – about ways to boost confidence and help them become better, more successful versions of themselves. 1. Get dedicated! Is this a job you like? Do you enjoy this industry? Do you like sales? Not to be harsh, but if you answered “no” to any of these, maybe it’s time to find a career that suits you better. If you said “yes” to all three questions, then it’s time to decide to give it your all! Nothing in life will come easily. Buckle down, work hard and reap the benefits. 2. Identify your weaknesses. This is hard for most of us to do, so ask your co-workers or manager what they think you could improve. Then, make a plan to become absolutely awesome at those things! Write down your goals, set a deadline, make a plan and work at it to become better every day.

little harder, you can increase your hourly wage with more commissions. I’ve found that most successful salespeo ple are intensely action-oriented. They have a sense of urgency and hunger. They have a “Do it NOW!” attitude and a compulsion for closure. They maintain a fast pace in most aspects of their lives. This is what makes not only successful sales staff, but overall success ful people, as well. Stop making excuses and start making adjustments. Love what you do, believe in yourself and know that by changing your attitude and pushing a little harder, you can achieve much more. ■ Open your mind to constantly learn. Many tanning product providers offer education year-round to help you improve your sales ability.

3. Surround yourself with like-minded people. It is said that we are a combination of the five people with whomwe spend the most time. Motivated, driven and hardworking people will naturally help you strive for better. Distance yourself from people in the workplace or your personal life who are negative or complaining. We tend to learn bad habits from other staff, so if you work on keeping your bad habits in check, those around you will do the same. 4. Constantly evolve. Your day-to-day work changes, the people you see change – as the industry continues to grow and change, so do you. Re-educating yourself is so important! This is a fast-paced, fun industry with new and exciting products, equipment and add-on services coming out every day, especially with our rapidly changing times. Open your mind to con stantly learn. Many product distributors and manufacturers offer education year-round to help you improve your sales ability. 5. Take positive actions toward your goals. As a salesperson, you are in the driver’s seat to your own destiny, you control your income. Come to work every day with a plan to make that day better than the one before. A positive mindset can go a long way in helping you to succeed, and in turn, make more money. As a salesper son, your position is probably commis sion-based; by implementing the tools and techniques available to you and working a

About the Author: Lisa Saavedra is Director of Brand Development for Devoted Creations family of brands. With over 15 years in the industry, Lisa brings

knowledge and enthusiasm to all aspects of the business, including social media, product development, training, customer relations, public speaking and marketing strategies. Lisa worked at the salon level managing a large chain, which infuses her sales training and brand concepts with

real-world experience. Lisa has been voted the IST Magazine Person of the Year four times.

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UK View

Destination Sunshine By Gary Lipman

It’s about five months now since tanning salons across the UK were able to re-open their doors to throngs of excited and tan-hungry customers post the various COVID lockdowns. In many ways, those months flashed by in the blink of an eye – yet in others, it seems such a long time ago given that so much has happened since. In general, life on the whole has slowly (but thankfully) returned to a reassuringly predictable normality. COVID restrictions are all but lifted and just about every business sector is back open and trading. The only sector that remains in limbo to a certain degree is air travel and ergo, holidays abroad and in some ways, that is not good news for tanning salon operators. With the uncertainty of being able to travel abroad this year, the majority of the UK population that has taken a holiday so far in 2021 has opted for a staycation, exploring and experiencing the delights of the many popular coastal and coun tryside holiday destinations the UK has to offer. However, it has to be said that as beautiful, welcoming and interesting as these locations may be, there has been a significant experience missing throughout the UK this summer and that quite simply has been the absence of any regular, glo rious sunshine! On top of everything else, the UK has experienced one of the wettest summers since records began! It is also fair to say that traveling abroad this summer would not have been for the faint-hearted nor for those on a

The lack of summer sunshine and the reality of fall and winter sneaking up just around the corner has seen many people satisfying their craving for sunshine responsibly to overseas holiday destinations would certainly signal a major concern for many salon owners. Surprisingly yet thankfully, however, it doesn’t appear to have had the impact we would have expected, with many operators confirming salon footfall figures at not-far-behind average for the time of year and in some cases, they have been even better! tight budget. The “traffic light” system used by the government to identify safe (green), reasonably safe (amber) and unsafe (red) destinations often changed with very little notice, leaving some people to pay unexpected and expensive quarantine hotel bills and costly COVID testing. With summer consistently the busiest time of the year by far for tanning salons, as people secure their pre-holiday base tans and post-holiday top-ups, the lack of travel

These encouraging statistics will very likely be the result of a number of factors, including the long-awaited recent re-open ing of nightlife, clubs and bars, invigorating a COVID-weary public desperate to wean themselves off binge-watching television series, subsequently treating themselves to get ready for a night out, which for many included visits to their local professional tanning salon. In addition, the lack of summer sunshine at home and the unpal atable reality of fall and winter sneaking up just around the corner, has seen many people satisfying their craving for sunshine responsibly at their local professional tan ning salon. As I’ve said before, our industry has proved to be incredibly resilient under the toughest of times and that is something we should all be proud of! It is somewhat inevitable that the next 12 to 18 months will see more curve balls thrown across all sectors, including our own; but hopefully, nothing comparable to the last 18 months. And as we stride fervently into the last quarter of 2021, there surely is much we can reflect upon and be grateful for. ّ

About the Author: In the tanning industry since 1982, Gary Lipman is Man aging Director of the UK sub sidary of Ergoline, and runs Ergoline Plus, the exclusive

distributor for a wide range of sunless products & spray systems. He is also Chairman of the UK’s Sunbed Association & a European Sunlight Asso ciation member.

at their local tanning salon.

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