Hate the idea of having to sell? Not everyone is born a salesperson, but owning or managing a spa or massage practice requires selling skills. That’s because everything you do, from performing an aromatherapy massage to a scrub, involves selling clients and prospects on what you have to offer.
Think Like a Buyer
Forget the stereotype of the overbearing salesperson. As you craft your own approach to selling your spa or massage practice services and products, think about your own experiences as a buyer. What made a great sales experience that you had? How did the person who helped treat you do? What kind of questions did they ask to zero in on the best solution? Did they express a sincere interest in your problem? Did they seem committed to providing you with a solution that met your need and your budget at the time? In promoting your services and suggesting at-home products, you want to replicate those experiences that gave you confidence in the salesperson's knowledge and integrity.
Tune into Customers
Ultimately clients and prospects will tell you directly or indirectly what they want or don’t want, so you need to tune in to them to find out their needs. Tuning into your clients and prospects starts by listening when they tell you something – about a particular condition they have or an area of pain or discomfort or a preference for a product or ingredient. Tuning also involves paying attention to non-verbal clues, such as avoiding eye contact, furrowing the brow, and even rolling the eyes. These signs will tell you if you are connecting with a client or not during a conversation.
Once you have a good understanding of client needs, here are some other things to keep in mind about becoming more comfortable at selling:
Be Confident
Believe in your knowledge and experience. Clients look for professionals they can trust and who add value. You never want to sound tentative or unsure when making recommendations.
Sell Benefits Not Specifications
When you are talking about a service or product, emphasize what the client will gain, not the offering's specific features.
Address Objections
Never argue, but learn how to address clients' and prospects' questions when you recommend treatment or product. If someone asks you a question you can’t answer, offer to do some research and get back to them and do, whether in a call, an email, or in person. Still, keep in mind that addressing objections doesn’t mean being pushy. It just means doing your job is to provide information to help the client make an informed decision.
You don’t need to be born a salesperson. All you need to be is your competent self with the best interests of your clients at heart.