10 Ways to Upsell Retail and Services in your Salon, Spa or Clinic

Looking to boost your business profits?

Implementing methods of upselling your retail products and services is a very efficient way of boosting your clients’ average spend and thus your profits without expending time and money in the process. These strategies can be implemented in many different ways and at different points of a client experience.

You may be asking, “How do I adopt an upselling strategy without appearing too sale greedy?” While many find the idea of upselling awkward, with the right tools and methods in place, upselling can be extremely easy, casual and inconspicuous.

Here are 10 ways you can increase your salon profits by selling more retail products and services: 

1.      The Welcome – When a client walks through your door for the first time, this can be a golden opportunity to pave the way for future upselling. Offering tea or coffee, showing them to the waiting room and offering a consultation can allow you to walk your client through your services in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Once a relationship has been established, the client will be far more inclined to trust the suggestions you make as to what services will be suitable.

2.      Booking Systems - Add on services through your booking system is a marketable yet casual method of upselling services. For example, if someone books a manicure, suggest a pedicure to go alongside it, which can be marketed in many different ways – as an enhanced experience, as better value for money or as a more beneficial treatment as a duo etc.

3.      Sell Packages – One of the most innocuous yet profitable methods of upselling is marketing a bundle of services as a package. One such example is bridal packages; many salons, clinics, spas will have package deals for brides, so think about how you can tweak these packages to be more profitable, such as including eyelashes with makeup or include goody bags for the bridesmaids. Just remember that your packages should be marketed as convenient, cost efficient, and memorable experiences.

4.      Run Promotions – Promotions will allow you to combine services or products in a very attractive way to clients without increasing costs or reducing profits. It can be the opposite in fact, if you can specify your promotions to a particular occasion or event. Whether it’s Christmas or summer holiday time, running a promotion around a service you know will be in demand can also allow you to include a less popular service and market this as a bundle. Clients will thus spend more money in the one booking, and will be more likely to book in for that service in the future where they previously would have not.

5.      Make the Upsell Relevant – The upsell needs to be relevant to an issue they raised with you, or perhaps is the reason they came to you for their particular service or treatment. A good example would be suggesting a product you used in the client’s facial which can help their at-home skincare routine, or a toning shampoo which will prolong a client’s colour. 

6.      Be Knowledgeable –If you are offering a client an alternative service or treatment as a method of upselling which can be very beneficial, you will need to provide information on why you think this better meets their particular needs. Having some booklets or pamphlets to provide here can help the validity.

7.      Offer Free Samples – This allows customers to trial some products which they may be reluctant to purchase straight off the bat. Explain the benefits of a product, who it is marketed towards, if it is new on the market or if it is an old reliable. Be sure to ask the customer to let you know how they found it; this will provide the opportunity in the future to sell the product in its own right.

8.      Know Your Moment – Be aware of the client’s entire experience and try to develop your intuition as to when you can upsell. If you see the client perusing through products displayed in the waiting room, or they ask questions during a treatment, be sure to provide information and suggest some ways in which products could benefit them. 

9.      Know your Client’s History – When a client is checking out, this is a great point at which you could check their history and see what products they have purchased in the past. Be sure to ask them about the product and if they found it beneficial. If this is a positive, you can ask them if they need to purchase another. If the answer is negative, you can suggest why you think this product may not have been suitable and suggest an alternative.

10. Train Your Staff to Upsell – Your staff should be knowledgeable on when and how to best upsell in all of the ways that have been highlighted above. Whether it is pointing out a particular missed opportunity or if you want to hold a brief training meeting and possibly a roleplay situation so your staff can get comfortable with upselling, taking each opportunity as it comes will help boost your business profits with no extra cost and little effort. 

Try to incorporate these steps to see your retail and service profits increase, as well as client/staff engagement boosted through subsequent customer interactions. Perhaps one of the best methods which cannot be compounded into just one particular step is making your client feel like you have their best interests in mind. We hope you find these steps useful!