Buying vs Selling

[nicole4tanning]

I've heard the terms a "buying atmosphere" is better than a "selling atmosphere". Can someone tell me how to attain the "buying" one? I need to have more retail, but I don't want to overwhelm the place.

[oasistan]

I personally think that heavy sales tactics turn people off. Let customers come in and browse. I hate when I walk into a furniture store and all the commisioned employees practically jump on me. If someone is contemplating a lotion purchase I tell them the benefits of that lotion then I back off and let them continue to browse.

[Marca]

But I have found that you do need to ask whether they would like lotion or what lotion they are using. Otherwise they'll just tan without it. You need to get a conversation going

[engfant]

Put em against the glass and you'll have a whatever environment you want! If no one is there, then you can't expect the same 6 customers to foot the bill.

[solaraz]

I agree with Marca that you need to ask to get things going. Or point out "new" things or customers won't notice because a lot of them will just walk right in give you their name and start heading towards their room.

I am not a hard sell at all because like oasis I hate pushy sales people. With the lotions I have one bottle of everything we sell on the customer's side of the counter and then stock behind me so that way when I talk to a customer I walk around to their side and explain the different lotions and open them up, have them smell them, etc. I think it helps a lot. Even if they say they only want to buy a sample I do the same thing and it helps sell lotions without pressuring them.

[Mr Derf]

Originally Posted by nicole4tanning

I've heard the terms a "buying atmosphere" is better than a "selling atmosphere". Can someone tell me how to attain the "buying" one? I need to have more retail, but I don't want to overwhelm the place.

This was written by Dana of Hottie Body fame. We all know how she ended up so take it for what it's worth.

Creating a buying environment happens way before you walk into a salon. IMHO! There are standard text book reasons and a few that I thought would be worth mentioning. I dislike long posts and I will try and keep it short...but this is a hot button for me.

It all starts with the entire experience.

Internal, External and Marketing.

Internal- Perception is reality. We have all heard that over and over again and it can be annoying! The way your salon looks when a customer walks in counts. It is important to see it with a fresh eye and walk in as a "new customer" ! What would you think of your store at first glance?

Your employees and the way they are dressed and how they carry themselves. Do you have the look of a salon that you would want to do business with?
Perception has more than one step...it is exposure, attention , awareness, and retention. This happens before your customer walks in, what do they perceive your value to be, what have you displayed in your market? Are you the value brand? Are you the premium brand in your market? What do the expect already ...preconceived notions are important to set up your sales results.

Okay...so you have a customer.

Knowledge! Creating a buying environment is important but it start with more than purple walls or the color of the moment for psychologists...

You can walk up to the counter and if one of your employees cannot tell your customer the features and benefits of any product in your store it can cost you the sale. Knowing your product creates a "buying environment" and solidifies your salons credibility and your salesperson.

Attitude: Your stores design , flow, colors, service, brand, and accessibility of product.

Design/Flow/Colors/brand: Does your store deliver? Do you advertise a hot sexy girl? Great beach scenes? If you have slick ads and clever lines and you do not deliver at the store level...you just let down a consumer when they walk through your door! If you create an illusion of greatness and you do not deliver, you begin the sales process in a hole.

Product accessibility: We all know touch, feel, smell and hold. Let them take possession.

Motivation: Motivation is tied to envolment with your products or services. The more involment we create the higher the sales. Highly motivated consumers will want to get mentally and phsically involved with our products or services. Create excitement. Motivation sparks a need for a certain outcome...Do you want to look better? Do you want to look thiner? Motivated clients are buying clients! Find their pain..and help them solve their challenges.

[bunz1969]

^^^ yeah, what he said or Dana said.

Regardless of whether you have more retail or not, you can create a buying atmosphere by making the customer "feel" like they want to buy from you. I think, once you build that report with the customer and they trust you and your salon in general, they will buy anything from you. Just don't make the mistake that a lot of salon's do and overcrowd your salon with non-tanning stuff. Overcrowd being the key word.

[lewdyju]

I keep thinking I am not hight pressure enough, I hate to be pushy, but I find myself not selling nearly as much as I would like.
I adopted Jeff's sign up with EFT and receive a lotion, I am using the Tanolgy Spa line as my freebie, the best part is they end up buying lotion every time they are out. They are so used to using lotion that they don't hesitate buying when they are out. I also push puppiess to get people to pick their favorite in a bottle.

[Neon Beach]

Cool topic, carry on.

[eyecandytanning]

Originally Posted by lewdyju

I keep thinking I am not hight pressure enough, I hate to be pushy, but I find myself not selling nearly as much as I would like.
I adopted Jeff's sign up with EFT and receive a lotion, I am using the Tanolgy Spa line as my freebie, the best part is they end up buying lotion every time they are out. They are so used to using lotion that they don't hesitate buying when they are out. I also push puppiess to get people to pick their favorite in a bottle.

I do the "free" lotion with sign up also. Worls very well. If they want a different lotion than the one I offer, i "credit" their enrollment to whatever lotion they want...basically they are paying full price for their lotion choice.