Strategic Retailing When Space is a Concern

How do you retail products and meet your sales goals when you are challenged with spatial obstacles? Prevent these challenges with the following key strategies that will allow you to recommend proper skin care to meet your clients’ goals. 

Relate to the senses

If you are not able to have a retail display with all products, be creative and have a focus item with a unique display that relates to all senses. For a promotion on vitamin C, consider featuring a bowl of oranges, with some fresh orange slices next to the tester of vitamin C serum. Provide clients with a glass of orange water or fresh orange juice. While they are refreshing, demonstrate on their hands how smooth the serum feels while discussing the reparative and preventive benefits of a topical application of vitamin C. Because of this experience, they will remember the benefits of a topical vitamin C each time they have a glass of orange juice.

Back bar

Even if you only have a small space on your wall, install a shelf and display a row of back bar products that are full, fresh and appealing, using the liquor bottles in a bar as a model. While consulting your clients for service, pull bottles from the display to create that perfect cocktail blend to prepare the skin to meet the their goals. Discuss the benefits of each product, and explain how to integrate them into their daily home regimen to extend the experience.

Repetition

A sound principle in marketing: is when individuals see or hear something seven times, they finally respond. Instead of having the space to display a product repeatedly, you, your team members, your paper or digital forms, and what’s left of your treatment room and retailing space, must become the vehicles for the repetitious encounters. If your goal is to get each client on a basic four-step regimen, then repeat these steps in all encounters.

Encounter 1. At intake, require clients to write out what they are currently using for these four steps—cleanse, repair, nourish and protect.

Encounter 2. When processing the intake forms, your receptionist should present an attractive flier on the four basic steps to healthy skin with a very brief description of each step.

Encounter 3. When reviewing your clients’ skin histories, discuss their intakes in comparison to the flier, and identify any gaps.

Encounter 4. Focus consultations around these four steps and the clients’ gaps, and when you pull your back bar items, discuss these steps again.

Encounter 5. As you apply the products, reiterate what each step is providing.

Encounter 6. Create a take-home regimen sheet that provides direct instructions for each product to be used for each step.

Encounter 7. Teach your cashier how to educationally present each product to meet the clients’ goals.

Reward and replenish

In retail, one of the most important strategies is to continue the retail experience at home. Instead of just sending a thank-you card, write a detailed note about the clients’ goals, and set expectations for results based on the continued use of the products. Provide a timeline for when you will be contacting the clients again, whether or not they have already set up their next appointments. Send educational e-newsletters, promotions and rewards customized to clients’ goals, rather than a standard one to all clients. Always replenish clients with education pertinent to their goals, with the opportunity to take their results to another level through services, and allow them to have access to you at their fingertips. By providing clients with more opportunities, they will be more enticed to replenish their home-care products and spend more time enjoying your services, as well.

Ryan A. Lombardo is the founder of Five Phase Wellness Center, where he serves as a healthcare provider, and contributes his business development and management experience to Five Phase Medical as a consultant and presenter. He has worked with Chicago’s Tiffani Kim Institute as its wellness director and director of image enhancement and cosmetic medicine, and holds a doctorate degree in acupuncture and oriental medicine from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago. He can be contacted at 847-905-0618 or [email protected].

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