Prescribing, Not Selling

It has been well-known for decades that when it comes to retail and spa services, there is a distinct disconnect between the two. Retail has never been a strength in the professional beauty industry. That is not to say some businesses are not thriving in retail, but retail generally takes a backseat to the treatment room. This leaves the daily care for skin to the department stores, drug stores and online shopping.

Why the Disconnect?

This is a question worth delving into because the answer can lead to incredible opportunities and success in the esthetic world. When retail is offered in a spa or salon, there is an expectation or even a requirement to “sell” products for home care. Usually, there is an incentive in doing so, such as a commission tier. Typically, how much commission you receive depends on how much you sell. However, even with an incentive, this expectation can be daunting, and quite honestly, extremely uncomfortable.

Confidence may be part of this uncomfortable feeling, as well as a lack of knowledge or belief in the products the esthetician is expected to sell.

As the esthetic industry continues to evolve and tries to fill in the gap for retail sales, it has moved away from the word “sell” to “recommend.” Most professionals do not equate themselves as “sales people,” and this is where one of the major disconnects lie. The phrase “sales” can bring on a negative connotation. Oftentimes, one thinks of sales synonymous with being pushy. Recommending sounds a little less harsh, and perhaps a little less intimidating, and definitely more professional because, after all, we are licensed professionals. However, even with a different approach to the sale of products, retail still lags behind giving that portion of income to non-licensed individuals and major skin care brands.

This brings us back to the question of why is there a disconnect between facial services and retail purchases. First, we must understand that we actually are sales people. We have to sell ourselves to our clients, as well as the services we offer. Without these two key components, it would be impossible to be successful in the industry. Once we can accept that we do indeed need to have sales skills, we can open ourselves up to so many opportunities. However, a client should never be made to feel uncomfortable or pressured, whether it be us talking about a service or a product.

Is There Trust?

If we are attempting to retail, but not finding much success, let me be so bold to suggest that perhaps our clients don’t trust us when it comes to the product portion of our profession. That statement may be a bit jarring to read, but if we are honest with ourselves, there may be more truth behind it than we would like to admit. Think about it: a client is willing to spend X amount of dollars for a facial service, but is not open to the skin care products you are recommending. This makes no sense. Let’s give another example. Your client just received an exceptional facial treatment from you that made their skin look and feel incredible. They absolutely love the services you provide and they can actually see and feel the difference in their skin each time, but they’re not interested in maintaining the results or maybe interested in only one or two products you used. Again, this is not logical and most certainly has nothing to do with the cost of the product because that same client just spent quite a bit of their hard-earned money on improving their appearance with you. This is where the mistrust comes into play.

Somewhere the client is not convinced that what is being recommended is really going to do the trick in keeping their skin looking radiant and healthy. In addition, the fact that most of our clients have purchased a small fortune over the years trying to regain the fountain of youth makes them a bit leary to give up what they are currently using. Although they continue to search for that miracle, they are still hesitant. Let’s face it, putting another product aside to replace it with again another product can be a bit painstaking, especially when we aren’t quite convinced.

Here is something to consider; perhaps this lack of trust comes from not communicating with our clients any differently than the non-licensed “sales people” we wish not to be associated with. The same people who are taking away part of our income.

A Closer Look

What is our role as a licensed professional? Remember that the key word here is licensed. Is our purpose to only meet our clients skin care needs in the treatment room or does our responsibility as licensed professionals go beyond the service we provide? The answer to the latter should be yes! Estheticians should be the main source for our clients skin wellness goals unless, of course, their skin problems are outside of our realm of practice.

Here is where there is another major disconnect. What is our role as estheticians and what is the perception our clients have for us? For the most part, clients come to us to meet their advanced skin needs ie. facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, light therapy, microcurrent, etc., but why not come to us for their daily skin care needs? It is actually quite simple. These professional services are not available to them over-the-counter, in turn, we are their only source to meet this need.

However, when it comes to caring for their skin at home, the client has literally hundreds of products to choose from, along with a variety of sources. In order to change this perception, we must change our approach when it comes to retailing.

Skin Experts

What is the difference between prescribing and selling? The answer to that question really comes down to the approach you take in your esthetic career. It all depends on how you view yourself as an esthetician. As licensed professionals, we need to elevate ourselves as the true skin experts that we are. If you think about the cost of an aesthetic education along with continuing education classes, not to mention experience in the treatment room, we have an incredible amount of value to offer our clients beyond the services we provide. Our education and experience are what make us a reliable, trustworthy source to each and every client we come in contact with.

Estheticians should be meeting their clients’ skin wellness goals every single day, in and out of the treatment room. It is imperative to our success that we let our clients know we have something unique to offer. That is our expertise.

Prescribing

Prescribing a skin care regimen should always be a part of a client’s service. We would be remiss if we did anything less. As the old saying goes, “It is not what you say, but rather how you say it that is important.” To master the skill of prescribing, not selling, one should give some self reflection on what that scenario will look like.

For example, instead of saying “Mrs. Jones I recommend this product for your skin because you seem to be really dry” or, “I really love the way this product line works with its antioxidant properties. I think you will be really happy with using it.”

How about, “Mrs. Jones, your skin responded very well to the treatment you just experienced. In order to maintain the results this is what you will need to do.” Go through each step of their daily skin care regimen you are prescribing, explaining the why’s behind the value of each product you are instructing them to use. Keep it simple and preferably a private conversation. Address the cost of the product line. Try saying, “If cost is a factor, slowly incorporate the whole line as quickly as possible to achieve the ultimate results. Start with the cleanser and moisturizer and then add another step in your regimen when you are able. I am here to help you along your journey, and it is important that we stay in touch as your skin continues to improve.”

Your clients will appreciate your professional, direct approach in guiding them, as well as your willingness to work alongside them. You will be reassuring your clients that their investment is not going to be like their other product purchases. This approach not only gives you credibility as an expert, but it creates long lasting, loyal relationships with your clients.

Be The Expert

Changing our thought process from “selling to our clients” and replacing our mind-set to “prescribing the best regimen for their skin goals” will bring your esthetic career to a new level. Incorporating prescribing as part of your protocol with each client will add a tremendous amount of value to the services you provide. Our clients will respect what we say and trust working solely with us, because remember, estheticians are the experts in skin.

We must change our approach when it comes to retail.

Gina Marie McGuire is a licensed esthetician, president of GINAMARIE Products and Continuing Educations Inc. She has over 30 years of experience in the skin care industry and has been educating professionals and the consumer for the majority of her career.