Upselling shouldn’t be aggressive, nor should it be about selling the customer something they do not need. Upselling should be about helping customers fulfill their needs and wants by offering personalized products and services – especially in the spa environment.
Create a connection with your spa customers by helping them achieve their wellness goals and add to the spa’s profits simultaneously. After all, upselling is only successful when it’s a win-win situation.
Each customer’s situation is unique, and so you cannot offer the same products to each client. If you pressure the customer to purchase something they are not interested in or need, you will lose the sale.
It is important to understand the customer’s personal needs. Do this by conversing with them during their scheduled appointment. It is important to build trust with the customer and offer them personalized products and services that will actually solve their problems. Your relationship with the customer is the key to upselling.
How to Upsell
- Get information
Take the time and inquire into what the customer is looking for. You want to fulfill the wants or needs of your customers by offering specific products and services that will benefit them. For example, if your customer mentions how their skin is very dry recently, you may want to recommend a hydrating serum, intense moisturizer, etc.
- Timing
Wait until your customer has decided to make a purchase, then suggest complementary products or services. If you try to upsell before you sell the original item, you may scare off the customer.
- Be reasonable
It is important to consider your customers budget when making an upsell and not be pushy. As a rule of thumb, QuickBooks says you should not increase the customers total purchase by 25%.
- Always add value
Have your selling points prepared. Know which products and services to recommend together so that it adds value to the customer. Use this as an opportunity to educate the customer as this can increase upselling opportunities.
Upselling in the Spa
Here are a few examples from our resident expert, Krista Foulis, previous Spa Director at Park Hyatt Toronto, on how to upsell within your spa:
From a Service Perspective
If you do not want to change the treatment time, here are some things you can offer:
- Offer a hand treatment (i.e. paraffin wax) during a massage
- Offer an upgrade to a premium massage oil
- Offer to do an eye mask during a facial
If you have extra time in the schedule until your next appointment, extend the treatment time to generate more revenue. Here are some examples of what you can do:
- Offer to add a 15 minute scalp massage following a body massage
- Offer to add a collagen mask after a facial
Moreover, try to get your technicians to upsell themselves in order to bring back repeat business. Get customers to book their next appointment before they leave by telling your clients you need to see them in ‘x’ amount of weeks.
Lastly, try to recommend to a customer who always gets a massage to get a facial, and vice versa.
From a Retail Perspective
- Bundle products together
Research shows that by bundling products together, this results in customers making a purchase earlier than they originally intended to. Customers like to know they are getting a good “bang for their buck” and perceived value is the essence of upselling.
- Retail Add-Ons
Similar to bundling products together, you can bundle treatments and retail items together. For example, if the customer buys a certain eye cream, give them an eye treatment (either at a lower cost or complimentary). You can also sell luxury bundles of samples and use the cost of the products towards a discount for a future treatment. This way, the customer will come back to your spa.
- Offer Complimentary Samples
Everyone loves free things! By offering a sample of a product, this can intrigue your clients and make them want to either purchase the item. By allowing the customer to see, feel, and smell the product, there’s a higher chance they will take it home. You can also do this with with services by offering mini treatments.
There are so many ways to upsell in your business. Number one rule is to provide value to your customers as it is important to build trust by offering personalized products and services. A happy customer that feels as if they’ve been listened to is more likely to come back, and that is a true win-win situation.
