Selling Skin Care Products in Your Practice
Posted by Catherine Christianson on
Being the owner of a successful skin care practice is no small feat. You are a highly trained skin care expert, not a salesperson, but sometimes it may feel that way. Below are a few reminders as to the benefits of carrying at-home skin care products in your office.
Uniqueness
A skin care product range should be evaluated yearly. Are they meeting your clients’ expectations and needs in terms of efficacy and cost? Do the products contain research-backed ingredients that have been clinically shown to improve the appearance of the skin? Are the products highly customizable to meet a wide variety of skin types and ages? These are questions you should ask yourself during the evaluation process. Once you can answer all those questions with a resounding ‘yes!’ your experience introducing the products to your clients will be one filled with enthusiasm and confidence instead of fear and doubt.If you can adequately convey basic skin science and how specific products and services may address the client’s specific needs, the client will thank you for providing real, credible solutions.
Inform, Don’t Sell
A client goes to a skin care professional for two primary reasons. The first is because of your expert credibility. The second is because all the random pinterest-y remedies and over-the-counter promises haven’t helped them at all. Clients can access all sorts of information about skin care on the internet, but how are they supposed to decipher between the good and bad advice? When they come into your office for help, remember that the exchange of information is based on skin science education not sales! If you can adequately convey basic skin science and how specific products and services may address the client’s specific needs, the client will thank you for providing real, credible solutions.Once you’ve explained your entire skin care analysis, your client will most likely ask you which products contain such ingredients, and at that point, you will be well-equipped to assist them.
Assess, Advise, and Assist
First and foremost in your client meetings, you are simply assessing the client’s skin, so don’t trouble yourself by thinking about the products yet. At this early stage in the meeting, introducing products is too premature and may create unnecessary pressure on yourself and the client. Before talking about products, first illustrate your assessment of their skin with specifics about the condition and then with the ingredients one needs to look for in products to treat such a condition. Once you’ve explained your entire skin care analysis, your client will most likely ask you which products contain such ingredients, and at that point, you will be well-equipped to assist them.Samples
For clients that are hesitant to try a new skin care product, offering samples is a low-pressure way to promote the product you stand behind while making the client feel comfortable with your professional recommendations. But, samples don’t tell the entire story. Instead, suggest that they purchase the product and try it for a few weeks. If they are dissatisfied or have a reaction, a good vendor provides a money-back return policy.Training Staff
Education is power, and the more your staff is educated about the products, the more they can talk about them to your clients (and they will ask!) This is especially important for those at the front desk. As well as being educated on the products, encourage the staff to use the brand themselves as well. When relaying information to your staff about encouraging clients to buy product, remember that they should be thinking, “Inform, Don’t Sell.”Education is power, and the more your staff is educated about the products, the more they can talk about them to your clients.
Bundle
You may consider including a “take-home skin care set” in the cost of specific services, especially major treatments. That way, you don’t leave a choice of which products the clients may or may not use when they walk out of the office; the products are included in their service package.You will feel better knowing the client has the right tools to improve the look of their skin post-treatment, and your client will feel great about getting to take home a new bag of goodies to try. It’s a win-win.
Next: “Crisis-Control: Break Outs!”
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