Today’s tanning consumer demands high-quality products that are affordably priced. They’re also very savvy and tend to ask a lot of questions before they make an educated purchase. The following are important variables in your retail success as a tanning salon owner:

1. Set a standard for quality at your salon and only purchase those products that meet this standard. Discuss your quality concept with the staff, making sure they understand what you look for in a product.

2. Carry product lines or brands that are familiar to the consumer and have good reputations. Brands are those labels that are easily recognized by the consumer and are manufactured according to the strictest of quality guidelines.

3. Ask your customers the right questions to determine what lotions or skincare products are appropriate to their skin type and what their tanning expectations are.

4. Offer a range of tanning products that will have a wide appeal with your clients, and be sure to train your staff well so they can explain the features, advantages and benefits of all your products. Pass this knowledge on to your staff because their product knowledge will help sell more as well as provide you with feedback in terms of which products are not meeting your quality standard based on client responses.

5. Be confident in the products you are selling. If you’re not, consider changing or dropping lines. If you don’t believe in and stand by what you are selling, you will never be able to increase your retail profits.

6. The closer products are to the point-of-purchase the better. Customers do not want to have to go far to find and purchase something that interests them. Displays of products placed near the point-of-purchase are beneficial because they encourage impulse spending and make it easier for your staff to soft-sell or cross-sell different products. It also makes it easier for your staff to answer questions the customer may have about products.

7. Make your reception sales-oriented. To sell lotions and other retail products, salespeople are needed. Hire customer-oriented, outgoing staff members with a sales background and educate your existing staff on how to sell.

8. Set goals and offer commissions. Sales goals should be established for the salon by month and employee. Break the goal up into weekly and daily amounts. As with any sales goal, the numbers should be reviewed in a salon staff meeting. Review how the goal was reached, why lotions sales are important to the salon, how customers benefit from the right lotion advice and how being an expert builds client confidence (resulting in increased sales) and referrals. Set your prices on the merits of your equipment and the tanning experience they provide.