Spray Tan Tips For The Busy Season

By Melissa Weinberg & Susan Brand

We all love the revenue of busy season but also know that it can get very hectic. So to help ensure that your busy season flows smoothly here are some helpful tips from Perfect Glow Sunless:

1) Do a business analysis. Review your sales numbers from your busy season last year, (and possibly the one before that if you were in business) and see if your numbers increased. Measure how many clients you had, how many times they came and what the average sale was.

2)  Review what steps you can implement to increase even more revenue and set sales goals for you and your staff. For example:

• How many people purchased aftercare
• How many packages did you sell?
• Did you try to close the next sale at their session by asking them to book their next appointment before they left?

Try to also come up with some retention programs (Such as punch cards) and work to cross sell aftercare.

3) Evaluate what you could have done differently to increase your sales and set sales goals. Understand the seasons in your business and focus on the heavier times to possibly get you through some of the slower times.

4) Constantly manage your inventory. Schedule a time at least 2x a week for you or a staff member to be responsible for inventory control. If you employ more than 1 person if you do not assign specific tasks then many just think that “someone else” is taking care of it.  We see many spray tan artists fail to manage their stock and get into a panic when they fall low on solution so don’t let that happen to you. This is the time to think about Halloween events, Thanksgiving holidays, Sorority events and many people that are going to be traveling and dont want to show up pale & more. Spray tanning is notorious for being a last minute beauty treatment and many customers try to schedule same day services or walk ins. So you should always be prepared for last minute customers.

(Plus with Perfect Glow Sunless when you order in bulk you get a quantity discount off 3 or more quarts of solution & free shipping over $200 in the US so it pays to stock up!)  You save on product and shipping cost & reduce shipping delays during the holidays.

5) Take time to refresh! This is a great time to brush up your website, fix links that might not work, add new client pictures and your 5 star reviews. If your branding is outdated then refresh your look.  Make sure you have enough marketing materials that are up to date with all of your current services and pricing. Vistaprint is always a great site with discounts to refresh your rack cards and marketing materials.

6) Work on your marketing efforts! You should always be spreading the word about your business and here are some ways to do this:

• Leave business cards wherever you go and be consistent with this throughout the year.
• Look into doing a press release to be distributed in your local area and that you can use for marketing.
• Create events & team up with some other vendors to make it a fun experience. We all have clients that love to shop so this time around the holidays would be a perfect time to get some plans into motion.
• Design a beautiful FALL basket with your favorite aftercare & fall products (think Pumpkin spice candles) add in some Starbucks or local coffee house gift cards. This is GREAT giveaway to post on social media and to ask your clients to  share your page & promote your spray tan business for a chance to win. Holidays are also a perfect time to make a first impression on new clients so dress up your studio and offer gift certificates to draw new people in.
• Word mouth is crucial on social media these days, so make sure your Facebook & Instagram posts are created for your target audience. You might even want to use an automated post app that you can use for Instagram (Such as Later) where you can schedule your posts in advance so your time daily is being focused on getting more clients and making your existing ones even happier!

7) Get rid of old inventory that might be expiring, and bring in FRESH products! Clients notice if that same old bottle has been sitting on the shelf, so clean it up and change up your retail area for a fresher look. Bring some pretty fall props in to draw the customer to your retail area. Department stores do this all the time because it works!

8) If you employ staff members have a meeting to get helpful feedback on what they feel can be improved for the busy season. You might consider hiring some seasonal staff, especially if you are anticipating growth in your business. Even consider cross training your employees, such as an assistant or receptionist that can also go over pre and post tan information & train them to sell aftercare at the checkout process so you are freed up from those items.

9) We have been talking about self-care a lot lately, so make sure you pencil this in! Schedule the time that you need for you or your family for mental recharging and FUN and put it in your schedule. It is absolutely necessary & just as important as keeping clients. Don’t forget the old saying that you can’t pour from an empty cup and your client’s love the best version of you 😉 when you feel good and taken care of you can then give more to your business

This is your time to shine! So Plan ahead and have a clear strategy so your business can thrive this busy season.

Susan Brand is a customer account manager and Senior sunless educator for Perfect Glow Sunless™  She is located in Florida and is the spray tan expert of the Treasure Coast area. Susan is also the owner of Healthy Glow Airbrush Tanning based out of Port Saint Lucie and her spray tan tips were recently published in HGTV