Meeting A Sales Quota
Spa directors are focused on making money, and roughly 20 percent of the money that a spa generates comes from retail sales. In very high-pressure selling situations, spa management expects staff to sell $1 of retail goods for every $1 of service-sales produced. For estheticians, selling retail is relatively easy, given the cost of products that make up a skin-care regimen. For massage therapists, however, selling any amount of retail can be a struggle. Apart from lotions and oils, there aren't many products that relate directly to massage services. And while almost all spas offer commission (ranging on average from 8-22 percent of gross sales) on product sales, if selling doesn't appeal to the therapist, then this extra income doesn't always help one to stay motivated to sell products on an ongoing basis.

The expectations placed on massage therapists really vary from spa to spa, as do the resources made available to the therapist that will enable her to sell retail more easily.

"Our massage therapists do a lot of body treatments. Ultimately they send the client home with a lotion or scrub that was used during a service," says Jaye Goldberg, owner of Look Great European Day Spa & Salon in Boca Raton, Florida.

Although the massage staff sells fewer products than the rest of the technical team, Goldberg has been happy with their performance.

"We take a low-pressure approach to sales, emphasizing the product's active ingredients and working as a team to provide the client with the opportunity to take home some of the oils or scrubs used on them during a service," she says.

At Spa 2000 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, owner Rene Stolsmark makes sure that anyone working in the spa has the opportunity to try out the spa's products and use the items on a regular basis if they choose.

"We give our employees a discount on store products and encourage them to voice their opinions about the items. If our employees don't like a product we stop selling it," says Stolsmark.

At Spa 2000 the corporate climate seems to be one that attracts outgoing therapists, which Stolsmark thinks helps with sales.

"Most of our therapists are really friendly and engaging. Because they take care of themselves and spend time on their appearance, we find that clients are excited about trying out the products that they recommend," she adds.

But according to Gina Dennehy, one of the owners of Body Essentials in Danbury, Connecticut, selling retail is not the job of a massage staff. "Some of our therapists are very good at suggestive selling, and some are not," she says. "While it is not their job to sell products to spa clients, many do. Typically they [suggest] an essential oil blend, a lotion, a scrub or [another] specific product.

"Usually the client respects their expertise as a professional and appreciates the input," she adds.

Debbie Tolson, owner of The Nail & Body Spa in North Potomac, Maryland, agrees that massage therapists should be concerned with retail sales only if there is a true need on the part of the client.

"We take the word 'sell' out of the picture," she says. "If the client has a need for a product and the therapist can help them find something they are looking for, that is great. We also encourage a lot of sampling so the client can try a product with no pressure and return it if they are interested in purchasing a full-sized container."

While some spas are relatively lax about product sales, others have strict policies for retail sales complete with a schedule of quotas. Randy Medley, president of Studio 59 Aveda Salon & Spa in Chattanooga, Tennessee, describes his spa's working environment: "We have a career ladder that allows employees specifics on how to advance in their careers while at Studio 59. Retail selling is a part of that with retail sales expectations starting at 10 percent of the service dollar amount and topping off at 20 percent of the total service dollar sale amount."

While retail sales are a part of the massage therapists' job description, Medley also takes responsibility for creating sales opportunities.

"We have regular product-knowledge classes with weekly team huddles to discuss new product technology," he says. "Through open-book management, all employees can benchmark how they are doing as opposed to the average in the spa at any time. We also do everything we can to help them improve their performance."

I think it is important to decide what retail items you think are appropriate to recommend to clients, which focus on their health-care needs and complement the spa services they receive. For regular massage clients such products might include an ultra-rich lotion for their dry skin, or a muscle-soothing soak for de-stressing and staying limber between visits. For results-oriented body therapies, deciding on a home-care regimen is typically much more straightforward. If your spa doesn't already allow staff members to sample retail products, ask your manager to start this kind of program. Find products in the retail area that you believe in and feel good about recommending to clients.

Ultimately, it is not possible to sell products that you aren't excited about. However, recommending products that are effective and appropriate for the client is an extension of the professional spa therapy offered to the client.

Above all, don't be afraid to approach your spa director with your concerns. Other therapists at your spa might be feeling the same way, and finding a constructive solution now can only help the facility to run more harmoniously.