You sell every minute of the day. You sell a night out to your friends. You sell a holiday destination to your husband. You sell an extra coffee break to your boss.
We all sell all of the time. So the argument that therapists cannot sell holds no water. When it comes to harnessing your therapists’ inner sales person though, here are some things I have learned.
No-one likes being blatantly sold something. Our initial reaction is resistance because humans are naturally cautious. When it came to our survival in the early days it was best to presume every stick was a snake. It was better to look silly when it turned out to be a harmless stick rather than presume all surprises were pleasant and get a nasty shock to the contrary.
Clients are cautious too. They don’t come into your business so you can sell them something. They come in so you can give them something they need. It’s a subtle but important difference.
The natural sales person will have a passion for her role, just as you do when selling the night out I mentioned above to your friends. She will have empathy for people and good listening skills. Solutions for problems will be high on her agenda.
That’s what makes the final step to a sale easy for her. Because to her it’s not a sale; it’s a solution – something her client really needs. And solving problems for clients feels great!
So instead of sitting your staff down and telling them they have to sell, sit them down and underline the importance of the skills I have just mentioned. Build a relationship with clients. Provide a solution while looking after them well. Help the “natural” sales skills blossom in your staff and you are well on the road to success with a happy team to boot.
Sue Woodall is a salon business consultant who has worked in and with hundreds of salons over the last 20 years. She just launched a new salon management business course with phorest.com, the UK and Ireland’s leading salon software company. It is currently sold out until the end of May but June and July dates will be announced shortly. You can find out more here – www.phorest.com/mastery
Why not request a demo of our salon software today? We can help you get more clients, back more often spending more!
