Selling Retail Products
How often does a client ask you what oil or lotion you use or comment on the scent of aromatherapy in the office? Do you ever suggest your clients purchase a product to help with or prevent pain? Wouldn't it be convenient if your client could obtain these products from you?
Massage therapists often avoid promoting retail products for fear their clients will think they are haggling salesmen. But it is not necessary to "push" products in order to sell them. You simply need to use them in your treatments, then display them and they will sell themselves. Adding retail products to your business can add thousands of dollars per month to your income.
Here are some products your business can sell: massage oils and lotions, candles, aromatherapy scents, relaxation music, bath products, skin and body care products (if you offer facial and/or body treatments), hot and cold packs, herbal eye pillows, heatable rice bags, cervical pillows, massage and/or relaxation videos, lumbar supports, magnetic therapy products, and any other products you use in your business or recommend to clients. If your state collects sales tax on merchandise, you will also need to obtain a state sales tax certificate before selling retail items. This certificate can be obtained by calling your state sales tax office.
Consider where you will display your retail products so your clients can see and touch them. The reception area is the best location. Here clients can shop while waiting for their appointment or purchase a product after a treatment. If there are sample sizes available, place them in front of the products and mark them "tester" so clients can try them. Be sure to clearly mark the retail price on the bottom of the product.
Next, educate your staff about the products and offer them a small perceneforum.xxxe of each product they sell -- maybe 10 percent to 15 percent. This will help sell even more retail, while giving your staff an incentive.