Whether your Clients book treatments for self-care, skin care, relaxation — or a combination of all three — they visit your spa knowing they will leave their appointment looking and feeling better. And while ideally they will see you in person as often as possible, the best way to keep them coming back is to send Clients home with recommendations for products that will help extend the benefits and results from their spa treatments. After all, long-term skin care results are not achieved in the treatment room alone. 

There are a few simple steps that you can take to make sure you and your Clients get the most out of your time together — and that those benefits extend far beyond the spa. Read on for some simple and useful tips that will allow you to make your Clients happy while increasing your sales.  

Why Is Home Care Important?

While your Clients undoubtedly leave their treatments with a glow, we all know that long-term skin care goals require more than just regular spa visits. Building on post-spa results requires some home care, which is why equipping them with the tools to maintain their results between appointments is an important part of the process. 

Did you know that 89% of retail customers welcome home care recommendations and that over 85% of spa Clients reported purchasing skin care products after being given recommendations by spa staff? In other words, Clients want to be educated about how to make their post-appointment results last and they’re happy to spend money to make that happen. By recommending retail products to Clients, you can help them attain their beauty goals while you achieve your sales goals. So how do you go about it? We’ve outlined some best practices that will make the process as smooth as your skin after a body wrap.

Ask questions 

Having your Client fill out a skin care consultation form is a great first step in getting to know their needs, concerns, preferences and habits. All of these details will help you zero in on the best spa treatment to meet those needs, as well as the products to recommend for home use. Eminence provides tools like the custom Eminence Skin Care Consultation Form and Home Care Routine Cards which help spa professionals create at-home protocols that will address Clients’ skin concerns and goals. 

Explore Client Needs

Ask questions to get to the root of their problems or pain points. It can be helpful to get a feel for the types of products they have used in the past, including what they liked or disliked and why. If you have a list of questions prepared, this will help you fine-tune the home care protocol and suggest products that will help your Client achieve their skin and self-care goals. 

Step-By-Step

Some Clients love to hear all about their treatments in real time. They’re eager to learn which products you’re using and why, and to ask questions about their own specific skin. This kind of play-by-play also allows you to tweak the treatment based on things like scent and texture preferences, as well as optimal outcomes. The more they enjoy the treatment and hear about the benefits of the products you’re using, the more likely they are to make a purchase on their way out. 

Provide Product Experience

A great way to get a Client to fall in love with a product is to let them experience it. Things like scent, texture and ease of application can be demonstrated either during a treatment or after. A swatch on the back of the hand can work wonders, as can sending a couple of samples home with them.

Educate On Product

You are the expert and your Client is often very interested to learn more. Lean into the unique features of the products and highlight the results you’ve seen. Often this is their first interaction with a specific ingredient or treatment type, and your expertise and deep knowledge can help convert them into a retail customer. 

Encourage Use At Home 

Asking your Clients about their at-home routines is a great way to help fill in the gaps and recommend products that they may be missing. Again, you’re the expert and Clients are looking to maintain the results achieved by their treatments after they’ve left the spa. Introduce them to a step or product that may not currently be part of their routine (like a toner, essence, eye cream or mask) and explain the benefits of adding it to their regimen.

Samples

Include a sample or two that pairs well with any products they’re purchasing. Once they get a chance to try it at home, chances are higher that they’ll purchase it next time. And if you’ve recommended a few products but they decline to purchase on the spot, sending a few samples home with Clients gives them a chance to try the products in their own time and notice the results, which ultimately could lead them back to the spa to purchase in the future. 

Positive Retail Space 

The look and feel of the space is such an important part of the experience. Strategically merchandising products with a clear, uncluttered display — and incorporating brand assets, stands, samples and Eminence materials — can go a long way towards getting Clients interested in making a purchase.

Home Care Routine 

Whether you have talked the Client through every step of the treatment or you're going over the routine afterwards, providing a detailed list of the products used, along with a completed Home Care Routine Card, is perhaps the most important step in the process. Not only will it list every product you used and give them a guide for home care, it will also stay in their file or future reference. If they misplace the list or come back asking about a certain product or routine, you or your staff will be able to refer to it easily and help them reap the benefits again.  

After The Treatment 

When the Client’s treatment is over, make sure the last interactions are pleasant, informative and positive, as they are the final impression they will be left with. Choose three products to showcase at the front desk and inform the front desk staff of the “why” behind those recommendations. When polled, over 80% of Spa Directors said that it is very important that their staff are effective at recommending home care. 

The products should also be listed on the Home Care Routine Card that you’ll send home with the Client. All of this attention will help the Client to feel cared for, have all questions answered and have a sense that the whole spa supports their wellness.

Find out more about becoming an Eminence Organics Spa Partner or how Eminence Organic Skin Care can support you in your business.

This article was originally published in July 2023.