Jessica Turner As swimsuits, sundresses and shorts are packed away until Spring (although it’s worth keeping some on hand, given Australia’s ever-crazier climate!), there’s no need to let the tanning side of your business fade! Not only is it the season to remind your regulars why glowing all year round has great benefits, ‘tis high tide for new customers to try spray-tanning.
1) Snow Time Like the Present
Andrea Taylor of Mediterranean Tan Wax & Beauty used disruptive thinking to transform the off-season into a marketing opportunity last year. “It was along the lines of reaching out to customers by asking them if winter was getting them down, making them feel a bit depressed—the winter blues are a very real thing.” MTWB packaged up an offer whereby a customer would first have a body scrub, and intensive moisture wrap, because skin tends to get dry and flaky during winter, then come back for a spray tan three days later.
She reports that the package reaped such amazing results that they are repeating the program over the coming cooler months: “Customers would rave how much better it made them feel—their skin looked and felt so much smoother and the colour gave them a real boost emotionally as well as physically.”
2) Take Advantage of the Season
Seasonal incentives can boost retail sales, secure client loyalty, and generate new business. Alison Sweeney from SunFX says marketing tools such as loyalty cards and deals such as ‘buy five tans get one free’ will give existing clients a motivational boost to keep coming through winter. By the same token, promotions such as ‘bring a friend for half price’ expose the business to potential new customers.
Getaways to sunnier places sell like hotcakes during the cooler months. Tyha from Professional Beauty Solutions, distributor of Sunescape confirms: “Aussies like it hot, so it’s no surprise that winter is actually Australia’s most popular time for overseas travel. With some 2.5million Australians expected to take an overseas holiday in winter, it’s a prime opportunity for tanning business.”
Promoting a pre-holiday spray tan is a snow-season-must for spas, but why not extend the sentiment further by reminding customers that special products are vital for maintaining their glow while globetrotting? “Clients who’ve caught the travel provide the perfect opportunity to easily boost profits with the addition of retail products,” Thya says, “whether it’s a gradual tan extender to keep the glow going or a self-tan mousse to top up the tan mid-holiday tan.”
3) Baby it’s Warm Inside
Stripping down for a spray tan on a chilly winter’s day can be a very unappealing prospect—a major deterrent, in fact. Simone Llewellyn from OzTan says creating a warm and inviting environment for customers is key. “Another suggestion is warming solution prior to the spray tan by placing it in a container of warm water. But don’t be tempted to use a microwave” She warns, “as it may affect the solution and present safety risks such as burning.”
Rather than presenting a client with a cool drink upon arrival, try offering a steaming detox tea, such as this best seller from The Beauty Chef Doing so could also allow you the chance to expand or promote your retail offering as well.
When promoting the warmth of your salon, it’s important to ramp up your channels, connecting the atmosphere with other winter incentives. So get glowing by working on your social media channels, tweaking your website, or sending out email blasts to your customer data base.
4) In the Shade
All experts agree: don’t give your clients the full-strength summer tan—unless they specifically ask for it—as it can look unnatural or simply out of place. “Make sure that you tan your clients only one or two shades darker than their existing colour,” says Kim Oliver of LDN: Skins Professional Tanning. Wash-off tans are also a helpful option for those who want extra colour for an occasion. Kim also suggests offering customers the option of having only certain parts of their body tanned such as legs, arms or decolletage. Lot’s of clients might prefer not to have their faces sprayed during winter, so she encourages stockists to offer mini makeovers after a tan session using minerals. “This not only makes a client look and feel great with a complexion in keeping with their freshly tanned body, but it encourages upsell of makeup for home use.”
