Recommend to RETAIL

On a recent trip to Ireland, Repêchage founder and CEO Lydia Sarfati spoke to us about the crucial role that retail plays in a running a successful salon or spa business

After a two-year pandemic, during which she reached an audience of over 15,000 through Zoom talks and webinars, Lydia Sarfati was back speaking at the in-person Iguazu Beauty event for salon and spa professionals in Athlone in March.

The founder and CEO of Repêchage believes that the post-Covid beauty industry is embracing a more integrated approach, as aesthetics is combined with medicine and the focus is more clientcentered.

“During the pandemic, salons and spas were shut, while medical services remained open. I see a very big growth now in beauty therapists wanting to work with medical professionals, such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons. This is the kind of holistic approach to skincare and wellness I’ve had since I launched Repêchage in 1977.”

The pandemic has also reinforced the part that retail plays in a profitable business, according to Sarfati. “As a professional skincare manufacturer, our facials always dominated our revenue – they accounted for about 60-70% of it. Of course, during the lockdown, that shifted as revenue from facials went down to about 20%, and revenue from retail went up to about 80%. This is now balancing out and our overall revenue is split almost 50-50 between these two streams, which ties in with what I have been saying for the past 40 years –a healthy business must have healthy revenue that is generated from retail sales.”

Turning your retail offering into profits involves a shift in mindset, explains Sarfati.

“Some beauty professionals say that they don't feel comfortable selling. And I always ask them why are they using the word ‘selling’. You are not selling, you are recommending – change starts with changing your attitude. Remember, you've just worked for an hour on your client, you have given them a great facial.

If you let them leave the salon emptyhanded, they will go to some department store and buy products there. So, after all your hard work, you are sending them elsewhere and you are failing as a beauty therapist.”

‘You are not selling, you are recommending – change starts with changing your attitude’

Winning formula

Winning on the other hand begins when the client arrives into your salon, she notes.

“From the moment they enter your establishment, they form an opinion in seven seconds. So the most important person in the salon is your receptionist, who is really your ambassador. They need to look well, smile at the client and offer them a beverage in these seven seconds.

They should also be well trained in all the services and products you offer.

“You then need to ask your client the right questions during the consultation.

Give them a mirror, ask them to look in it and tell you exactly what their skin concerns are. And during the treatment, specifically address these concerns.

“Skin is skin, it doesn’t change. It has three layers: the epidermis, which is the top layer; the dermis, which is the middle layer; and the hypodermis, the bottom or fatty layer. All that stays the same. What has changed, however, is our external environment. Factors such as pollution, food, relationships and stress from daily life all affect the skin. So whether it’s acne or blackheads or wrinkles, whatever the client is concerned about during the consultation, that’s what you address.

“After the treatment, ask them to look in the mirror again so they can see the improvement on their skin. Then you put the relevant product in their hand and explain to them that in order to continue to address their skin concerns on a daily basis, this is what you are recommending they use at home. By doing this, you are giving them instructions and an affirmative recommendation. You are not asking the client if they want the product, you are telling them that they need it. The secret to success here is establishing yourself as the expert.”

As well as recommending the product, you should also educate the client on why they should use it, advises Sarfati. “Using your knowledge and expertise, explain to them why their skin needs this particular product. By doing this, your client will understand the value of seeing a skincare professional.”

In the same way that you shouldn’t ask the client if they’d like to buy a product, neither should you ask them if they’d like to rebook, she stresses. “These are questions you must delete from your vocabulary.

Instead, you tell your client when you’d like to see them return for their next appointment. They trust you and are looking for guidance and advice. Give them the best experience and results possible, so that they leave your salon looking and feeling fabulous. That way they will come back.”