Island Sun Times

mong the most important and powerful things you can do as a salon professional is project confidence in your business. Your staff must be confident and professional in such areas as answering questions regarding tanning, customer service, handling phone calls, and salon maintenance. As many are finding out this year, there are certainly people looking to tan indoors, but they are now much more selective when choosing a salon. Competition may be sharper this year. I once heard it observed that if you take a handful of regular, colored marbles and mix in a few solid gold ones, then toss them amongst a group of children, the kids will go for the gold ones immediately! Tanning salons that “shine” and are solid will be in position to make the sales and will make it happen. Those that aren’t, won’t. Our industry has prevailed through tough economic times in the past and will continue to do so now, although it won’t be easy.

Right now, you might be putting in at least 10 hours a day (some of us 10+), 7 days a week at your salon, and smiling all the way to the bank. Well, you should enjoy the fruits of your labor. Unfortunately, salons derive a lopsided proportion of their income during this time of year. Even though the effort is there to make more people enjoy indoor tanning on a more year-round basis, now is when we need to “rock and roll”. Are you doing everything to make it happen? If you don’t whether you are, perhaps it’s time for a quick assessment.

Bring the Right Attitude
As a salon owner or employee, you have to bring your “game face” to work every day, and leave your problems at home. Tanners flock to salons for relaxation and to bask in the tanning experience, not to encounter a salon operator having an “off day”. Remember, millions of people enjoy tanning but are being much more selective when choosing a facility. A salon staff that has the right attitude just might be one of their criteria!

Experience and Education
Another reason for choosing one tanning salon over another could be education (or the lack thereof). A salon operator who knows just what to say and how to say it may be the deciding factor for some tanners. Having factual information is just as important, though. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people working in our industry can’t even explain how the indoor tanning process occurs! Probably among the simplest ways is: “A small yet precise amount of UVB is used to stimulate melanocytes within the skin, causing them to rise. UVA then oxidizes the rising melanocytes causing them to turn a brownish color. The result is a cosmetic tan.” Take an accredited indoor tanning salon operator training program (such as those offered by the Suntanning Association for Education) if you haven’t already, so you know the facts and how to explain them to customers.

Equipment and Lamps Are Key
There are so many state-of-the-art tanning beds and booths available these days; it’s hard to choose. But having the latest equipment is certainly one way to keep ahead of the competition. Even if you can’t afford new equipment, you can offer great tans by choosing the right tanning lamps and re-lampingon a timely basis. Most everyone has heard the phrase, “you get what you pay for” and indoor tanning products are no different. You may pay more for quality, but it generally performs better and lasts longer. Start with high-quality lamps and replace them before they lose the ability to provide a tan. Most customers who leave your salon for another will do so without ever telling you that they are unsatisfied with your products.

So, work hard, work smart, project confidence in your
business – and make it happen!