Written by Enza Vizzi
The spa industry is a multibillion dollar industry yet the stats on business failure within the first 5 years of operation are staggering. It makes us wonder why and how? It’s blatantly obvious that there’s a serious problem we’re not solving. Too many are coming into the market expecting to be an overnight success without the hustle and getting frustrated. We have students who are graduating barely getting their feet wet expecting to be reaping the benefits of success of the veteran who’s been up & running for 35 years plus which took a lot of leg work that you can’t turn a blind eye to . There are spa’s in the heart of tourism, main city attractions with constant traffic that are completely rocking it, yet one’s next door are starving for clients? Small esthetic clinics with no marketing support nor on social media yet they’re booked solid from start to finish through basic word of mouth from their clients. So how can this be? Is it a lack of resources? We live in a time where one would have given up their life fortune to have access to the information we have today. It’s never a lack of resources it’s always a lack of resourcefulness. It’s the lack of resourcefulness amongst everyone involved from owner, to managers, to estheticians &receptionists.
We need to start getting comfortable with humility, asking for help & learn from each other. The wet spas are doing great on their water circuits but dying on their esthetic services such as facials. Medi spas are doing great on facials yet lack that human approach. Why not learn from each other. Start creating seminars so those who are experts in one area can share their knowledge, help the ones who are weak in that area and vice versa. Creating a community that collaborates instead of competing building ourselves up again.
After having consulted over 200 spas, medi spas & esthetic clinics in Montreal. I’ve been both trusted & privileged enough to work with the top in the industry. From pioneers to veterans to teachers the creams of the crop definitely have key secret ingredients which inevitably constantly show up. I would say if you’ve been in business for at least 10 years & you’re still rolling you have the secret recipe. If you have clients who’ve been loyal to you for over 10 years & your business is still growing you’re doing something right. I was on a mission to discover what the key ingredients are & now I want to share this valuable information for the sake of saving the spa industry from hitting a recession.
Having the top skin line, or the best technology or latest treatments or hottest location really isn’t the answer. Energy is the top one…the entire team creates an energy that makes clients feel an experience like no other. From reception, to esthetician, to management or owner each team member is dedicated to treat their clients with an incredible amount of integrity, dignity & respect regardless of the “kinda” day their having. They choose to give the best energy they can & their clients FEEL it. People feel your energy especially your clients. In our industry we are expected to help bring forth an experience that allows our clients to disconnect. It’s imperative to be highly attuned to the energy you give off & more so when you’re business involves serving others. You cannot allow to have people on your team who are self-absorbed regardless of how much experience they have or technique that’s on point because i promise you , you’re clients will feel it & business suffers as a result. Experience is worth nothing if they give off the wrong energy. Be very aware!! A total game changer in life and essential in determining business success.
Next would be company culture. As a spa owner identify first & for most what’s your identity, your philosophy make it your own, make it unique and grow from there. Be very clear in all the interviews you conduct that these are your core values & the right employees will show up. You won’t need to police your staff as I’ve witnessed you will have trust . in fact the top spa’s do just that they have full trust in their staff because their hiring process is thorough. They value their employees; they are generous in dispensing salaries for quality and guess what happens? in turn the employees deliver more which inevitably services their clients to their fullest potential. Isn’t that what you would want? To be able to have full trust and know that your business can almost run on its own. Richard Branson says “There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated”. The guru of business world leading expert Tony Robbins say “if we’re going to build a business, we not only need raving fans we need a raving culture. Culture meaning everybody on your team works to create raving fan experiences. You’ve got to create raving fans if you want to be successful. “Showing them value so they can give more to your clients. Managers pay close attention to placing employees in the heart of their passion. They will deliver more.
This goes for receptionists too some estheticians love technology based treatments while others hate it. Some estheticians love pedicures and manicures while others hate it book clients as skillfully as a matcher maker would. Get to know everyone on staff and make it a point to connect. Your goal is not to squeeze bookings wherever you can your estheticians will feel burnt out. Think outside the box when it comes to accommodating clients I’ve witnessed receptionist book, pre sell & complete transaction in 1 phone call regardless of the line up in front of her &she’s acknowledged everyone in that line up as soon as they walked through the door. She’s able to be as engaging on a phone call as she would in person. Think Quality versus quantity. It’s about working smart quality versus quantity Booking accordingly will assure you you’ve done what you can to ensure this client returns. You are the first impression giving off what the spa is all about. you guys are the captain of the ship without you the ship can sink! SMILE look at people when they walk in & be warm don’t be staring at someone from head to toe this is a complete lack of professionalism. Be responsible for the energy you bring to your team & especially your clients. Showing Recognition to each client is a must!! . Everyone’s objective should be to engage customer loyalty. Estheticians your clients turn to you for healing and to be a healer you must acquire empathy. Truly be able to read your client without her having to say much give her more than expected. If you communicate skillfully with your intention to pamper them &make them feel better about themselves you have the power to transform your clients! Stays informed & keep learning! Together, build a solid foundation from the ground up amongst your team along with the community. Conduct efficient team meetings, Do a thorough pulse check. Be very honest with what the reality of your business is? Be bold enough to be strip it down to the nitty gritty admit what’s lacking &reach out for help. Raise your standards in goal setting but be flexible in your approach to finding the right strategy until you find one that works. If we remember why we are so passionate about this spa world, consciously be aware of our intention every day in every way we will bring back heart rhythm louder, stronger than ever and resuscitate the industry!!