The heat is on. . . growing your business during the Summer.

The heat is on. . .
Oh man. It is hot out there. As the temperature rises, so does the likely hood that people are going to spend their days in the sun, by the pool, and on the beach. And yes, that means they are less likely to need a spray tan.
This is why it is super important to always be growing your tanning clientele and to make sure that you have clients from all parts of our market. And to make sure we are constantly move your clients up the ladder to the next level of tanning.
What is our market? I think it breaks down into three parts.
1. Our best clients are probably the smallest part of our market. These are the weekly tanners. These clients buy one package after another and tan almost every week. They are loyal to us as sprayers. They refer us clients on a regular basis. So far this is the smallest percentage of my business at about 10%. I am always working to grow this segment but understand that (at least in my geographical area) that this will probably always be the least represented segment of my business as the disposable income is not as high here as in other areas.
2. Next are our occasional tanners. This is the area of my business that I feel has the greatest potential for growth. These are the ones that tan every month or two months. They tan for events, holidays, and date nights. They are not weekly and don’t buy packages but they come often enough for you to know about their lives and children and know that if they are there to see you they have something exciting that they want to look good for to do coming up. This segment is a great segment to sell product too. Your weekly tanners don’t really need product, they are always coming to see you but these women (and men) want to be tanned but can’t get to you every week and Tan in the Can or Facial Bronzer will allow them to maintain their glow a little longer. This segment makes up probably 50% of my business. Specials on tan packages and before holidays are a great way to get them back in the door if they have been absent too long.
3. The final group of tanners is the One-Timers. This segment of my business tans once a year. These are the people that tan every year before their cruise or for Easter or Prom. They have one event they tan for and that is it. Keep in contact with your One-Timers. Sure they may not be back for year but by receiving bi-monthly emails or an occasional phone call you may be able to move them up the ladder to occasional tanner. They know they love the product, they just have not committed to it yet. Can’t move them to the next level? If you never get a second tan during the year make sure you have plenty of product on hand when do they call. Since they call only once a year for a splurge they are very likely to go ahead and splurge on a whole lot product during their visit.
Knowing your market is the key to growing your business as the sun shines bright. Treat each segment individually. Send your weekly tanners a personal note when you are scheduling them, birthday cards, and make sure you ask about their families and events in their lives each time you see them. Occasional tanners need a weekly email with some type of pertinent information in them. I send a blanket email to all occasional tanners with my schedule for the week and include any specials that I am running and that my tanning locations are running. I tan in a make-up studio and gym so if they have a special on eye shadow or kickboxing classes I include that information. My One-Timers get an email twice a month. I write a short note with my availability for the week and suggest new reasons to tan; Fourth of July, Perfect Poolside Legs, Ladies Night, Etc. . .
No matter the temperature there are always those who need a tan. Don’t lose touch with any of your clients and they will always have your information at their finger tips when they need you!

The babies are here!

Yeah! Golden Sol is proud to announce the arrival of TWO new future Spray Tanners!
Kendra Odum and Krista Bixlers (both owners in Golden Sol) have given birth to gorgeous baby girls.

So how is life in these growing families of business owners? Both say tired but absolutely never better.

Josie Lyn Bixler 6/15/10 8lb 12oz


Anna Brooke...10.3 lbs, 22 inches

Five Tips from a Traveling Sprayer

Five Tips from a Traveling Sprayer:
I travel from place to place for all my sprays. I may tan in up to three locations in any given day and have learned a lot from my first few days of spraying on how to make this job much easier so I thought I would share a few of my tips with you!
1. My number one favorite tip is USE BOTH GUNS! I used to spend so much time painstakingly switching from one cup to another to use my 10 and 12. I reasoned that I had my favorite one and it was adjusted perfectly so I left the other gun in the car and twisted those cups on and off in between every spray. I would just get my 12 going when I had to switch to 10 and so on and so on. Now I carry both guns everywhere I go. I have a 10 gun and a 12 gun and one cup of 8 floating around in my bag. This makes life so much easier when you have a line of people waiting to get tanned. You just switch the whole gun on and off the hose. This also makes it SO much easier to keep up with which cup has the 10 and which one has the 12.
2. CLEAN YOUR TENT! My clients never have any trouble letting me set up in their homes, on their carpet, or even small apartment spaces in Atlanta. I attribute this to the fact that I clean my equipment at least once a week. Every week, right before my first busy day I spray out my tent (don’t forget to wash the bottom, it gets dirty from folding it up into the bag), spray down my fan and fan bag, and, if necessary, put all my bags in the laundry. I also wipe down my electrical cords and re-organize my bag. Clean equipment goes a long way in making me comfortable every time I set up my tent and if I am comfortable so is the client.
3. SELL THOSE PACKAGES. I sell a lot of 4 tan packages. At first I was worried about how to keep up with them but now I just carry around a receipt book and write a receipt for the total price and then list four lines labeled Tan One, Tan Two, Etc. . . Then each time they come in and tan I initial and date next to Tan One and then Tan Two, Etc. . . You could even get them to initial beside your initials so that there is never any confusion about how many are left in the package.
4. BE A GIRL SCOUT. Always be prepared! Traveling to tan is like camping in the wilderness, if you didn’t bring it, you don’t have it. I keep a box in the trunk of my car with extras of things that I am constantly running out of; clean towels, baby wipes, pre-tan prep, a shop light for dark spaces, cups, etc. . . This way, in a pinch, I can always run to my car and have everything I need.
5. Carry Febreeze in your bag. Sometimes my tent smells more like tan than spa when I pop it up so I carry a bottle of febreeze in my bag and spray the sides, towel, and filter with it before the client comes in. This way they get a whiff of freshness right when they step inside!
Do you have a tip for us? Please share it with us. Leave a comment below or put it on FBook! We would love to hear from you!