What if I told you the most overlooked profit opportunity in your salon isn’t your service menu.
It’s sitting right on your shelves.
While most salon owners chase higher service prices or longer hours, they’re often missing out on retail sales that could double their profit margins with little extra time investment.
Retail accounts for the largest profit margin in your salon. Hands down. We’re looking at a margin of sometimes 50% or more on products.
Watch the short…
… and play the full video of Episode 24 of Marketing 100: where we dive deep into retail sales strategies with salon industry experts John and Kayle.
Continue reading below for our complete guide to salon retail sales, including expert advice on product education, consultation techniques, and a 30-day implementation plan to increase your salon’s retail revenue.
Why Education Beats Hard Selling in Salon Retail
Here’s a perspective that might challenge your thinking:
I think it’s rude for a stylist to kind of assume that they shouldn’t be offering a product. They’re there with you. You’re their hair doctor… They want that recommendation. They want that education on why certain products are right for them.
When you visit your doctor, you trust their prescription because they’re the expert. The same applies to hair care. Your expertise isn’t just welcome, it’s essential.
Just like a doctor wouldn’t let you leave without proper medication, you shouldn’t let clients leave without the right products for their hair health
Why All Clients Need Product Guidance
Consider this: Even wealthy clients who could afford any product often rely completely on their stylist’s expertise. Some only get their hair washed and styled during salon visits.
How to Sell Products During Regular Service Time
Here’s the beauty of effective retail sales: it requires virtually no extra time in your day. Unlike adding services or extending appointments, product recommendations can be seamlessly woven into what you’re already doing.
Think about it:
- You’re already using the products during the service
- You’re already talking with your client
- You’re already demonstrating the results
The key is simply verbalizing what you’re doing as you work. Transform your regular styling process into natural teaching moments:
How to Sell Products During Regular Service Time
Here’s the beauty of effective retail sales: it requires virtually no extra time in your day. Unlike adding services or extending appointments, product recommendations can be seamlessly woven into what you’re already doing.
Think about it:
- You’re already using the products during the service
- You’re already talking with your client
- You’re already demonstrating the results
The key is simply verbalizing what you’re doing as you work. Transform your regular styling process into natural teaching moments.
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Natural Product Education During Services
When applying products:
“I’m using this heat protectant before blow-drying to prevent split ends and protect your color investment”
“Watch how this finishing spray gives you that perfect bounce and hold you love”
“Notice how I’m blow-drying in this direction? This technique, combined with this round brush and product, creates that volume you’re looking for”
Effective Product Recommendations at Checkout
Never let the front desk be the first time clients hear about products:
- Have recommended products ready
- Reference the earlier conversation
- Remind them of the benefits they experienced
Building Your Salon Brand Through Product Sales
Your number one job as a salon business is to make sure that your clients look good all the time because they are a walking billboard for your business. That is what word-of-mouth marketing is.
You want your clients to look so good that people can’t help but stop them in public to ask:
Who does your hair?
That kind of organic marketing is priceless, but it only happens when clients can maintain their style between visits. This is where your product recommendations become crucial marketing tools.
Creating Confident Product Experts on Your Team
The difference between salons that excel at retail and those that struggle often comes down to how they approach training.
You need to own this as a business owner, making sure they feel like the expert and actually have the knowledge. You need to invest time here, right, so that they really build that mastery. They actually sit on information that they understand in that conversation is valuable for that hair type.
This means going beyond surface-level product knowledge to ensure your team:
- Understands exactly which products work for specific hair types and why
- Can confidently explain the science behind each product’s effectiveness
- Knows how to customize recommendations for individual client needs
- Feels proud of their product expertise and confident in sharing it
Building Strong Product Consultation Skills
Train your team to approach product recommendations like a doctor would approach prescriptions:
- What’s the client’s specific “condition” (hair type/concerns)?
- What’s the best “treatment” (product combination)?
- How should it be “administered” (application technique)?
- What results can they expect?
This medical approach helps stylists see themselves as trusted advisors rather than salespeople, transforming the entire retail experience for both staff and clients.
30-Day Retail Success Plan for Salon Teams
Here’s your wake-up call:
If this is not part of your salon culture or your education culture as it is right now, you need to start today. This needs to be something that you implement as quickly as possible.
Start with this proven 30-day plan:
- Week 1: Conduct product knowledge assessment
- Week 2: Hold intensive product training sessions
- Week 3: Practice consultations and recommendations
- Week 4: Launch your new education-first approach
- Day 30: Measure results and adjust
Conclusion
It’s actually rude NOT to recommend products to your clients. You’re doing them a disservice by withholding your expertise. Your clients want to look their best, and they’re counting on you to show them how.
Next, watch our video and guide on salon merch and swag marketing.
P.S. For more proven salon marketing tips, don’t forget to check out the rest of our Marketing 100 series.
