How To Upsell In A Hair Salon

Posted by Showpony Hair Extensions on

Upselling is a great way to generate extra income for your salon, but it’s also a technique that needs you to strike a fine balance. If you don’t make upselling offers frequently enough and at the right moments, you’ll never convert these offers into sales. 

On the other hand, if a client feels you’re being too pushy and just giving them a sales pitch throughout their entire service, they may never come back to your salon. If you’re rethinking how to upsell your salon services and products, you’re in the right place.

Upselling ideas for hair salons

You may be struggling to find opportunities for upselling your salon services in an organic manner — like you’re only upselling at the register towards your clients’ end of a service. Remember: there are also a lot of points before your client walks out of the salon where you can offer them products and services they’ll genuinely need. 

Instead of considering these as just ways to make more money, start seeing upselling as a way to solve problems and help clients achieve great hair every day. 

  1. Don’t always wait until payment

    Sometimes, it makes sense to suggest a product or a service right as you check out with a customer. Still, it can also feel opportunistic or like an afterthought — one which your customer isn’t interested in. 

Don’t be afraid to incorporate upselling into all the other interactions you have with a client. Start at the very beginning: their booking. Is a regular of yours just booking in for a trim before a big holiday they have planned? Remind them of the benefits of maintaining their colour and not letting regrowth get too long between their scalp bleaches.

Does your client always book their appointments just before a big weekend so they can look their best? Offer a deluxe package with a nourishing treatment and styling so they can truly shine. 

By anticipating your client’s needs and making this offer at the booking stage or check-in stage, you may just find that the offer of an upsell is more appreciated and that a ‘yes’ is more likely. 

  1. Think about the genuine needs of your clients

Your client comes to you for expertise, so don’t hesitate to offer it! During the consultation process, you often try to create a client’s vision based on inspiration photos.

If there’s a solution that can give your clients what they want, but they haven’t asked for it, don’t be afraid to suggest it. Customers may not know what solutions are available to them, and this is where your experience really comes into play. 

Do you have a client yearning for more brightness but dealing with breakage and damaged hair? Maybe the answer is a less damaging highlight colour and the addition of subtle micro bead extensions that can fill out their hair and bring in that brightness they crave. 

Maybe your customer loves bright, shiny locks but can’t seem to keep the lustre after they leave the salon. Suggesting an all-over gloss application and some of your in-salon styling products could be the answer to all their hair dreams.

  1. Offer a boutique experience

Make sure your waiting area is set up to feel comfortable and welcoming and can showcase your range of products. If customers feel they can easily pursue your range and even access product information from brochures or other material, they’ll be more likely to engage with these products and potentially buy them. 

  1. Ask your client questions and really listen

You interact with many clients every day, from the initial consultation to the final moments of styling and revealing their finished results. Start to think about the moments when you realise what your client has been missing or when they were happiest with their hair. 

Are there products or services that could have achieved this? If so, seize that moment of realisation to offer a real solution. If your customer notices that their hair feels super silky and soft after your shampoo and deep condition, make an offer for them to pick up some of these products to take home. 

If you or they have noticed and mentioned their hair’s particular texture, porosity or other factor, share your favourite brands and treatments you would use for this hair type, and make it clear that they can purchase this range from the salon.  

  1. Make real recommendations and be upfront about the cost

Consultations are one of the important parts of the salon process, and they’re also a great time to upsell. This is a collaborative moment when you’re taking the time to understand what a client wants and helping them achieve it. Be clear about what you’re recommending, why and how much it will cost. Clients will appreciate the openness, and you can clearly outline why you’re recommending a product or service to help them achieve the hair they’ve always wanted.  

  1. Make sure your stock makes sense for your client base

Keep your shelves stocked with products that are actually appealing to your customers, and offer salon services like hair extensions, blow dries and more that are in demand. Not sure whether a new product line will be successful with your clients? Offer free samples at the register that clients can take home for a little extra pampering. They’ll feel the love, and you’ll get great feedback on which offerings will make the most sense at your salon.  

Need more upselling ideas for hair salons? We’ve got you 

Between installing that full head of skin weft hair extensions on your platinum blonde client and making sure the books are busy next week, it can feel like a struggle to find the time it takes to hone your strategy for running a successful salon. 

Whether you want to find the best wholesale suppliers or understand how much it really costs to run a salon, the Showpony blog has got you covered. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions on how to upsell your salon services and products — our team is more than happy to help you and your salon succeed.