Sales Lessons from a Spa

Just saw a news report about a spa in Florida that caters specifically to girls, ages 4 to 12, although they’ll take kids as young as 2. While they’ve generated a controversy about whether or not facials, massages and other high-end spa pampering is necessary—or even healthy—for young girls, my thoughts run in an entirely different direction.

First, the owners of this spa are smart. They’ve selected a unique niche. Rather than competing with the other 14,000 spas in their community for the same customers, they’ve gone after a completely different market segment. Ironically, the same people are paying for the services, they’re just being performed on their daughters and granddaughters.

Second, being controversial is not necessarily bad. Controversy generates publicity. Publicity generates sales. You don’t want to alienate everyone, of course, but being bold, daring and different can pay off big by setting you apart from your competition.

Third, people are actually paying for this! Parents are shelling out good money (Is there such a thing as bad money?) for makeovers for their two-year-olds! Which goes to show you, no matter how bad an economy gets, some people (and companies, associations, governments, etc.) still have money and are willing to spend it. You just have to find them and make an offer that appeals to them.

Here are a few questions to stimulate your thinking:

1. What’s your uniqueness? What can you do differently than your competition?

2. How can you be a little bit controversial?

3. Who has the money to buy your product or service and how can you entice them to want it?

Come up with good answers to these questions and you’ll see your sales increase. Then you can take yourself to a spa.