One of the most frustrating issues I have to deal with as a salon owner is the constant need to motivate my staff to sell. After 31 years in retail in various industries, not a lot has changed. You always have a small percentage of staff that are highly motivated to sell, a pretty large chunk that can sell occasionally, and then there are some that all they say all day is “You’re all set in room #5 for 20 minutes.”

Yes, the frustration can be enough to make you pull your hair out. The first reality is, if you are a salon owner, you got that way by being self motivated. You made the decision to take charge and you have significant skin in the game and bought or started your salon.

On the other hand, your staff is frequently working in your salon part-time while they finish school or because you offer a nice place to work without a lot of stress. So how do you motivate staff to sell better? I’m a big believer in paying for performance. I like to pay a fair wage for their time in the salon, but I really like offering a bonus program to greatly reward the people who can sell well.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.