By Katie Phillips, California Tan Sunless

Just like other industries, the sunless industry is constantly searching for new ways to attract customers. As new products and new technologies are introduced, it’s easy to focus on new innovations as selling points to gain new and more frequent customers. With all the attention on innovation it’s easy to miss a vital selling point of sunless tanning, the flexibility.

Many sunless tanners struggle with finding their desired tone, or the level of darkness they want to be. It’s a common misconception that once the solution is applied you have no control over the color. But that’s not the case. Through each step of the spray tanning process customers have choices or flexibility, which allows them to better control and determine the color they get, even after application!

Flexibility in the Shade

Solutions come in various tints and tonalities for different depths and hues of tan. No matter the solution your salon carries, customers still have a choice to make. Want a light glow? Choose a light solution with less DHA. Want a deep, exotic tan? Choose a dark solution with a lot of DHA.

Flexibility in the Level

Whether your salon has a spray booth or you handheld spray, the customer can still choose the amount of solution applied. Want a light glow? Spray at Level One in the booth or apply one coat of a handheld spray. Want a deep, exotic tan? Spray at Level Three in the booth or apply two coats of a handheld spray.

Flexibility in the Wait Time

Solutions in the market advise different amount of times the solution should remain on the skin prior to showering. Whether the solution used requires a 4 or 24 hour wait time, that gives another form of flexibility to the customer. Love the instant color? Keep the solution on for the full time recommended to develop that depth of color. Is the instant color too dark? Keep the solution on for a small portion of the time allotted to develop a lighter level of color.

When customers have an option with their spray tan, no matter the solution or the application, it makes them feel more empowered and they are more likely to enjoy the results. It doesn’t always take a new product, new technology or new technique to sell a customer on a sunless tan, sometimes it’s letting them make the decisions.