The hardest part of making a sale is getting the person to walk through the door of your tanning business in the first place.

So, why does it seem that most tanning professionals are overwhelmingly obsessed with bringing in new customers, when there’s plenty of additional revenue to be made from the clients that already frequent your business? Of course, you always want to be pursuing new clients and converting them to members, but at the same time, you have a much easier opportunity right in front of you.

Even though it’s much simpler than planning promotions to bring in a new client and convincing them to jump straight into a $60 per month membership, getting your members to spend more indefinitely is easier said than done. You’ll have to provide some serious motivation, so first keep in mind that it’s worth it. Don’t get caught up on what it costs you to add value, or the idea that you’re giving them unlimited access to $15 per session units for just $20 a month. Within reason, increasing your monthly EFT revenue is almost always worth the cost and effort it takes to accomplish.

“I’m surprised anybody survives without a robust EFT, whether they don’t have it, or nobody really showed them how to maximize profitability,” says Sun Your Buns owner and consultant Grant Miller. “You have to make it overwhelming, just a no-brainer thing to buy. It’s the biggest mistake that salon owners are scared to give away so much. People are trying to pare back, but you should be thinking, what more can I offer?”

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