When it comes to sales, presentation is often just as important as substance. We know it’s not a coincidence that some people are great at selling and some aren’t at all. It’s about framing the offer the right way and demonstrating value and applicability to the client’s lifestyle.

That process starts the first time someone walks through your door. Showing them everything you have to offer is the first step. If they don’t see the fancy units and hear about all the benefits, many novice tanners will assume that they’re not going to get much more by going past the lowest membership level. Showcase all the spa and wellness service as well, and explain the benefits and how they complement the tanning experience. Introduce them to sunless, even if they claim not to be interested, and tell them about the consistency of results, cocktail tanning and how great it is for special occasions. Once they’ve seen it all, explain that they can get everything they’ve just seen for one monthly price.

Realistically, most won’t go for the most expensive option. However, by presenting it, you’ve shown them what they could be missing out on and changed their perception of the cost, so the lower levels will begin to sound like better and better deals. If you make it all the way down to the last level, make sure to remind them the value of everything they’ll be missing out on. If they still settle on the lowest level or just a package or session, consider offering an introductory package to new clients, where they get to try out all levels, and follow up with them afterwards to see if you can bump them up.

Your current clients in base level memberships probably don’t understand what they’re missing out on. They’re still getting a tan and enjoying their little bit of sunshine every few days, despite only taking advantage of a small piece of what you offer. So, it’s your job to remind them that you have so much more to offer. The easiest way to do so is to incorporate upgrade opportunities.

No matter how effectively you structure your program, you’re still only going to be successful at selling what your consultants are incentivized to sell. Commission should always be weighted heavily toward selling memberships. As with other motivating factors, the commission you pay is well worth it, since a membership guarantees repeat revenue. Commission for a membership sale should depend completely on the level of membership sold. If employees aren’t highly motivated to sell higher levels of membership, they simply won’t do it, whether they’re good employees or not. That’s because they’re going make more money by sticking to the easiest sale possible.

Many tanning businesses probably already follow that protocol, but what most are likely forgetting are the opportunities to move current members up, and the fact that it won’t happen without incentive. Do you offer commission when employees upgrade a current client’s membership? You definitely should. Keeping that option in the front of their minds will ensure that they’re always working to upsell the client, whereas without proper motivation they’ll just become order takers when a member comes through the door.

By optimizing your EFT structure and refocusing staff on locking in the most long-term revenue from every current client, you can improve your bottom line without the added expenses associated with attracting new clientele. With a limited number of tanning client “free agents” out there, making the most of what you’ve already got should definitely not be overlooked.