Before a customer leaves the salon, she asks to hear about your best lotions. On the outside, you’re playing it cool. But on the inside, your heart is racing, the adrenaline is pumping and dollar signs are springing out the backs of your eyeballs – time to make a sale! The customer is engaged, even seeking recommendations, and you’re sure that you’re about to bag a big fish for some top-shelf skincare.

But then things take a turn – the customer starts taking notes on her cell phone. She asks to hold the bottle. But after she smells, reads and touches, she takes a picture and leaves your store without buying. What in the world just happened?

You’ve been showroomed.

Showrooming is when customers enter your brick-and-mortar store, test out products, then use the Internet to find them cheaper. And it’s probably something that’s been driving you crazy. While statistics vary wildly – surveys show that anywhere from 48 to 90 percent of peopole are guilty of this practice at some point – the bottom line is that the trend is forecasted to become more popular with time.

With all of the tools and marketing advice out there, business owners are often trained to think that the Internet is their best friend. This practice is proving otherwise for small businesses across the country, but the good news is that our industry has built in advantages to help you counter this practice.

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