Minor tweaks to your service menu can empower your business

Any business’ success hinges on delivering the right products and services to the right customer. That’s just as true for a perfumer as it is for a high-end spa. And the same way that a perfumer won’t create in-demand scents by focusing only on appealing base notes, a spa can’t afford to focus solely on the foundational part of its menu — meaning its main services.

To offer a more robust service selection and more personalized product offerings (and to build your bottom line without overcommitting), you need to think about what kinds of add-ons your spa should provide. Finding the right ones can help you provide a better client experience and bring in more revenue, all without complicating your day-to-day operations.

7 add-ons that boost profits

Add-ons are a great way to flex your team’s capabilities and keep clients coming back. To deliver the best impact, you need a service menu that blows away your clients and keeps your ledger in the black. And you need to do it without adding too much extra stress to your operations.

Clients should leave your spa feeling pampered, chic, and glowing. The best way to do that is to consider how each add-on enhances their experience. As you do so, remember to use the overall tenets of your brand and your clientele’s preferences as yardsticks for judgment.

If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some services you can use to make your business more profitable without adding too many wrinkles:

1. Aromatherapy enhancements

Want to add a euphoric sensation to your client’s experience? Try offering aromatherapy enhancements as part of your service menu. Aromatherapy oils can be chosen based on the desired effect, whether for refreshing skin, relaxing the body, or invoking a sense of stress relief.

With minimal training, a selection of essential oils, and an appropriate diffuser, you can start offering aromatherapy at your salon. Just remember to keep this add-on opt-in — one client’s beloved aroma may be another’s headache-inducing miasma.

2. Hot stone therapy

Those round, black stones carefully arrayed across a client’s back are a spa icon for good reason. Heated stones work wonders for relieving pack pain and lowering stress, adding an element of relaxation that enhances massages. Plus, they’re a one-time investment. All you need to do is purchase heating equipment and stones to get started.

3. Back facials

As the name implies, a back facial gives the care you typically offer a client’s face to their back. It encompasses exfoliating and cleansing, though extractions may also be part of the process. Back facials are an excellent service for anyone with oily skin or back acne, helping them feel clean and serene during and after their appointment. Most estheticians can perform back facials with minimal training, making them easy to add to your menu.

4. Lip treatments 

Lip treatments allow clients to keep their lips moisturized and free of dead skin. They can be a quick add-on for other services, such as facials, and require almost no effort or shelf space to implement. Lip treatments are especially good to promote during harsh weather when chapped lips are more common.

5. Customized skin care products

Not everyone has time for extra add-ons in addition to their usual services. Offering at-home products can be a great way to reach those busy-bee clients. Try pitching them a selection of skin care products they can take home. You’ll likely find they love the customized recommendations, and the extra income can help your business grow.

6. Body scrubs or masks

Body scrubs and masks can be as simple as treating a client’s skin with specialized exfoliating and cleansing products, typically as part of a massage. These goods are often inexpensive and easy to store, so you can add them to your lineup without much preparation. They are also straightforward services, making them easy-to-suggest add-ons for clients who want smooth, radiant skin.

7. Paraffin hand and foot treatments

A paraffin treatment will leave your clients feeling impressed and refreshed. It softens their skin and eases soreness in their hands and feet. Paraffin baths and wax are inexpensive, and selling the treatment as an add-on to a manicure or pedicure is an easy value add for both your business and your client.

Going for the upsell

Once you’ve sorted your services, you can focus on your spa’s marketing efforts. Whether you want to bolster your in-store signage, build your mailing list, or grow your social presence, marketing can take a lot of time and effort. Thankfully, finding the right spa marketing tools can help you streamline the process. You could even promote your add-ons as part of the booking flow to personalize the service without additional front-desk effort.

Finding and promoting add-ons for your service menu is one thing — training staff to sell them in a way that feels helpful and welcoming is another. It takes time to learn those skills, and not all your employees will nail them out of the gate. Yet no matter where they’re starting from, every employee needs to know how to suggest the right offerings and when.

Remind your staff members that people don’t buy when they understand; they buy when they feel understood. If an employee is struggling to upsell clients, it may indicate they aren’t getting to the root of their clients' needs. Tell them to try to ask more questions and build stronger connections.

Give clients the space to talk about themselves and their concerns, and they’ll share details that will help your staff members recommend new products and services. That way, everyone is more likely to walk away happy.