You haven’t converted your salon into a spa and, besides, you have no intention of doing so? Well, there’s still nothing stopping you from riding the wave of the spa phenomenon. In fact, without pulling your business to pieces and changing everything completely, you can adopt the principles employed by some of the larger spas and align yourselves in such a way so as to benefit from the spa wave. And then stand back and watch how your clients just lap it up!
 
An accountant for a large firm, Ludivine closes her eyes and allows her imagination to wander. In her mind an image slowly starts to form. She can see a pool filled with salt water, warmed to 36° - body temperature. She stretches out in the water, buoyed up by the strong concentration of salt. Above her is a darkened dome, where fibre optic pin pricks create the illusion of a start studded night sky. All external stimuli have been removed allowing her mind to unwind. Her endorphins slowly begin to increase until she reaches a state of complete harmony.
 
Ludivine is not alone when it comes to dreaming about this kind of relaxation and unwinding. Living in such a high-voltage world, the need for “relaxation” and anti-stress” techniques continues to grow day by day. Already, the situation is such that 60 – 90% of all hospital visits are due to symptoms that are linked to stress. Just think about the potential target market represented by these stressed out clients!
 
And who better to help relieve these poor, harassed individuals of some of their stress, than you? From the water chamber therapy described above to simple ayurvedic treatments, you have at your disposal, an incredible range of tools to help calm and relax tense clients. But are you actually fully aware of the weapons in your arsenal?
 
Of course, you have given careful consideration to all the finer details that underpin your business. But have you really thought about everything? Why don’t you put yourself in your client’s shoes and try one of the treatments yourself. Walk out the door and come back in, but as a client this time. What is the first thing you see? Are your premises clean and well organised? Is there any unnecessary clutter? Do the colours used have a soothing effect? (And remember that yellow and fuchsia never helped to relax anyone). Have you considered enlisting the services of a feng shui consultant to analyse the energy flows of your beauty institute? If the answer is yes, make sure that the consultant is not only properly qualified but that they also understand the nature of your business. The feng shui of a spa or beauty salon is not analysed in the same manner as that of an insurance company, for example. However, having said that, today you do not need a feng shui consultant to fill in the holes in your business. Just follow the golden rules of the big spas and see how they lead to success that far surpasses any expectation.
 
THE FIRST STEP IN THE JOURNEY TO YOUR CLIENT’S WELL-BEING STARTS WITH… YOUR PERSONNEL

If your team of beauty therapists are dressed non-uniformly, have untidy hair, wear little or no make-up, talk loudly and fidget, this does not create a tranquil, energising atmosphere for your establishment. How can you sell your client relaxation, when everyone in your business seems to be hyped up?

A quick review of your therapists is in order. Adopt the recipe that works for the top quality spas: impeccable uniforms, make-up applied elegantly, hair tied back or kept short, always well groomed. Immediately, you have created an impression of neatness and organisation, which will add credibility to your business (and on top of that, you will feel better yourself but, as Rudyard Kipling says, that is another story.)

Let’s move on to your staff’s behaviour. Your therapists should be smiling, courteous, attentive to the needs of the client and, particularly important, they should talk softly: we are in an anti-stress environment, so make sure that nothing adds to the stress levels. Create a calming environment right from the start. From the moment they walk through the door, your client should enter into a world of serenity and peace. Take complete charge of your client.

Marie, a very stressed out businesswoman who frequently makes uses of beauty institutes across the world, reiterates this. “I have often come across beauty therapists who settle me into their cubicle saying, ‘Now you just relax, I will be attending you.’ If I knew how to relax myself on my own, I wouldn’t be there in the first place!” she says in annoyance.

In fact, the recipe is simple: do not allow your client to think! The biggest factor contributing to a woman’s stress is her constant mental activity, 24-7. Whether it is her list of things to do, her daughter’s school marks or the important business deal she needs to close with a big client in the afternoon, her mind is always overactive. Unlike men, who know how to shut off their brains when they need to, women just don’t know how to switch off.

Thus, from the moment your client arrives to announce herself at reception, you should be permanently at her side and you shouldn’t need to ask her what treatment she has come in for today. Don’t you remember? Make sure you keep detailed records and keep all your forms and database updated as you go along.

RELAX BODY AND MIND

Turn your beauty treatment into a truly exceptional experience!

We do not all have the same reaction to a work of art. In the same manner, we do not all experience the same emotions during a treatment. But if the sensations generated are of an intangible nature, the success of the treatment will conform to certain precise rules. It is all in the details.

There are seven considerations one should bear in mind:

1. The beauty therapist is the soul of a good massage

For perfect results, the therapist must have an open mind, her massage techniques should be fluid and effective, she should have sound knowledge about human physiology and her client should always leave in a better state than when she arrived. And, in all honesty, that requires skill!

Isabelle, a therapist in Cannes, is very aware of this, “I could take dance classes for twenty years but that would not make me a great dancer. My special talent is my ability to massage. I love to communicate with skin using my hands… and often skin responds to me.” In short, if you want to turn your business into a truly extraordinary establishment, hire talented people. And the best way to establish whether the new therapist you are thinking of hiring is talented, is to get her to perform her massage techniques and treatments on you!

But, unfortunately, talent is not all there is to it. The successful completion of a massage is a lot more complex than it seems. Your therapist’s behaviours and attitudes also play a role. A skilled professional must remain focussed on her goal, which is helping her client to achieve a deeper sense of well-being, and should not be distracted. Being attentive will enable the therapist to develop a relationship of trust with the client, which is necessary for the client to be able to be completely at ease. This will open the door to a wonderful massage experience.

2. Listening

The art of listening is something, which a beauty therapist must master. If a beautician has acquired this skill, her client will leave the treatment feeling like she has had the best massage in the world. However, very few therapists know how to really listen. Aude, an instructor in massage techniques, confided in me, “I have just come back from doing a European circuit, instructing masseuses. I received 25 massages and each time I explained to the therapist that my right shoulder had been giving me a lot of problems, as a result of lugging a heavy briefcase around with me and that I was suffering from a dreadful headache. And believe it or not, only 12 therapists took my symptoms into consideration when they massaged me!”

True professionals who know how to listen are more in sync with the clients: straight away they are able to discern when a client is touchy or if she doesn’t want anyone to touch her stomach. It is not always easy, of course.
 

But a beauty therapist who doesn’t pay attention to the desires of her client because she thinks that she knows best what the client needs, will never be an outstanding masseuse. An unforgettable massage is one where the masseuse is humble enough to allow her client to guide her, but also professional enough to ensure the efficacy of the treatment. This will begin with a friendly and brief investigation if this is the first time the therapist is meeting the client: Is she allergic to anything? Is there anything she really doesn’t enjoy? What is she hoping to achieve during her massage?

For successive sessions, the therapist should familiarise herself with the client’s details by perusing her file, which should be as comprehensive and detailed as possible, five minutes before the client arrives.

 
3. Welcome

Never forget, especially when you are receiving a new client, that not everyone sees nudity in the same light. This is particularly true when dealing with people from the older generation, confides Gigi, a beauty therapist working in Versailles. “I remember a little grandmother I had as a client once. I left her to settle herself in the cubicle and when I returned she was stretched out on the bed, no shoes, but wearing her rain coat! After gently explaining the benefits she would feel after her massage, I eventually succeeded in coaxing her into removing it. These days, I have trouble convincing her to wear a gown when she is walking in the public corridors. She doesn’t have any qualms about nudity anymore!”

But it is not just a question of age. Modesty differs greatly from one individual to the next. A good therapist knows how to reassure her client when settling her into her cubicle and knocks at the door before re-entering.

4. Fittings & equipment

Now we are getting to the heart of the massage experience. Obviously a spacious, multi-functional, soundproofed cubicle that has been well decorated adds much more value to the treatment than a 2 x 3m cell, separated from the neighbouring cubicle by a curtain. And what can we say about the tables? The ideal table is high quality, large, comfortably padded, sturdy, with adjustable legs so that it can be set for a young girl of 1.6m / 50kg or a man of 1.9m / 100kg. If you are only going to invest in one thing in your establishment, it should be that. Because if your client feels uncomfortable during her massage, all of your efforts will be for naught. And that would be a great waste.

The same goes for the colours you choose. If you run a medi-spa, white is the obvious choice. But if you would like to create an atmosphere that is calm and relaxing but at the same time warm and inviting, aimed at restoring a sense of physical and mental balance, then forget immaculate, sterile walls and go for shades that will appeal to both men and women. Light salmon, terracotta, lavender blue… Be inspired by Nature’s palette.

Leave the sheets covering the massage table. Colour considerations aside, pay attention to texture. Remember that towelling – unless we are talking about rare exceptions – is quite rough. For maximum comfort, rather select flannel or cotton sheeting. And make sure that sheets are always fresh and fragrant: if they smell strongly of detergent or musty from being locked up in a linen cupboard, again you run the risk of detracting from the excellence of your treatments.

5. Stimulate the client’s five senses

Stretched out on the table, removed from her everyday life, your client begins to unwind… she looks like she is in seventh heaven. But all her senses are magnified by 40%. She is thus attuned to elements that she would not normally notice: for example, the scraping of a chair on the floor, the wobbling of a table, everything becomes amplified in a treatment cubicle. You should also ensure that she is not affronted the minute she leaves the treatment room. For example walking out of the relative darkness of a massage room straight into a brightly lit room can seem like an assault on the senses.

Here again, it is the attention to detail that makes the difference. Select relaxing music that suits the client’s taste… and the type of massage you intend to perform. Let’s face it, you wouldn’t try and do the waltz to a cha-cha beat! By the same token, a toning massage performed to new age music is not a good match. Ideally, each cubicle should be soundproofed with its own sound system. Some clients may even prefer to bring their own music with them… Even if their chosen melodies are not your cup of tea, it is your client who needs to feel better after the massage.

In the same way, the incense used during the course of the treatment is a delicate matter. In fact, odours communicate directly with the most primitive part of our brains, which governs natural instincts like hunger, disgust and anger. Furthermore, perfume awakens our olfactory memory, which is linked to whatever affected us. It is thus very difficult to predict how a certain person is going to respond to a certain smell because it is a completely subjective experience and everyone has their own personal interpretation of a particular scent. One person will associate the fragrance of essential oils with healing, while another thinks they smell like detergent. All of these reactions are, in fact, a reflection of that particular person’s olfactory memories and the events or people linked to certain smells in their past. So, to avoid a catastrophe, such as having your client dissolve into tears or become highly irritable, discuss the issue of fragrance with her before you start burning incense and lighting scented candles. Jeanne, a beauty therapist in Rouen, attests to the powerful nature of scent, “I started my career in a retirement home. All the little old ladies in the home used to wear lavender fragrance. To this day, when I smell lavender I start feeling depressed…” On a more practical note, your client may be allergic to certain essential or herbal oils. Either way, it is advisable to find our beforehand.

6. Unleash your client’s imagination

To properly prepare your client for receiving an exceptional massage… don’t skimp on the sales pitch. Just like in a fancy restaurant, “the prince of the seas drizzled in a golden, Southern dressing” sounds a lot better than mackerel in oil, doesn’t it? So, you do the same. Explain to your client in detail what you will be doing during her massage and she will appreciate it all the more. I don’t know about you but for me, the mere mention of a “four-hand spa ritual with jasmine oil” makes me start daydreaming. Encourage your client to arrive a little early and take a shower, or enjoy a hammam, if you have one on your premises, so that by the time she enters your cubicle, she will already have rid herself of some of her tensions.

7. Add the personal touch

To make sure that your massage is really an unforgettable experience, add a “little something” that is unique to you. Gather all your therapists together, do a fact-finding exercise and try to find out what your competitors are not doing.

Here are some random ideas,but bear in mind that this is not a finite list:

• dry body brushing with a soft-bristled brush before each massage.
• cool, damp cotton pads on the eyes
• hot towels soaked in essential oils
• paraffin wax applied to the hands and feet
• hot stones
• a heated table, or alternatively an infrared lamp underneath the table to warm the client
• a fresco painted or projected onto the ceiling to enhance the ‘journey’ that your client will be embarking on during the massage
• a foot washing ritual before each massage…

* We are confident that you will find many other little ways to perfect the massage experience you offer your clients. After all, isn’t beauty therapy all about the constant exercising of one’s creativity in the world of health and well-being?