Today’s blog is all about the missing spa sales link: namely skin coaching revenue!

Why? Because, if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that relying on in-spa services for consistent revenue isn’t reliable… and that the spa industry needs a reliable source of income that can be drawn upon 24/7.

Between rotating COVID-related closures, staff callouts, and client cancellations, essential marketing, hiring, and growth plans throughout 2020 and 2021 had their proverbial butts kicked. That’s why, throughout much of my ongoing Spa Business Mastery podcast, I have dedicated a good share of time to discussing skin coaching (especially online!) and how, for many spas, it’s the “missing link” for achieving stable revenue.

If reading that makes you think to yourself, “Yes! I want to net thousands of dollars a month, even when my facility is closed or experiencing staff shortages” then let’s dive right into it:

The Beauty of Skin Coaching Revenue and Virtual Skin Consultations

So why is it that skin coaching revenue (and, more specifically, virtual skin consultations) is so viable?

Its long-term viability first started with many spas using COVID-19 closures as a pivot to invest in their eCommerce strategy in 2020— a revenue stream that spa owners have long pined over, but never before gotten around to building.

With this jump to digital offerings since becoming widespread, spa owners and clients alike became acclimatized to the thought of using the Internet as an integral part of buying and selling (beyond just simple products or ‘Contact Us’ forms!)... and, in turn, proved that it has staying power for both client outcomes and your career goals!

Why You Should Offer Skin Coaching and/or Virtual Skin Consultations as a Regular Ongoing Spa Service

Let me ask you this (especially you, solo spa owners!): if you’re fully booked in the treatment room, how is it that you’re planning on making more money?

Once you build up a clientele, adding more availability for treatments to an already-booked schedule simply isn’t feasible due to space limitations. That’s why online skin coaching and virtual skin consultations are a way to get more clients in without A) needing to go into your physical treatment room, and B) outside of your usual available hours.

If that already doesn’t convince you, here are more reasons why you should offer skin coaching and/or virtual skin consultations as a regular ongoing spa service:

• The overhead costs associated with providing in-person spa treatments are expensive, especially when you account for product, labour, admin, marketing, and the general operating expenses of your existing treatment lineup… and then multiply that by the amount of treatments you think you need to offer in order to smash your sales goals! Back when I was a spa owner, I would have immediately leapt at the opportunity to add services that didn’t require breaking the bank.

• Building a spa biz that focuses on providing hands-on services is mentally, physically, and financially draining, especially when we consider the on-again, off-again availability of even being able to offer those services due to COVID! Because we are working in an industry with an already-high burnout rate, fully-booked skin therapists and spa owners will witness both a high staff turnover rate and, in some cases, poor performance from themselves if they continue to burn the candle on both ends by prioritizing in-spa treatments. Digital offerings like virtual skin consults and online skin therapy can offer a much-needed reprieve from the treatment room.

• Last but certainly not least, the retail sales potential associated with virtual skin consultations and online skin therapy allows you to increase your earning potential exponentially (and doesn’t have time or space restrictions like in-person services do.) For example, you could earn $150 for a 60-minute facial or $150 in retail in a 15-minute virtual skin consultation done from the comfort of your home office.

Make This Year Your Most Profitable Yet With Online Skin Therapy and Virtual Skin Consultations

I have been in the spa industry for thirty years as a spa owner and spa business coach, respectively. Despite having loved providing treatments back when I operated my own treatment room, the fact of the matter is that the only way to scale spa business revenue quickly in 2022 and beyond is to focus on selling retail, specifically via online skin therapy and virtual skin consultations.

Case in point: a solo skin therapy client of mine based out of California made $88k in 2020 despite being closed more than she was open due to COVID-19 mandates!

How? You guessed it: virtual skin consultations and virtual skin parties, both of which generated astonishing amounts of retail sales.

As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” While COVID-19 was the proverbial kick in the pants many skin therapy and spa businesses needed to begin offering skin coaching and general eCommerce, those businesses have now seen firsthand the incredible benefits of maintaining these services even when hands-on treatments are available.

Not sure where to get started with online skin therapy and virtual skin consultations? Simplify your start with the Virtual Skin Consultation Toolkit, which includes:

• Scripts and protocols
• Recommended technology for all experience levels
• Done-for-you email sequences
• Video tutorials
• Downloadable documents for easy reference
• Form templates to get you up and running same-day

...All with a 100% money-back guarantee!