By Alex R. Thiersch, JD, Founder/Director of the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa)

Increasing medical spa retail product sales can be one of the fastest ways to boost the profitability of your medical aesthetic practice.

Focusing on product sales can benefit your medical spa in a number of key ways, and according to the AmSpa 2017 Medical Spa State of the Industry Report retail products account for 18% of total revenue at the average medical spa. Once you'e decided that you want to make this a larger part of your business, where do you get started?

A Product to Fit Your Business

When choosing product you want to make sure that what you are bringing in not only fits in with the brand direction of your business, but also that the products match the services you offer since proper use of a skin care program can produce better treatment results for your patients. You don't necessarily have to stop at treatment products, however. A few on-brand retail pieces that don't require a recommendation to buy can help create a more full experience for your customers. Are you a luxury brand? A wellness brand? You might consider dedicating some shelf space to items that reinforce this message.

Tyranny of Choice

Though it's good to have some selection of product in your medical spa, offering too many options at the same level of product treatment can be a detriment. Too many choices that aren't differentiated can leave customers confused and less likely to purchase. Choosing a few lines that each have multiple levels of treatment will often serve you better.

As medical spa industry expert Bryan Durocher of Durocher Enterprises states, "While selection is important, sometimes it is better to go an inch wide and a mile deep."

Make Sense of Senses

Major retailers know that engaging customers through multiple senses can yield benefits in retail sales. Visually interesting displays combined with calming music, or scents that match the scents of some of your products provide subtle boosts for retail sales.

Small changes to the layout of your space can also make a difference. Do you keep the lion's share of your product behind a counter or in a locked case? This will impact your sales since people like to look at and hold things as they consider buying it. Does your retail area overlap with your waiting room? Think about separating them, because as Durocher states, "People that sit don't shop."

Your Team

Of all the possible points of improvement in retail sales you can possibly see in your business, training your team will give you the biggest benefit, bar none. When talking about retail sales Dori Soukup, of InSPAration Management says, "How can you expect to improve performance and achieve new results if the team is not held accountable for their actions or performance?"

She emphasizes concrete expectations, measureable goals, sales systems, and team coaching when setting up a business for retail success.

As Durocher states, "Have a defined client experience that incorporates retail products during the consultation, during service, and at the close of the visit."

It's also important to incentivize your team. While, in most states, you generally cannot pay staff commission for services in a medical spa because of fee splitting laws, you are generally allowed to pay percent commission on retail product sales.

Selling product is one of the keys to increased profitability in medical spas, and if you're looking to get into the industry it's a core principle you need to be familiar with.

For more information on ways to build and run a successful, profitable, and legally compliant medical spa attend one of AmSpa's Medical Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps and be the next med spa success story.