Success in retail comes naturally to some, and proves elusive to others. Is it just a matter of having the right touch? Or does it depend on your support system? Maybe it’s your clients. Or maybe it’s none of the above.

Two retail superstars shared their success stories with us, revealing authenticity and consistency go a long way in reaching your retail goals.

Greg Carter, a long-time stylist at Venue Salon in Lakeland, Florida, sold $34k in retail in 2021, with an average retail ticket per client of $37.30. Deyanira Butera, owner and stylist at DeSanti Salon in Indian Rocks, Florida, sold close to $40k in retail in 2021 and is on track to do the same or more in 2022, with $15k in retail sales in the first three months of the year.

Here, Carter and Butera spill the secrets to their success. 

Do a Complete Consultation

Butera and Carter agree the consultation conversation should include at-home care—every time.

“I ask how everything is working for them and if they are liking the way their hair is feeling,” Carter says. “Maybe they need more conditioning or a different styling product—I get to the bottom of it during the consultation.” 

For new clients, Carter asks what they do and don’t like about their hair, and makes his own observations.

“I explain the products we’ll need to use to achieve a different style, and always bring the bottles out for the client to see and touch.” 

Butera also focuses on the client’s likes and dislikes during the consultation, and if the client has photos, she asks what they like about the hair in the photo, too.

“I talk about how we can improve on what they already have—how we can make their hair more healthy, beautiful or shiny,” she says. “And that always involves products. I explain what I’m using to add moisture or shine or whatever they need. Most of my conversation throughout the whole appointment is about how to maintain the style.” 

Personalize the Products

Once a thorough consultation is complete, both Carter and Butera keep the conversation focused on their clients’ hair. 

If Carter notices his guest’s hair is dry, he asks if she’s masqueing at home and recommends the right masque to increase the client’s hydration level.

“Hair changes,” he says. “And when it does, the product needs to be changed, too.” 

Weather, age, and hormonal changes all affect hair. Recommending different products based on these factors shows the client you’re paying attention to her specific needs and tailoring your recommendation to her. 

Butera says she often emulsifies a few products together before applying them to hair, and lets her clients know exactly what she’s doing.

 “And of course, I’ll also recommend a Nutriplenish shampoo/conditioner and leave-in conditioner. Most people always purchase a leave-in to prevent breakage when they are brushing their hair.” 

Offer Your Expertise

Staying on top of product education is a priority for Carter and Butera so they can properly educate their guests.

“Talking to clients about the features and benefits of products is a narrative, not a sale,” he says. “I talk about what the product does and why it’s beneficial to the client’s hair for that purpose. I give them specifics, personalize it.”

Carter is very aware of his clients’ purchasing power—especially online. But his unique position as an expert on his clients’ hair gives him a huge advantage over any website.

“I can tell them what’s best for their hair because I’ve touched it, worked with it, and know how it feels—they can’t get that online,” he says.

He emphasizes, “All stylists have this power—you just have to utilize it. Get out of your clients’ pocketbooks. You’re not selling, you’re recommending. If a guest tells me she can’t afford a liter of Nutriplenish, I show her Shampure or a different size bottle.” 

Sometimes, Carter even snaps a photo of all the products he has used that day so the client has it for future purchases. 

“I’ll tell them, ‘This is what I used today—come back and grab products as you need them.’” 

Some of his savvy clients even forward the photo to husbands or children as gift ideas. 

Butera says educating her client on products happens the entire appointment.

“When I shampoo, I talk about shampoo, conditioner, masques,” she says. “And when I cut, I start talking about leave-in conditioner or what I’m putting in to blow dry. I’ll explain how/why they have to apply it before blow drying at home.”  

Keeping the conversation revolving around the guest’s hair also shows her how much knowledge you have. 

“You’ll feel better about how you’re doing your job and people will respect you more,” Butera says. 

Upgrade & Upsell

Butera firmly believes in upselling her guests so they walk out of the salon feeling their best. 

“It’s part of the consultation,” she says. “If we’re doing a gray coverage, I will let them know they’d benefit from a gloss or adding some highlights or a Botanical Repair treatment.” 

In fact, every client who books a root touch-up usually gets something extra.

“It’s part of making them look better,” Butera says. “They aren’t going to ask for these upgrades because they don’t know—it’s our job to educate them on what’s best for their hair.”

Butera has another strategy for upselling that revolves around Aveda’s signature scents. 

“Sometimes we have guests who pick up a product and want to buy it because of the aroma,” she says. “But maybe the shampoo isn’t right for their hair. So I’ll sell them a candle or different product with the same scent, then recommend another shampoo that will benefit them more.”

And if a male client reveals he has someone special in his life, Butera recommends he upgrades his shower staples to Aveda so he can look and feel his best. She also suggests giving his significant other a candle.

“I once sold a client a complete line of products for him—including a body scrub—and a candle for his girlfriend,” she says.

Carter focuses on value when he makes product recommendations to his guests. 

“I recommend the Botanical Repair treatment in salon, then the whole system to take home—including liter-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner,” he says. 

“The value is so much better when you buy a liter and look at the cost per ounce,” Carter says. “I’ve been telling my clients this for years. And it’s also better for the environment.”

When liter sales roll around, Carter gives his clients the heads-up. “Even better when they can tag a 20-percent-off sale onto it.”  

In Florida, all Carter’s clients have one thing in common: battling humidity. 

“I always recommend Smooth Infusion to combat humidity and sometimes mix it up with Nutriplenish shampoo and conditioner,” he says. 

Butera says above all, to be confident in your recommendations. 

“I was so shy when I first started as a stylist,” she says. “I wasn’t confident, but I was friendly. And I found my clients loved and respected me, which made me realize I could do more.”