The Low-Down on Pre-Tan Consultations & Why You Should Be Doing Them

Okay girl-fran, I know that when you think of building your spray tan business, it’s easy to focus on the logistics of providing a perfect spray tan during an appointment, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves! As a successful professional in the spray tan industry, it’s super important to consider ALL aspects of what makes the client experience amazing. That’s why, prior to starting your spray tan service, it’s always a great idea to block out at least 5 minutes to have a pre-tan consultation with your client before jumping right into transforming them into a bronze goddess.

Here are three reasons why I always recommend this process to inspiring and experienced spray tan artists to ensure that their clients know they are getting the best of the best service:

 Provides rapport

The dictionary describes rapport as being, “a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.”

With that being said, one important thing to know is that communication and relationship building are two essential parts of creating a successful business. Starting out the appointment with a friendly conversation allows your client to feel like their main goals and concerns going into the service are your top priority! Your clients are putting trust in you to change their appearance, which for some people, can feel very uncomfortable! Communicating your expertise at the beginning of the appointment develops trust between you and your client that will also inspire a higher level of confidence in themselves and you! 

 Helps ease first time clients

If you’ve been spray tanning for awhile, you may have realized that first time clients may seem more timid and concerned with what the results will be from the tan you give them. That’s totally normal! But as the professional, it’s your job to lead the appointment in a way that eases the client’s mind, helps them feel comfortable in a vulnerable situation and allows them to walk away from their appointment feeling confident in the service they invested in and ready to come back again. 

Secures your professional opinion

During your client’s 5 minute consultation you have the opportunity to learn about their tan goals… how dark they are wanting to be... what type of event they’re getting tanned for… what their lifestyle is like, etc. You can ask a lot of questions and receive a lot of information in 5 minutes. SO as the Boss Babe that we all know you are, it’s beneficial to use that information to figure out how to BEST serve them by offering them additional services or products that will help maintain or improve their investment with you while ALSO providing you additional profit from their appointment. Offering your client retail products you carry, or package options based on that individual’s specific needs, only helps to enhance their overall experience with you.

Another very important reason why you should always have a consultation before you start your appointment, is to find out if your client followed all of their pre-tan instructions, if they have currently have anything on their skin, and to make sure they don’t have any allergies that could potentially put them at risk for a reaction to an ingredient in the products you’re using.

If I have totally sold you on the importance of beginning your appointments with a consultation but you aren’t sure what questions to even ask, I’ve got you babe! Below, find a list of questions that I always recommend starting appointments with so that you can set yourself up for creating the best service to your clients.

• Is this your first spray tan?
• What did you like and dislike from your previous tanning experiences?
• Tell me about what you’re getting a spray tan for?
• How dark of a tan are you interested in getting?
• Do you have any concerns with getting a spray tan?
• Do you typically workout on a regular basis?

I hope this blog post was helpful for you! If you’re interested in getting more tips and tricks for your biz, check out out my podcast: Beauty Business Babes on iTunes or Spotify!

Xo,

Kelly