Yes, I know that sounds crazy. I mean after all, you have a business to make money right? True, you do need to make money to survive over the long term but money is not the corner stone of business: people are.
Last night I set up my little shop at the Farmers Market in Los Altos. In my planning for the market, I was excited as this is always a good market for me. The customers are wonderful and I do pretty good in sales. Well, sometimes what we plan to happen doesn’t manifest itself in the way we think we want it to at the time. I was very pleased with all of the visitors coming by to see and sample products. I remember thinking of how the number of people coming in was even a little more than what I had before, so this is a good sign. The customer traffic was very good.
We had great conversations about what is a butter and what is a lotion. We chatted about different carrier oils and the ones I use. We talked about different skin issues and scent blends. As the night progressed I noticed something peculiar, I hadn’t sold one item! Not even a bath bomb or a tub tea (great for using with your clothes in the dryer). All these conversations and all the wonderful positive comments from the visitors about the product quality, scent, look, and feel; still no sale. Oh dear!
I began to worry that I had done something wrong. Of course I began to wonder all kinds of things. Some were serious considerations and some very silly. Did my products have value to the shoppers? Was my packaging not attractive? Did the display not attract people? Is my hair wrong? Is it because I didn’t pluck my eyebrows? Of course I know from experience that my product does have value to the customers. They feedback to me all the time even though they may not have the time to rate the product on the website, they like to tell me in person. There is not an event that goes by when I don’t hear great reviews about my packaging. Of course the display is attractive to people as is evident by the number of visitors I get. I am certain the customers do not look that close to my eyebrows and as long as my hair is neat, I don’t think that matters much to them.
So why aren’t they buying? Well it is a simple answer. Because they don’t need soap or skin care products right now and they don’t need a gift at the moment. So rather than focus on the instant revenue, I focus instead on all of the things that will have them come back to shop when they are ready. Taking the time to listen to them and talk with them about their cares, concerns, and interests. Having genuine conversations with the people who come by to see me. Or simply being still while they enjoy the scents and the feel of the products they can try. Of course, it is equally important that I provide a good quality product that I am proud to stand behind.
By the end of the night I was able to make a couple of sales, some new customers and some returning ones. It was a rich event, not because of the money but because of the people I met, all of the great feedback they gave me, and the many interesting conversations we had.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
4 Simple Steps to More Vibrant Skin
It’s a fact of nature that time and the elements can cause your skin to lose it’s soft moisture and supple feel or that soft glow we had in our youth. In order to help fight the effects of time and the elements, we recommend the following 4 steps in skin care. Nothing will stop time, but you don’t have to go through life with dull tired skin!
Step 1: Use a body scrub. Using a body scrub can help to unclog pores, remove dead cells, stimulate the skin cells and leaves you feeling soft and your skin glowing. Scrubs will also make the skin ready to receive the added benefits of body butters, creams, and lotions. The most important thing to do when selecting a scrub for you is to read the label or ask the crafter/creator. A really nutritious scrub should contain natural ingredients and if any preservative is used (remember you use this in the shower), it should be paraben free. At Tres Spa, we have 4 different types of body scrubs each featuring a different combination of oils and exfoliate with different essential oil blends. A list of all of the ingredients is posted there as well as directions for use.
Step 2: Use a natural soap. Soap cleans your skin. Plain and simple. But not all soap is created equal. Of course you know I am going to recommend you use only natural handcrafted soap. I have good reason for this. The natural handcrafted soap is an amazing thing and so are the crafters who make them for you. Many of us take a great deal of pride in our craftsmanship and each batch is made and watched over very carefully at every step along the way. The Tres Spa soaps are made from all natural plant oils and scented using essential oils. Many crafters will also add additional exfoliates or texture items to the soap such as flower petal, ground oatmeal, tapioca pearls, etc… These additions give your bar an interesting feel and can further help to exfoliate or massage the skin. Many people have commented to me on how wonderful their skin feels after using our soap. You owe it to yourself to use a good natural handcrafted soap.
Step 3: Create a moisture barrier for your skin. Now that you have cleaned away all of the dead skin cells and dirt that may have clogged your pores and choked your skin, it is time to lay down a nice protective barrier between you and the elements and help lock in all of that moisture. This is where a good Body Butter, Skin Cream, or Lotion comes in to action. For my customers I recommend using a good body butter just after they shower and allowing the extra 10 minutes to let the skin drink it all in. This can give you a really good moisturizing that will last with you all day long. Some people do not like the feel of the butter as they are thicker than a cream or a lotion and take a little longer to absorb in. You can also use a cream or a lotion to help seal in the moisture but you may want to keep a travel size lotion for yourself during the day. Perfect for reapplying when you feel you may need it through the day.
Step 4: Have a soak! At least one time a week we recommend a nice soak in the tub. Not only is a good place to de-stress from the week, it’s good for you. We recommend a nice soak with rich bath salts containing minerals, or a milk bath with milk and honey, or an herbal steam, or a effervescing bath fizzy. Any of these will not only reward your nerves, your skin will thank you for it. We do not recommend soaking in a bubble bath and suggest you use only salts, herbs, or a milk bath. Personally, I like to take what I call a power bath. I combine more than one tub treat. For example, I’ll use a bath fizzy along with my Royal Silk Milk bath. Ahhhh! Wonderful.
Step 1: Use a body scrub. Using a body scrub can help to unclog pores, remove dead cells, stimulate the skin cells and leaves you feeling soft and your skin glowing. Scrubs will also make the skin ready to receive the added benefits of body butters, creams, and lotions. The most important thing to do when selecting a scrub for you is to read the label or ask the crafter/creator. A really nutritious scrub should contain natural ingredients and if any preservative is used (remember you use this in the shower), it should be paraben free. At Tres Spa, we have 4 different types of body scrubs each featuring a different combination of oils and exfoliate with different essential oil blends. A list of all of the ingredients is posted there as well as directions for use.
Step 2: Use a natural soap. Soap cleans your skin. Plain and simple. But not all soap is created equal. Of course you know I am going to recommend you use only natural handcrafted soap. I have good reason for this. The natural handcrafted soap is an amazing thing and so are the crafters who make them for you. Many of us take a great deal of pride in our craftsmanship and each batch is made and watched over very carefully at every step along the way. The Tres Spa soaps are made from all natural plant oils and scented using essential oils. Many crafters will also add additional exfoliates or texture items to the soap such as flower petal, ground oatmeal, tapioca pearls, etc… These additions give your bar an interesting feel and can further help to exfoliate or massage the skin. Many people have commented to me on how wonderful their skin feels after using our soap. You owe it to yourself to use a good natural handcrafted soap.
Step 3: Create a moisture barrier for your skin. Now that you have cleaned away all of the dead skin cells and dirt that may have clogged your pores and choked your skin, it is time to lay down a nice protective barrier between you and the elements and help lock in all of that moisture. This is where a good Body Butter, Skin Cream, or Lotion comes in to action. For my customers I recommend using a good body butter just after they shower and allowing the extra 10 minutes to let the skin drink it all in. This can give you a really good moisturizing that will last with you all day long. Some people do not like the feel of the butter as they are thicker than a cream or a lotion and take a little longer to absorb in. You can also use a cream or a lotion to help seal in the moisture but you may want to keep a travel size lotion for yourself during the day. Perfect for reapplying when you feel you may need it through the day.
Step 4: Have a soak! At least one time a week we recommend a nice soak in the tub. Not only is a good place to de-stress from the week, it’s good for you. We recommend a nice soak with rich bath salts containing minerals, or a milk bath with milk and honey, or an herbal steam, or a effervescing bath fizzy. Any of these will not only reward your nerves, your skin will thank you for it. We do not recommend soaking in a bubble bath and suggest you use only salts, herbs, or a milk bath. Personally, I like to take what I call a power bath. I combine more than one tub treat. For example, I’ll use a bath fizzy along with my Royal Silk Milk bath. Ahhhh! Wonderful.
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