The Making of an Esthetician

Tonight before we have theory, there is a guest speaker. She’s a product rep from one of the beauty supply stores, and she’s here to talk about how to become a successful esthetician. She talks about preparing for your client and knowing why they are there; questions to ask; knowing the products from the features to the benefits; and how to bring it all together at the end. It was really interesting. I find the retail end a little awkward, and I’m working on being more comfortable talking about the products and how beneficial they would be to their daily home-care routine.

We went over two short chapters tonight, and one had to do with advanced home-care and retail. It went into more detail about how we shouldn’t let the price of the products affect us when talking about them and trying to sell them. How we really need to talk about the benefits of purchasing the products for home care and that the closer they follow their in-salon treatment at home, the more effective the results will be–that it is our professional responsibility and we must have a complete understanding of the product, why it exists, the technology behind it and how it relates to the professional treatment.

How do you get to know an entire skin care line if you’ve never used some of the products? I can read about them, but if I’ve never used them and haven’t seen the results first-hand, how can I talk about them with confidence and explain the differences between one moisturizer versus another?

1. Vera Gaines, Owner/Esthetician - SKINFIT
   May 5th, 2008 at 6:47 am

   Product knowledge is key because the more your know about the product the better you can recommend it to others. Retail is a big % of my skin care business. 60% comes from retailing skin care products and mineral cosmetics. Find a few brands that meets your specifications and give them a try to see which one you like best. Most companies offer training on their products and have excellent manuals to give you the key points on each product. Remember that you aren’t really selling, but rather recommending products that will improve their skin. Let your clients know what they need and why and how it will benefit them. I always assume they will purchase what I recommend. Don’t worry about the price. Be confident and honest with them and they will become your client for life.

2. Sandra
   May 5th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

   Vera: I do need to look at it differently and I’ve been trying to talk about the products with more confidence. I do use some of the products we use at the school for my own personal use so it does make it easier for me to talk about them. And I always try to remember to give my client some samples so that they can try them out at home. I like what you said, that I’m “recommending” and not “selling”. That definitely makes it more comfortable. Thanks so much!