Mary’s Musings
illustration of man holding scale that's balancing money and grooming supplies above his head with 'Overcoming' typography floating above
Your upselling fears for increased profits
by Mary Oquendo
In a perfect world, all grooming shops would offer inclusive services, starting with telling the client what services their pet needs, how much the services will cost and having them sign an estimate. However, inclusive services are not every salon’s business model—and those salons may be leaving an extra 30% of income and 10-15% of growth on the table.

Imagine making more money without the marketing and acquisition costs of new clients. One easy way to do this is to successfully upsell your add-on services and products. But how many of you are uncomfortable upselling because you don’t know how to convey the benefits to the owner or feel like you’re nickel-and-diming them? Or maybe you’re an introvert and prefer to keep your exchanges with clients short? Or perhaps there is no incentive for you to make upsells if you’re not the one garnering any of the profit?

Convey the Benefits

Selling a brush and comb you know the pet owner is not going to use versus a comb and brush with a 15-minute tutorial on how to use said comb and brush are two totally different things. When you educate the owner that using proper techniques with good-quality equipment will keep their pet in better condition and make grooming less stressful for the pet, while simultaneously keeping their home cleaner, it can be an easy sell.

When it comes to add-on services, such as soaks and masks, the groomer should be adequately trained and comfortable with their skills to advise the owner on the benefits for their pet. Otherwise, your clients may just think you truly are trying to nickel-and-dime them, which leads us to our next common hurdle in making upsells…

Justify Your Costs
Some groomers are afraid that all their clients will see is that their grooming bill went from $50 to $85. Certain extra services, such as de-matting, are easier to sell; however, there is often controversy about de-shedding charges. Clarity around pricing for how much de-shedding is included in a basic bath versus pricing for a full de-shed, along with why a client would opt for either, is essential. This goes back to conveying the benefits of your services. You should have a good, justifiable answer when a client asks why they would spend more with you.
Use Your Voice
Many groomers identify as introverts and don’t have the bandwidth to discuss options with owners. However, generally speaking, owners need to be aware of their options. And it doesn’t matter if you post your extra services on walls and counters, printed lists don’t relay the value in the same way and are easy to ignore.

What if you had custom carbonless estimates listing all your services and costs? During check-in, as you thoroughly go over the pet, you can explain your service options to the owner and check off what they need. The owners would also see all the options that are available to them and at what cost.

Successful upselling begins with offering services and products in which you believe in.

My favorite line item on such an estimate is collar washing. For a nominal charge, you could wash the collar while the pet is in the tub. This way, they don’t go home with a stinky collar. Or you could offer a discount to buy a new collar at the time of grooming only, if you sell them in your retail area.

Share the Profits

This comes down to money. If an upsell makes the groomer no extra money, why should they bother? Fair compensation starts with understanding what the upsell costs you in product and wages, and then you can figure out what is fair and motivating for the groomer to make you more money.

Successful upselling begins with offering services and products in which you believe in and training groomers who can effectively communicate the benefits to clients. You might discover that successful upselling results in all-inclusive pricing, which, in turn, will streamline your business.

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