Service Menu Management-Are You Managing Your Menu?

By Lori Vargas, MBA, Founder of 360 Wellness Education

The ability to promote your business is critical to success and the service menu is the most powerful sales and marketing tool. A service menu at its most basic lists the services offered with a description, price, and service duration. But the service menu is so much more. The service menu is the foundation to a business and integrates with numerous operational activities and should be managed through service menu management.

Service menu management has oversight over the following activities:

Translates Vision & Mission Statements
 
Translates Brand Concept
Equipment and Product Selections

Staffing & Training

Pricing Strategy

Retail Offering & Homecare Advising
Budgeting

Top of Mind Marketing

Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Tool

Vision & Mission Statement Translation

The service menu translates the vision and mission statement explaining “the why” behind the business. The why could be inspiration or motivation of starting the business. Clients are so interested in understanding “the story” of the business. The shift of business evaluation and patronage is built on aligning with the business and owner's philosophies. Share your story while being authentic.

 

Brand Concept Translation

The menu translates your brand concept which encourages a continuity of the brand though all actions and interfaces. Branding creates accountability and commitment by letting the public know what the business promise is. This commitment needs to have follow-through in all actions and presentations of the business. The service menu establishes an expectation of what a client will experience, that expectation needs to be met or exceeded. The ability to consistently deliver the service is equally important as well as creating unique offerings to create a point of difference.

 

Equipment & Product Selections

The services offered dictate purchasing decisions from equipment, products, supplies, and room accommodations. It is important that service development is made in tandem with selecting the supporting elements. I strongly recommend that you have a strong understanding of what the services are before making any purchases. For example, if you are going to offer microdermabrasion treatments, you will need to evaluate the features of the equipment, room space to house the equipment, and products to support the treatment.

 

Staffing & Training

Service offerings will influence staffing and training because you will need to ensure that the staff has appropriate training and that the services are within their scope of practice. The importance of hiring a team that has the training or is capable of being trained is your business. Staff need to consistently and with confidence deliver each service as described.

 

Pricing Strategy
Pricing strategy is a critical component of any business plan. It is the process of determining how much to charge for your products or services in order to achieve your desired financial and non-financial goals. It is important to evaluate the competition, direct and indirect costs, strategy, and philosophies.

 

Retail Offering & Homecare Advising
The selection of products becomes a critical decision because the products need to support the services but also need to align with the vision and mission of the business. I highly recommend integrating products that you can sell through. Sell-through means that a client experiences the product within the treatment and can purchase in the retail area, when possible, for convenience. Homecare advising is critical for providing client-centric service. Clients expect advice on how to maintain and support their services so provide them with recommendations.

 

Budgeting
The financial viability of a business is represented within a financial budget. The budget will show revenue streams which are the sales of services at the service price. Expenses are directly related to performing the service and indirectly to supporting the business operations. It is important to have a deep understanding of how money flows.

 

Top of Mind Marketing
The importance of remaining relevant and at the top of the minds of your clients is critical, especially with so many service options and competition. The ability to consistently deliver a result-oriented service by a highly trained practitioner will provide a strong foundation for success. The ability to have an understandable brand will allow clients to be champions and promote your business via word of mouth.

Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Tool
The service menu is the most powerful sales and marketing tool that needs to be managed and reviewed on a continual basis. I recommend that services are spot checked with “blind shoppers” to ensure delivery aligns with descriptions. Use placement of services on the menu strategically, place services that you want high sales from near the top. Have the menu easily accessible online and within the business.

Menu Management Foundation Training

Earn 2 CEUs with this guide to managing your business with menu engineering, pricing strategy, financial review, and target methods

How to Maximize Earning Potential: Power of You!

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Client-Centric 6-Factor Method

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About the Author

Lori Vargas, founder of 360 Wellness Education, has over 20 years in the spa industry as a founder of multiple spas, a massage school, and as a spa consultant. She also has 14 years of experience guiding Fortune 500 Companies with corporate strategies and business development. Lori holds a CPA and MBA from the University of Chicago.

To complement her online 360 Wellness Education courses, Lori has created an educational community focused on connections and growth through 360 Wellness Education CORE Membership. This membership provides easy access to affordable on-demand advanced education, live webinars (sip & learn style), Facebook private group, newsletters, and live events. Follow on Instagram at @360WellnessEducation.

In addition to CORE Membership and her other online courses, Lori offers 360 Business Workshops. This live webinar series focuses on business start-up and development, sharing valuable insight, advice, and templates to jumpstart business growth and maximize success.

Universal Companies is proud to have a team of experienced spa advisors on staff and welcomes you to consult with our professionals about spa products and supplies, including ingredients, equipment, and retail. Dedicated to the success of spa professionals everywhere, we're grateful to be recognized with multiple industry awards (thank you!) and proud to support the spa industry through mentorship and sponsorship.

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