You already know what your clients need: the deep conditioning treatment, the retail product that would actually fix their problem at home, the follow-up booking they’ll forget to make. The hard part isn’t knowing. It’s saying it out loud without feeling like you’re selling.
Recommending the right treatment or product isn’t pushing. It’s doing your job well. The salon owners who consistently grow their revenue per client aren’t doing anything complicated. They’re asking better questions, making suggestions at the right moment, and building habits into every booking that make spending more feel like a natural part of the visit.
What upselling actually means (and why it’s not a dirty word)
Upselling means recommending a higher-value version of what a client has already booked. That could be adding a deep-conditioning mask to a cut, or upgrading a standard facial to one with LED therapy. Cross-selling is slightly different: suggesting something complementary, like brow shaping alongside a colour appointment. Both work best when they come from a genuine understanding of what the client wants to achieve.
The distinction matters less than the principle behind it. If your recommendation makes the client’s result better, it’s good advice. If it doesn’t, it’s a sales pitch, and clients can tell the difference instantly.
Why it matters for your bottom line
Increasing what each client spends per visit is significantly cheaper than acquiring new clients. A small uplift in how much you make from each client across your calendar adds up fast, and it doesn’t require longer hours or more bookings. It requires better conversations.
Beyond revenue, there’s a loyalty benefit. Clients who feel their stylist genuinely understands their needs, and proactively suggests things that help, come back more often and are less likely to shop around. Your team becomes trusted advisers, not just service providers.
Start with questions, not recommendations
This is the single most important shift you can make. Before recommending anything, ask. What are they hoping to achieve long-term with their hair or skin? What are they doing at home at the moment? What’s coming up: a wedding, a holiday, a big event?
Argjela Mani, Head of Aftersales BNL at Treatwell, has spent four years working with salon partners and sees this pattern constantly: “You need to really understand the customer in front of you in order to tailor what you’re recommending. Ask as many questions as possible first. It makes the whole thing feel natural because you’re genuinely making suggestions after understanding who they are and what their needs are.”
This applies to retail too. A stylist who asks about a client’s hair routine during the treatment and then recommends a specific product based on what they’ve heard doesn’t feel pushy. They feel helpful. That’s the difference between “Would you like to buy this?” and “Based on what you’ve told me, this would help.”
Argjela also points out that repetition matters when it comes to visibility: “Studies show that customers need to see an ad seven times before making a decision to buy, so you do really need to put your business out there.” Keep that in mind when you’re planning how often to communicate with your client base. One email isn’t enough.
Encourage your team to share what they actually use
Nothing sells a hair mask like “I use this one and it saved my colour-damaged ends.” When your team has genuine experience with a product, clients pick up on that enthusiasm. Build product knowledge into your regular team catch-ups, not as a formal training programme, but as a conversation about what’s working and what isn’t.
If your team doesn’t know the products well enough to talk about them naturally, that’s your starting point. Get them trying things, talking about them with each other, and the client conversations will follow.
Read the room
Not every client wants a recommendation, and not every moment is right for one. Watch for cues: if a client is asking questions, leaning in, or commenting on a product, that’s your opening. If they’re checking their phone, giving short answers, or clearly in a rush, scale back.
The best upselling happens when it feels like part of the conversation, not an interruption. With a bit of practice, your team will find the balance quickly.
The sale starts before they sit in your chair
Here’s something most salon owners don’t think about: your menu is your first sales conversation. If it’s confusing, cluttered, or unclear about what clients are actually getting for their money, you’re losing bookings before anyone walks through the door.
Argjela puts this bluntly: “I’d encourage every business owner to try to book a treatment at their own venue and think about how easy or difficult it is. Is the layout of your menu clear? Are the treatments clear in terms of what the client can expect in exchange for what they’re paying? The sale starts before you can even speak to them.”
A shorter, more curated menu feels more intentional and is easier to navigate. Use Connect to review which treatments are actually getting booked and which have gone quiet. You can check this in your reports. Don’t be afraid to retire underperformers. You can always bring them back if demand returns.
Structure your menu to encourage upgrades
A “good, better, best” tiered structure works well. If you offer a standard cut and a premium cut with a conditioning treatment included, clients can see the difference and choose what suits them. Present the premium option first so it becomes the reference point, not the upsell.
You can use Connect’s pricing tiers to differentiate rates by team member experience too. A junior stylist and a senior colourist offering the same treatment at the same price confuses clients and undervalues your most experienced team. Set your tiers so the pricing makes sense at a glance.
You can feature up to five treatments at the top of your Treatwell profile. These are the first things clients see. Choose them strategically. If you’ve got a high-margin add-on or a seasonal treatment you want to push, give it that visibility.
Make rebooking a habit, not an afterthought
The single easiest revenue habit you can build into your salon? Booking the next treatment before the client leaves. It sounds obvious, but Argjela says it’s the thing most professionals forget: “Book the next treatment then and there. You can even set up repeat bookings via the appointment in your calendar.”
In Connect, once you check out a client, you’ll see a button to plan the next booking immediately. Make this part of your checkout process every single time. It takes seconds, it locks in future revenue, and clients appreciate not having to remember to rebook themselves.
If a client’s preferred slot is already taken, switch on the waiting list in Connect: go to Settings > Online bookings and activate it. When a cancellation opens up a slot, you can contact them directly or book them in yourself. It’s a quiet revenue saver that fills gaps without you needing to chase.
Use retail to extend the treatment (not just the bill)
Retail product sales are a natural extension of good upselling, if the conversation during the treatment has been right. A client who’s just told you about their dry ends and then watched you use a specific mask on their hair is already primed. The recommendation flows from the treatment itself.
Use Connect’s Products section to keep your stock organised and tracked. You can add a product to the checkout after a booking, so it appears on the same invoice. Simple for you, simple for the client. Connect also notifies you when stock is running low, so you’re never caught out mid-recommendation.
The layout of your retail area matters too. Products placed at eye level near reception get more attention than anything tucked on a back shelf. Travel sizes near the till work well for impulse decisions. Rotate seasonal displays to keep things fresh: if the same products sit in the same spot for months, clients stop noticing them.
Let your team demo during the treatment
The most natural retail conversation happens while you’re already using the product. “I’m using this on you now. Feel the difference? If you want to keep this up at home, this is the one.” That’s not a pitch. That’s practical advice from someone who just demonstrated it.
Pair treatments your clients didn’t know they wanted
Upselling upgrades what a client has already booked. Cross-selling adds something complementary they hadn’t considered. A brow shape alongside a colour appointment. A scalp treatment added to a cut. A hand massage during processing time. The value isn’t in the extra spend alone. It’s in the fact that the client leaves feeling like they got more than they came in for.
The key is relevance. A cross-sell that makes sense for the treatment they’re already having feels thoughtful. One that doesn’t feels like you’re reading from a script. Train your team to think in pairs: what naturally complements the booking in the calendar? Colour clients benefit from a gloss or bond treatment. Facial clients are open to a brow tidy. Massage clients often welcome a scalp or hand add-on.
Build it into your menu structure
If cross-sells are buried in a long menu, clients won’t find them on their own and your team won’t remember to mention them. Group complementary treatments together in Connect so they’re visible at the point of booking. You can also create packages that bundle a core treatment with a popular add-on at a slight discount. This makes the cross-sell feel like a deal rather than an extra cost.
Seasonal bundles work particularly well here. A “Summer Colour Refresh” package that includes a toner, treatment, and blowdry gives clients a reason to spend more while feeling like they’re getting a curated experience. Refresh these quarterly so repeat clients see something new each time.
Use Connect to spot cross-selling patterns
Your reports in Connect can show you which treatments are frequently booked together. If clients who book a cut often add a conditioning treatment, that’s a pattern worth formalising. Feature that combination as a package, and prompt your team to suggest it during the appointment. Data takes the guesswork out of what to pair.
Fill the quiet days
Every salon has slow patches. The Tuesday afternoon, the mid-January lull. Rather than accepting empty slots, use them strategically.
Argjela’s advice is straightforward: “Get to know your loyal customers and when they are often available, and book them during those slow hours when possible.” A personal nudge to the right client at the right time fills gaps better than any blanket discount.
That said, off-peak discounts through the marketplace can work well too. Treatwell has visitors searching for availability throughout the day, and a discounted slot that would otherwise sit empty is better than no booking at all. It’s also a chance to impress a new client with your work.
You can set up recurring communications in the Marketing section of Connect to stay in touch with your client base, whether that’s email, SMS, or a mix. Every touchpoint keeps your salon front of mind, especially during slower periods.
Get your clients onto the app
This is one of those small things that compounds over time. Clients who use the Treatwell app get a push notification to leave a review as soon as their booking time ends. If they don’t have the app, they get an email 48 hours later. The sooner the prompt lands, the more likely they are to act on it.
Argjela recommends telling your clients when to look out for the review notification: “Most clients are happy to support local businesses. Just ask. You don’t need a script.” Reviews build your visibility on the marketplace, and more visibility means more new clients finding you.
Treatwell Rewards also incentivises clients to book via the app, attend their bookings, and leave reviews. They earn points for all of it. Clients can manage their bookings directly through the app too, which reduces your admin. And they get warnings if they try to cancel or reschedule outside of your booking policies.
Turn your booking widget into a sales tool
The booking widget is one of Connect’s most valuable features. Bookings through your widget are always commission-free because they come through your direct channels. Go to Settings > Online booking in Connect to grab your widget link.
The obvious use is embedding it on your website. But Argjela suggests going further: add the widget link to your Instagram FAQs to reduce DMs, set it up as an auto-reply on WhatsApp for Business, and print QR codes on business cards or leaflets. If you’re a massage therapist, take a leaflet with a QR code to your local gym. If you’re a nail technician, leave one at a nearby bridal shop. Every link back to your booking page is a potential client.
Track what’s working
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Use Connect’s reports to track average booking value, which treatments are being booked, and how your team is performing individually. If you’ve introduced add-ons or started pushing retail harder, check whether it’s showing up in the numbers after a few weeks.
Look at your retail-to-service ratio: are product recommendations actually converting? Check which team members are consistently seeing higher booking values. That’s useful information. You can pair them with newer team members, or dig into what they’re doing differently.
The point isn’t to create a dashboard and obsess over it daily. It’s to check in regularly, spot what’s moving, and double down on what works.
Common upselling mistakes to avoid
A few things that trip salon owners up repeatedly: recommending too many things at once (three targeted suggestions beat seven generic ones), pushing add-ons that don’t relate to what the client came in for, and not giving your team the product knowledge they need to speak confidently. If your team can’t explain why a treatment or product is worth it in one or two sentences, they won’t recommend it.
The other big one is forgetting to track. If you’re not using Connect’s reports to see which add-ons are actually selling and which treatments are driving repeat bookings, you’re guessing.
Every booking is a conversation waiting to happen. Log into Connect, pair your best treatments, and let your team do what they do best: recommend the right thing at the right time.
FAQs
What does upselling in a salon actually involve?
Recommending a higher-value treatment or a helpful add-on that improves the client’s result. Think: a scalp treatment with a cut, LED therapy with a facial. It’s advice, not a hard sell.
How can my team upsell without feeling awkward?
Product knowledge and practice. Once your team genuinely understands what they’re recommending and sees clients respond well, the awkwardness fades. Argjela’s advice: ask questions first, recommend second. It stops feeling like selling when it starts feeling like helping.
What’s the most effective moment to suggest an add-on?
During the treatment, when you can show the need in real time. “Your scalp’s quite tense, fancy a massage?” works better than a suggestion at checkout when they’re already reaching for their coat.
How do bundles and packages help?
They pair treatments at a slight discount, encourage higher spend, and introduce clients to things they wouldn’t have booked on their own. They also simplify the decision. One package is easier to say yes to than three separate add-ons.
What’s the difference between upselling and cross-selling?
Upselling upgrades what a client has already booked, like adding a conditioning treatment to a cut. Cross-selling suggests something complementary they hadn’t considered, like a brow shape alongside a colour appointment. Both increase average booking value, but cross-selling is especially useful for introducing clients to treatments they might not have discovered on their own.
How often should I review what’s working?
At least monthly. Check your reports in Connect, look at average booking values and add-on rates, and talk to your team about what they’re hearing from clients. Adjust as you go.
How do I fill quiet periods in my calendar?
A combination of personal outreach to loyal clients, off-peak discounts on the marketplace, and consistent communication through Connect’s marketing tools. Every empty slot is lost revenue. Even a discounted booking beats a no-show.
How do I get my team to sell retail products more confidently?
Start with product knowledge: let them try the products themselves and talk about them in team catch-ups. The best retail recommendations happen mid-treatment, when the stylist is already using the product on the client’s hair. If the team can feel and see the result in real time, recommending it at checkout feels like a natural next step, not a sales pitch.
What’s a realistic upsell target for a salon?
There’s no single benchmark, but a good starting point is tracking how much you make from each client and aiming for a steady increase month on month. Focus on one add-on or retail recommendation per client rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. Small, consistent improvements across the team add up faster than big one-off pushes.
