Nutrition for mind, body and spa

Guerilla Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When times are tough, businesses tend to cut costs where they are most expensive. Usually, this means marketing and advertising. What this eventually leads to is no marketing and advertising at all. This is a common mistake that most businesses make. Why is it a mistake? If you are not out there promoting and marketing your business, how will customers find you? Rather than stopping all marketing efforts, why not attempt Guerilla Marketing.

Guerrilla Marketing is defined as an unconventional system of promotions on a very low budget, by relying on time, energy and imagination instead of big marketing budgets. There are many guerrilla marketing techniques available. Finding the one that fits your business is the tough part.

Which guerilla tactic works for your spa business?

1. Demonstrations
Allowing new clients or even established ones an opportunity to see and experience what your spa has to offer will entice them to want more. Giving them a taste of the vast array of services you offer will give them a chance to try new things without much risk. Set up an evening of demonstrations at your spa and invite your clients for demonstrations.

2.Hold a Contest
Everyone loves the opportunity to win something. Try holding a monthly raffle drawing giving away a complimentary spa treatments. Join up with another local business and set up a ‘drop your business card’ bowl or give away raffle tickets based on money spent during visits. This will give your customers another reason to come in for regular treatments.

3. Put a new twist on old treatments
Take a look at the services your spa offers and put some twists on old treatments. Add a hint of anti-aging or other trends to the treatments you have to market a “new” type of treatments. Try incorporating internal wellness products to help enhance your external treatments.

4. If you have a web presence……
If you have a web site already in place, use it to draw your customers in. Create a website that is more than just your address and what you offer. Create an experience for your customers when they visit your website. Educate them on your treatments and why they are good for them. Provide incentives specifically for when they visit your website. Try providing an “e-coupon” for them to print and bring in for a discount.

5. Establish a referral incentive program
Having an effective referral program has two advantages: it provides an opportunity for existing customers to be part of your business and it brings new business for your spa. Start to keep track of customers who are referred and who referred them. Then give an incentive for the referee as the referral brings in more business.

Get to know the ‘good’ parts of red wine!

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When the “French Paradox” first aired on 60 Minutes back in 1991 it began opening the eyes of both consumers and researchers across the U.S. on the health benefits of red wine. So much, that red wine sales quadrupled. The “French Paradox” outlined how the French outlive Americans and suffer 40 percent fewer heart attacks despite their tendency to smoking and consume a diet rich in fat. What’s the secret? It boils down to wine, food and lifestyle.

What’s in the wine? Grape Seed Extract and Resveratrol
The interest in both Grape Seed Extract and Resveratrol originated from the “French Paradox” theory. Due to the way red wine is fermented, using both the grape’s skin and seeds, it increases the antioxidant activity in red wine versus white wine.

To put into perspective the antioxidant power of grape seed it has been found to be 20 times more powerful than vitamin E, and 50 times greater than vitamin C. Grape seed is an excellent free radical scavenger (scavenges molecules responsible for premature aging and disease), and even referred as the “secret anti aging vitamin”. Grape seed extract also strengthens the lining of the heart and blood vessels contributing to a healthy functioning heart.

Grapes also have a naturally occurring compound within the skin of the grape to help protect the plant from fungal infections, injury, stress and UV radiation. This powerful compound is called Resveratrol. It’s considered a part of the plant’s natural defense system, protecting the tissues from illness and disease. Resveratrol has shown to provide these same protective features on human cells and tissues, making its effect on human health a popular ingredient to supplement with.

Each of these ingredients can be obtained by drinking a glass of red wine or in concentrated doses without the alcohol by choosing a quality nutritional supplement. Sequence XO Spa Nutrition products such as Radiance Age Less Formula and Fusion Antioxidant Formula. To find out more on Sequence XO’s Spa Nutrition product line please visit our official website at: www.spanutrition.com.

Fusion Marketing – A strategy to grow your customer base and increase business

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As we face tougher economic times, using creative marketing strategies play a key role in business success. One of these strategies is Fusion marketing, which is the collaboration or aligning of businesses that have similar target markets but don’t compete against each other. Fusion marketing alliances can be powerful partners. Examples of these are: an estate planning attorney and a life insurance salesperson; a graphic designer and a printer; a real estate professional and a mortgage broker; a wedding photographer and a disc jockey.

As a spa owner, you may choose to partner with a local gym or fitness facility. Take a look at your neighboring businesses and determine if a health food store or restaurant is the right partner for you. Talk to your vendors, sometimes, the best partners are the ones you have been working with for years.

Incorporate your Fusion marketing strategy that fits you:

Coupon sharing with your partner
Developing a plan to trade discount coupons with your chosen partner can expand your customer base, ultimately increasing sales. Think of a reasonable incentive to give to prospects and create marketing material in the form of a coupon and trade them with your partner. To bring costs down, try an electronic version of the coupon on their website.

Joining Mailing lists with your partner
When you have decided on whom you will partner with for your fusion marketing strategies, you may choose to take advantage of their customer base as they will with yours. Setting up with a joint mailing strategy will introduce their customers to your business and vice versa. This strategy is an easy and effective way to increase your customer base.

Incentives to your corresponding resource partner
This process may be the most complicated, but could be the most lucrative for your business. Providing an incentive to your resource partner to push your product or services can bring your more customers and sales. Essentially, this process is like paying your partner a referral fee or commission for business they bring in for you or the other way around. The complication in this comes in the legal attributes that are associated with it referring to contracts and agreements. But, getting paid, will incentivize anyone to help expand your business.

Cosmeceuticals: ‘Beauty from within’ market grows in the US and UK

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The word ingestible cosmeceutical is a relatively new word, which describes an ingestible product that supports internal health and outward appearance via food, beverage or supplementation. The ‘beauty from within’ concept has been around for centuries, from ancient Egyptians to Asian and Indian cultures, held the believe that eating certain foods had a direct correlation with their outward appearance and their health. Today’s buying trends show that the consumers are well aware of the beauty from within concept. According to a the January 2008 report from Mintel stated that though Asia continues to be the main launch for cosmeceutical products, the latest market movements show that the UK and United States are catching up. “In fact, one in eight global cosmeceutical launches was made in the UK and United States in the past three months,” said the report.

Show me the money
The Mintel report stated the market for ingestible cosmeceuticals is on the rise. Though the overall cosmeceutical market is relatively small, Datamonitor reports that US market grew at a 15.7% between 2001 and 2006, and is predicted to reach a market value of $1.3 billion by 2011.

Who’s buying?
As the consumer interest in ingestible cosmeceuticals increases, as a business you want to know who is buying these products? For the most part, the baby boomer is the dominant market. However, the Gen-X consumer is realizing that the fountain of youth is shortly going to dry up for them.

According to the 2007 Trends Report from The Natural Marketing Institute found that men’s personal care is the fastest-growing segment in bath and body-care category. More and more men are realizing their health and appearance can enhance their success in many aspects of life. Men are primed for easy-to-use, multifunctional food and beverage products that address their health concerns as well as appearance.

Emerging Ingredient Trends
Ingredients such as acai, gogi, mangosteen, pomegranate, green tea and coenzyme Q10 are just a few of the notoriety popular ingredients in ingestible cosmeceuticals. These nutrients target an array of health conditions ranging from promoting heart health to immunity and anti-aging. Though clinical research is still fairly new these nutrients have shown very positive results for good health.

Keep an eye on:

Omega-3 – A great anti-inflammatory for joint and skin health
GABA – Gamma aminobutric acid helps nourish skin and is traditionally used for stress relief.
Botanicals – Botanical based cosmeceuticals can help detoxify, release stress, promote healthy heart function and help skin appear brighter.
Probiotics – An optimal functioning digestive tract can keep a healthy immune system as well as diminish the signs of aging.

Spa Nutrition: Functional Spa Beverages
When you think of spa nutrition, you may think of many different things. For Sequence XO, Spa Nutrition is approaching nutrition like a spa treatment. Take a quality nutritional supplement; add innovation, a little sexiness and luxury to it and you get the Spa Nutrition product line. By creating products that fit within the spa atmosphere, they help enhance the spa experience of your guest to achieve pure relaxation, beautiful skin and healthy aging.

Spa Nutrition Product Line

Radiance is our beauty and sun care beverage. Formulated with green tea, acai, gogi and mangosteen berry; plus vitamins A, C and E, and amino acids to help rejuvenate and protect the skin. (Radiance comes in a 16-oz powder jar. Just add one tablespoon to your favorite spa smoothie or simply shake it up in a water bottle for an instant facial).

Calm is our most relaxing energizing effervescent tea on the market. Formulated with Ashwanganda, a vitamin B-complex and a clinically tested milk protein to relax any spa goer. (Calm comes in a 8-oz jar. Just drop one effervescent tablet in either warm or cold water to re-energize your senses).

Fusion is our antioxidant solution for turning back time. Fusion combines the most innovative antioxidants on the market for great skin, healthy immune response and promotes energy and a healthy heart. It’s everything you need, everyday. (Fusion comes in a 60-tablet bottle. Just take two tablets daily with either your morning or afternoon meal).

What are your thoughts on the 'Beauty From Within' concept? How is your spa adapting? We want to hear from you. Please post your comments by clicking on the comments tab or you can email us at info@sequencexo.com. Live zenfully spalicious!

Spa-ing is estimated to be a $255 billion dollar economy

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:18:00 -0700

The spa concept once thought only for the pampering of the rich and famous has become a global phenomenon. According to the first-ever Global Spa Economy Report – the spa economy is estimated to be over $250 billion annually. The findings were unveiled at the 2008 Global Spa Summit in New York reporting the latest trends and numbers from 2007.

Beauty, nutrition and fitness increased the total revenues to $1 trillion
The spa industry brought in more than $60.3 billion in core spa industry revenues, such as spa facilities, capital investments, education, consulting, media, association, and events, plus another whopping $194 billion revenues in spa-related hospitality, tourism and real estate.

When broader spa-related industries such as beauty, nutrition, and fitness were factored in, the market exceeded $1 trillion. The global spa study from SRI International reports the spa sector is one of the first industries to organize at a global level and have a worldwide impact.

The study also split the total generated revenues by nation, the United States came on top with more than $12 billion, followed by Japan at $5.7 billion and Germany at $3.8 billion. The study included data from over 210 countries, ten times more than in previous reports.

To find more about the Global Spa Economy Report please visit Spa Trade at www.spatrade.com. Have any questions or comments please click on the comments tab below.

Dealing with Stress at the Work Place

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:01:00 -0700

Please visit www.sequencexo.com for more information

Job stress has become a common and costly problem in the workplace. According to a study, 40% of the American employees feel that their job is very stressful. As the issue of job related stress persist so will the employees work habits – ranging from extra sick days, decreased productivity, to even increased management problems. The cost of stress related problems to employers are estimated at about 150 billion dollars in the U.S. and 700 million pounds per year in the U.K.

Steps to relieve stress at work:

Step one: Practice non-attachment: Focus on the things you can change; distance yourself from those you can’t.

Step two: Cultivate an open mind and heart: Understand that you have strengths and weaknesses, and you will mistakes. When you do, take them as opportunities for learning, not a sign of incompetence or failure.

Step three: Balance realism and optimism: Distorting reality, either positively or negatively, can impede your ability to cope with change.

Step four: Develop confident humility: If the task is yours, act decisively; if it has been delegated to others, trust them to perform them task without interfering. This leaves both manager and staff to worry about what they are working on and not what the other person is doing.

Step five: Be constructive and impatient at the same time: Risk taking and urgency are important, but make sure staff feel safe when doing so by celebrating successes and dealing with failures constructively.

Have questions? Want to learn more about SXO's Spa Nutrition products? Please feel free to contact us via email at info@sequencexo.com or directly at (949) 608-7112.

Is your spa water aging your clients?

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

There are many different forms of water available for your drinking pleasure. It’s important to understand the benefits of each to ensure that you and your clients are drinking and topically using the right type of water for healthier skin and body. According to Dr. Dennis Gross, tap water contains heavy metals that can act as free radicals, which can destroy collagen. Even by washing your face with tap water can lead to impurities and heavy metals to cling to your skin, creating a breeding ground for damage to occur throughout the day.

What kind of water is best for you?

Ionized water
What is it?
Water treated with electrolysis to remove acidic particles, such as sodium, calcium, iron, copper, chloride and bromide. The water has been purified from most impurities except organic compounds.

Benefits:

Acts as a natural antioxidant
Helps with the body’s natural oxygen production
Stabilizes body’s acid/alkaline balance – balancing the body’s pH
The molecular structure of ionized water is smaller, which allows for easier passage into the cells and tissues
Used externally, ionized water is beneficial for healthy skin, hair and scalp

Distilled water
What is it?
Water that has been heated to a boiling point eliminating impurities from the water as it vaporizes. Through a distiller, the vapor water is then cooled to become pure liquid water while the impurities such as the metals, ions, minerals, and contaminants are disposed of.

Benefits:

Helps to flush out impurities from the body
Allows the proper “flushing” of the blood through the kidneys, not having to have to deal with other impurities found in un-distilled water.
No impurities, just pure H2O
Acts as a solvent in the body by dissolving nutrients so they can be assimilated by the cell
Collects “rejected” minerals and flushes them out as waste

Filtered water
What is it?
Water that has been filtered through a carbon based filter to remove chemical agents such as chlorine.

Benefits:

Ensures that only organic minerals are retained in the water
Helps to remove synthetic compounds, which turn into vapor at relatively low temperatures leading to toxins in the body if not removed

Have any comments or questions? Please email us

Complexion Boosters: Keep summer skin beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:01:00 -0700

Summer is well under way! It’s the time of year where we need to protect our skin from the damaging effects of UV exposure that can lead to wrinkles, photo-aging and even the beginning stages of skin cancer. In recent studies, researchers have found that an array of antioxidants can protect specific skin cells against UVA and UVB induced damage. Exposure to UV light accounts for 90 percent of the symptoms associated with premature skin aging, and most of the effects by age 20.

Keep your skin youthful from 20 to 60

Skin in your 20’s: Your skin tends to be more stable than in your teens, usually oiliness and spots will disappear. You really do not see any visible facial lines yet, but if you look closely you will notice your expression marks will start forming. Some men and women will still see some acne depending on hormonal changes and cravings.

Solution: Make sure your diet is full of antioxidants like lutein, gogi berry, mangosteen, tomatoes and blueberries to support sun protection and skin elasticity. Drink lots of water and avoid smoking.

Skin in your 30’s: This is definitely a decade where you will begin seeing any overexposure to smoke, alcohol, pollution and UV light on your skin, that occurred in your teens and 20’s. You will begin to notice visible fine lines around the eyes and mouth and your cellular repair process begins to slow, which leads to weakened collagen. Skin may look duller and darker and may take longer to recover from late nights or stress.

Solution: Spend a little more time on learning what is good for your body. Choose the types of foods that enhance your metabolism, energy and provide beautifying properties from within. Supplementing with antioxidants like pomegranate, grape seed, green tea and alpha lipoic acid, which provide protection from free radical damage (the rusting effect of our cells). Increase your diet with vitamin A, E and C to boost your immune and diet for healthy looking skin and body. Try Sequence XO’s Fusion antioxidant supplement to help protect your skin. Learn more about our products

Skin in your 40’s: Wrinkles and spider veins will become more apparent during this stage of our lives if we did not protect our skin in earlier decades. Discoloration, uneven skin texture, dryness and dullness are more apparent.

Solution: Avoid yo-yo dieting, this will only add to dullness of your skin and create havoc on your hormones. Instead try portion control and don’t forget the most important meal of the day – breakfast. Women who eat breakfast tend to be 10 pounds lighter than woman who skip it all together. Try drinking your breakfast with yogurt, protein blended with a low-carb antioxidant beauty mix, like Sequence XO’s Radiance beverage powder. Learn more about our products

Skin in your 50’s and 60’s: Pigmentation and sagging skin are usually the biggest problems in this stage of our lives. Unless you have exercised regularly, you will see the effects in loss of tone and muscle. Also cellular regeneration and circulation will slow causing flaky patches, dullness, goose pimples and fragile skin spots.

Solution: Diet and exercise is very important to keep skin and muscles healthy. Increasing your protein and essential fatty acids like omega 3’s are crucial in keeping bones and joints healthy. Adding supplements with antioxidants, essential fatty acids, phyto-nutrients, protein and minerals are very important to the health of your collagen (muscles, connective tissue, joints, skin, hair and nails). Try Sequence XO’s Radiance to boost protein and phyto-nutrients in your diet. Learn more about our products

Have a question? Comment? Please email us, we’d love to hear from you.

Spa Professional: Customer Retention

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:01:00 -0700

It has been observed that in business, the idea of the “80/20” rule reigns supreme. Essentially, what this rule indicates is that 80% of your business is generated by 20% of your clients. Taking the 80/20 rule into consideration, it is more important now than ever to make sure your customers keep coming back to you. We have reached a point during these economic times where people are more selective on where they spend their money. Customer retention has become one the key factors in ensuring that your business flourishes and succeeds. Business is more than just completing a transaction. Building a relationship with your clients creates a bond that will ensure future business and buzz.

Here are a few ways you can ensure customer retention:

Follow up and follow through

If your clients have recently conducted business with you, follow up with them by sending them a “thank you” card with an added incentive for them to come back for a different treatment.

If you have clients that have not visited your spa in a while, send them a mailer or card that gives them an incentive to come in. The note will remind them that they are important to you.

Personalize your interaction

Your clients appreciate a memorable experience. They will tend to come back to a place where they are greeted and treated with a more personalized approach. Welcome them in your spa with a smile and by first name basis if possible.

Listen, listen, listen

Your clients will appreciate your efforts in understanding their needs and applying they’re suggestions. Good customer service and functional selling comes from listening and implementing what your clients are asking for. Again, sending a “thank you” card with a note that asks, “what would you like to see during your next visit” will initiate an interactive relationship with you and your clients.

Become a Resource

Individuals are always looking for more information. Why have your clients go to someone else if they can get the information they are looking for from you. Create an environment in your spa that provides educational information relating to the industry. Provide information relating to wellness and health for your clients. Being more than a place for pampering and more a destination for resources will drive your clients to visit your spa or your spa’s website more frequently. More frequency will ultimately drive more business.

Referral Business

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:16:00 -0700

The most reliable revenue growth comes in two forms: repeat sales and referral business. The better your skills for generating referral business, the faster your client base will grow leading to increased revenues and a healthy bottom line. There are many ways to help increase your referral business without having to have to spend a lot of money in advertising and/or marketing. In fact, enhancing your referral business is one of the most cost effective ways to increase your client base. It also helps yield a very lucrative ROI.

Three simple ways to assure a successful referral program in your spa.

Be Memorable
Competition is fierce in the spa industry. After all, we are in an industry that is constantly growing. By introducing something new in this arena, you will have to have something that your clients will talk about to their friends and family, which in turn will push them to recommend your spa to them. Examples of incorporating something memorable may include:

- A unique type of spa treatment
- A different kind of service never before experienced
- A new retail product that is untraditional in the spa industry
- The way your staff meets and greets your clients

Be Personable
A genuine “Hello” is hard to come by these days. We tend to worry so much about our revenues and profits in this difficult economy, that we tend to forget that client satisfaction is one the most important aspects of good business Don’t forget…this is a people industry! Be more personable to your clients by:

- Remembering their names
- Let them hear you smile with your positive attitude
- Engage in conversations with your clients using open ended questions
- Follow up with thank you notes or letters

Provide an Incentive
Having a referral program in place that allows your clients to benefit as they refer other clients is an excellent strategy to increase your referral business. Think of cost effective solutions that you can provide as an incentive to motivate your clients to refer their friends and family. These incentives may include:

- A free spa treatment after a defined number of referred clients
- Gift certificates to your spa
- Free retail products
- A gift basket with content to drive them to come back

Spa Biz: Marketing strategies to increase new clients and returning guests

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As economic woes continue, spa businesses must become a little more creative in effort to increase profits. There are many new ways to generate sales leads today: email campaigns, website optimization, social media, podcasts, but even with all these options, direct mail remains one of the most powerful lead-generating tools – and the best part is that it can be pretty inexpensive.

Here are some ideas:
1. Postcard – Simple postcards are a terrific way to generate leads. They’re easy to print and pretty inexpensive as far as mailing goes. You can use a variety of online printers or even your own printer and apply stamps and address labels by hand. If you have a much larger mailing list using an online printer to do all the work for you can actually be more beneficial and less expensive in the long run!

Postcard message: Postcards can generate a phone call or help drive people to your website. Since postcards are small your message should be familiar and easy to understand for your customers. Simple and direct – people don’t read postcards as much as they glance.

2. Flyers – Print up a well designed flyer, fold it, affix a mailing label and a stamp, and throw it in the mail. This kind of guerrilla tactic is dirt-cheap and can produce fantastic results.

3. Invitations – This is a great opportunity to not only introduce a new treatment, product or just a way to say thank you to your guests by inviting them to an ‘exclusive’ event at your spa. You can easily head to your local office supply store or use an online printer (our favorites www.uprinting.com and www.vistaprint.com) to purchase pre-made invitations. If you have a much larger budget then have a professional design the invitations for you. The key is that your customers will feel special that you thought of them for something exclusive.

Use your vendors – Setting up a party can be expensive, so to minimize some of your costs ask your vendors to help with either free samples, basket donations or by co-hosting the party with you.

If you have other great inexpensive marketing ideas and would like to share them please email us at info@sequencexo.com. We’ll feature it in our next Nourish.

Skin Care – Gender lines are blurring

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:41:00 -0700

It’s no secret that most women are consciously aware of the importance of good skin and sun protection. However, today’s market is showing an increased awareness by men for skin and sun protection. Men are waking up to the reality that a rugged outdoor look is causing more harm to their health than good. Skin cancer is the number one cancer in men over 50 – beating out the previous leaders prostate, lung and colon cancer. The $17 billion dollar market in natural personal care products is looking toward oral consumption of nutrients to support beautiful skin and sun protection in both genders. (source: Datamonitor)

Market Watch: Men and women moving towards an inside and outside approach to skin care

Women and men are beginning to understand that food and nutritional supplements are just as important to outer appearance as any skin cream or lotion. Today’s functional foods do more than improve internal health – they are offering a variety of outward benefits such as shinier hair, skin elasticity, less wrinkles and stronger nails. Manufacturers and nutraceuticals made this beauty from the inside and out connection years ago and now, finally, their marketing efforts have hit home to the consumer. Many industry leaders have also discovered that the ingredients that work so well in a nutritional supplement have applications in topical skin care and vice versa.

In the new market research by Beauty O, antioxidants have increasingly picked up steam for not only their internal and external skin benefits, but also for providing protection against sun damage. A year round diet rich in antioxidants and supplementation could be the second line of defense for premature aging and sun damage.

What are your thoughts on the 'Beauty From Within' concept? How is your spa adapting? We want to hear from you. Please post your comments by clicking on the comments tab or you can email us at info@sequencexo.com. Live zenfully spalicious!

Spa Mixer: Relaxing Island Mojito

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:00:00 -0700

3 Mint sprigs
1-2 teaspoon of organic sugar
3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 ½ oz of Coconut rum or light rum
1 Calm effervescent wafer
6 oz of Sparkling water to top off
Ice cubes
Bar shaker

Add Calm to room temperature sparkling water. Let dissolve and set aside. In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork and coat the inside of the glass. Add sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. In a bar shaker add ice cubes and the Calm mixture, stir for 5 seconds to cool. Top off your glass with the cool Calm mix. Add a lime slice and mint sprig for garnish and enjoy your Relaxing Island Mojito!

Spa Professional Corner: Sales, it’s a survival tool for your spa

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:01:00 -0700

No matter how much we try to escape it, sales is an essential part of running a business, even a spa. No one likes to be “sold” and as business owners, its tough to put on the hat of a sales agent or sales manager. But, the reality of the situation is that without sales, your spa business will never generate the revenues it requires to profit or even stay affloat. Sales is a part of our life., Whether we are selling a product, service or even ourselves, we are always selling.

When you take a step back and assess selling techniques, you’ll find that its not a scary subject. You just have to approach it with the right mindset. Rather than looking at it as “selling,” we can more easily relate to sales if we see it as a needs assessment proposition. When approaching clients to initiate a sale for a product or service you provide at your spa, you must ask the right questions. If the right questions are asked, you can gauge more accurately the wants and needs of the person you are presenting to.

Proper sales techniques are simply a series of steps that involve asking the right questions and coming up with the appropriate answers that will solve a problem. The next time you are faced with an opportuntiy to sell or “present” to a potential client, follow these steps and your presenation may go much smoother than you anticipate.

Step 1
Earn the Right
This step is simply an introduciton. The fact that a potential customer has walked into your spa or shown interest in your products or services has already earned you your right to introduce yourself and present to them.

Step 2
Need Development
This step is probably the most important part of the sales process. In this step you are asking the right questions to better assess a potential problem that you are trying to solve for your client. Depending on what you're selling, your question may simply be “How can I help you today?” Other examples of questions may inlude:
- What is your main goal for gettting a facial?
- What is the purpose of you getting a massage with us today?
- How active is your lifestyle?

Step 3
Awareness
In this step, you are thinking about what specific products or services you can provide for the potential client based on the answers you receive from the prevous need development step. This step is known as a “silent” step as you are thinking in your mind about what possible solutions may benefit the prospect. In this step, you are thinking about the right combination of spa treatments and at home products that will best fit the individuals needs.

Step 4
Solution
In this step, you are presenting the solutions that you can provide for the potential client’s that specifically meet their needs as they present themselves to you in the needs devleopment step.

Step 5
Close
This is the second biggest step in the sales process that many of us simply forget or fear to do. ASK FOR THE ORDER! You have gone through all the appropriate steps to get to this point, it would be a shame not to get the order after all that work. So simply ask: “how many jars/bottles would you like today?” or “when can I put you down for an appointment?”.

If we take the sales process and break it down in these simple steps, it will become less like selling and more like helping someone solve a problem. Try these techniques out the next time you speak to a potential client. You will be pleasantly surprised with how simple selling can really be!

SPOTLIGHT: Meet one of resource partners

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:01:00 -0700

Meet our resource partner BodyWerks Spa – Rated one of the top spas in Orange County

BodyWerks was created by husband and wife team, Dennis and Gina Loya, who reside in Orange County with their four children. Dennis is the Healer while Gina handles the business end of things.

BodyWerks Spa Extreme Pampering Perfected!

Internal Spa Treatments: Oral beauty products to enhance your client’s spa experience

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 1 May 2008 00:31:00 -0700

With a relatively new way of looking at skin care a new word has emerged for the personal care industry, Oral Beauty Products. These products are new to the industry but have shown a significant growth from health conscious consumers seeking solutions to better health and natural healing. Sequence XO, has taken the philosophy of internal beauty and incorporated a product line of internal spa treatments. Our products are specifically formulated to enhance and extend your client’s spa experience. Click on the read more tab to learn about our product line and how easy it is to incorporate these new products into your client’s lifestyle!

Incorporating Spa Nutrition is Easy!

Have a spa café, smoothie or juice bar?
Radiance is a delicious citrus berry flavored beverage powder easily mixed in a water bottle or shaken an exotic smoothie! Advertise on your menu as the new Age Defying Smoothie.

Radiance Benefits:
SXO’s age defying citrus berry phyto-nutrient beverage enhances the natural beauty of your skin, hair and nails. But what you may not know is this wonderful product has many benefits for both men and women!

• Promotes healthy eye function
• Supports healthy skin, cartilage, bones, joints, hair and nails
• Supports and protects the prostate gland for men
• Promotes a healthy urinary tract for both men and women
• Natural anti-inflammatory
• Free radical scavengers to help protect the body from premature aging
• Enhanced circulation to supply vital nutrients to skin cells
• Provides the body with essential moisture for vibrant looking skin
• Added sun protection from UV sunlight and artificial lights from tanning beds

Do you have a quiet room or offer hydrotherapy?
Providing a product like Calm, our 15-minute distressing tonic, may give your guests that incentive to enjoy your quiet room just a bit more! The scent of fresh cucumber and mint evaporating in a tall glass of water will assist in the relaxation and calming of your mind, body and spirit. Calm is best enjoyed before a spa treatment or at home before or after a luxurious bath.

Calm Benefits:
SXO’s stress aiding fizz tonic takes relaxing to a new level! Some of Calm’s hidden wonders:

• Digestive support
• Provides support for a healthy functioning heart
• Supports healthy brain function by enhancing memory and concentration
• Healthy nerve function
• Supports healthy cholesterol levels
• Aids in energy production
• Provides support for mood and sleep irregularities
• Protective properties against fatigue and weakness
• Immune boosting properties
• Supports healthy blood pressure

Looking for a product that complements your skin care line on your shelves?
Many of us understand the theory of premature aging due to free radicals. Free radical damage disrupts our bodies at the cellular level, which is shown inside and out. SXO’s Fusion is a combination of the world’s most potent antioxidants to complement Radiance, Calm and topical skin care lines!

Fusion Benefits:
SXO’s Fusion creates an enhanced experience to both Calm and Radiance by boosting the benefits of both formulas. Fusion combines the world’s most potent antioxidants to provide health and longevity.

• Supports eye health
• Provides added support for healthy joints, skin and blood vessels
• Supports a healthy functioning cardiovascular system
• Immune boosting properties
• Brain health support
• Slows oxidative stress and supports healthy blood sugar levels
• Cell detoxifier
• Support of healthy cholesterol levels
• Healthy cell functioning
• Supports strong and healthy arteries, veins and capillaries
• Circulation enhancer for nutrient delivery for the entire body
• Powerful antioxidant formula!

Spa Retail – Tough times means creative marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:53:00 -0700

It’s no secret that we are currently in an economical slow down. But this doesn’t mean your business has to suffer. Getting and retaining new customers is key to a successful spa business which means attracting them with new products or service upgrades. Of course as less money comes in, there is less money for new, or more, inventory. But what if you could increase you profits by 15-40% with minimal risk? That sounds like a win/win!

Introducing new products with a vendor that cares
Sequence XO is not only a new company to the spa industry but our product line is also beginning a new wave of holistic healing with the use of both external and internal procedures. Internal spa treatments is a new term that explains the complementary science between treating the outside body with nourishing creams, exfoliates, moisturizers and oils, but at a cellular level. Imagine the same care of an external spa treatment that is actually nourishing the internal cellular structures of the body? That is what Sequence XO Spa Nutrition is accomplishing.

No Risk Retail: Creative Marketing For Our Future Spa Partners
Understanding that in slow economical times it may be difficult to add or purchase new products for your spa. We want to make that process a little easier for you. We have developed three programs to help your spa increase revenue and potentially increase client retention.

Sample Day Give Away program. Since you wouldn’t buy a new car without test-driving it, we don’t expect you or your clients to use a new product without trying it first. Sequence XO Sample Days are designed to give your clients a chance to learn more about the product line and to try them out.

(If your spa is in Southern California area we can join you during the sample day to answer any questions your clients may have).

No Risk Retail program. Designed for spa owners to take advantage of the benefits of implementing Sequence XO Spa Nutrition products for their clients without worrying about incurring inventory liabilities. This program is predominantly a referral program with many benefits for both yourself and your client.

Employee Wellness Programs. In an effort to keep your whole staff healthy and productive, Sequence XO is glad to introduce our new wellness program. If your staff is using the products that you either sell or wish to sell the selling process becomes easier and less of a task. By becoming a wellness partner with us you and your employees will receive 10% off the wholesale pricing for your retail or back office use. Plus, you qualify for monthly drawings for your employees and customers to receive a free Spa Nutrition™ Essentials kit.

To find out more about our three programs please call or email us directly at (949) 608-7112 or info@sequencexo.com

Spa Industry Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:47:00 -0700

Did you know?

The Spa industry is the fourth largest leisure industry in North America.
In 2006 industry revenues were $13.4 billion an estimated increase of 18% from 2003.
The number of spa visits surpasses theme park attendance

Why Retail is so important for spas:

Spa employee salaries and wages exceeded $9.3 billion in 2006
Personnel costs in a traditional spa can equal to 70% of all revenue
If one take home product is sold to a client, there is a 25% chance they will return, two products 50% and if you sell three or more – more than 75% chance they’ll come back to see you!

Types of products that are worth your time:

The skin care market is worth more than $7 billion and estimated to grow to $9.2 billion by 2010
The presence of nutritional supplements in spas are increasing by 9% per year

Your customer potential increase:

The number of North Americans between the age of 55-64 will jump 19.3% to 35.4 million by 2010

Day Spa Expo 2008: Manufacturer’s Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 6 Mar 2008 12:01:00 -0800

Part Two: Myths and truths about nutritional supplements

During the Day Spa Expo in Las Vegas last month, Sequence XO held a manufacture’s workshop to address the booming opportunity nutritional supplements have within the spa industry and the connection in enhancing the spa experience. One topic that received an amazing response dealt with the facts and myths of nutritional supplements. In this three part series we will cover three of the largest misconceptions surrounding nutritional supplements. Here’s Part Two:

Myth 2: The second largest misconception about nutritional supplements is that they are unsafe.
Myth Buster: The U.S. Poison and Control Centers notes adverse reactions to drugs are more than 800% higher than those to supplements.**

**source: Natural Products Association

Today more than 70 percent of Americans trust dietary supplements and 150 million use them to complement a healthy lifestyle on a daily basis. According to The Council for Responsible Nutrition, “when [supplements] are used properly, they help promote overall good health and prevent disease”.

In a recent article Vitamin Retailer interviewed industry leaders and Association members of the Natural Products Association (NPA) to help demystify some of the most plaguing myths surrounding supplements. One of theses myths is that supplements are unsafe.

The NPA noted that reports from poison control centers throughout the U.S. documented adverse reactions to drugs are more than 800 percent higher than those to supplements. Plus all new dietary ingredients are subject to FDA review before they are allowed in formulations. The FDA has also added strict guidelines on how supplements can be labeled, manufactured, and the types of claims that can be made for them.

Manufacturing is one of the most important ways to ensure efficacy and safety of a product. Make sure you are asking questions about the products you are carrying on your shelf. [Meet Sequence XO’s manufacturer]

The reality is that supplements are safe and help complement a healthy lifestyle, just find the facts in reliable sources.

Recommended sites:
www.crnusa.com
www.fda.gov
www.herbalgram.org
www.supplementinfo.org
www.naturalproductsassoc.org
www.ana-jana.org

In the next Nourish we will cover the third biggest misconception of supplements.
Stay tuned….

Blending beauty with health for good looking revenues

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 6 Mar 2008 00:02:00 -0800

Keeping yourself and your employees healthy during a rough flu season is essential for business, not to mention the health of your clients. According to the American Journal of Health Promotions, for every $1 spent on wellness programs, employers can expect a return of up to $10 through lower medical claims, lowered absenteeism and improved productivity.

Did you know Google was an ISPA member? Companies like Google have implemented creative wellness programs to help benefit their employee’s health, which impacts work productivity in the long run.

Companies like Google have implemented creative wellness programs to help benefit their employee’s health, which impacts work productivity in the long run.
By being a member of ISPA, Google offers its employee’s onsite massages to encourage stress relief and better health. How creative will you be in keeping employee’s happy and healthy

Get Creative with Sequence XO – Living Zenfully Healthy! In an effort to keep your whole staff healthy and productive Sequence XO is glad to introduce our new wellness program. By becoming a wellness partner with us you will receive 10% off the wholesale pricing for your retail or back office use plus qualify for monthly drawings for your employees and customers to receive a free Spa Nutrition™ Essentials kit once a month.

Spa Nutrition Essentials Includes:
This beautifully prepackaged item retails at $89.95, which includes a 30-day supply of our three signature products for beautiful skin, pure relaxation and total body rejuvenation.

Radiance – the beauty beverage
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s also in this small 8-ounce bottle. You think the outside looks good; just wait until you see what’s inside. Have a glass a day and help bring out some of that inner beauty. It’s a makeover from the inside out. Go ahead drink yourself beautiful.

Calm - the cool and relaxing effervescent tablet
Life can be tough. Work, kids, deadlines…you could probably use a nice backrub. No time? Okay, how about a drink? Good thing that drinking can be done anytime, anywhere. Drop Calm into a glass and watch your stress fizz away. It’s like a massage in a glass.

Fusion – luxurious and exotic antioxidants for total body wellness
Too much of a good thing? We think not! We scoured the earth to bring you the best that Mother Nature has to offer. When it comes to good health, there’s no such thing as overkill. Take Fusion daily with Radiance and Calm…you’ll be the most energetic-calm-beautiful-healthy-balanced-focused-nourished person on the block in no time. It’s everything you need, everyday.

To inquire more on SXO’s wellness program or other business building tools please email or call Karen Lopez at klopez@sequencexo.com or (949)-608-7112. We look forward to speaking with you!

Day Spa Expo: Manufacturers Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:19:00 -0800

Part One: Myths and truths about nutritional supplements

Last week during the Day Spa Expo in Las Vegas, Sequence XO held a manufacture’s workshop to address the booming opportunity nutritional supplements have within the spa industry and the nutrition and spa link. One of the most responsive topics was the myths and truths of nutritional supplements. In this three part series we will cover three of the largest misconceptions surrounding nutritional supplements.

Myth 1: Nutritional Supplements are not regulated
Myth Buster: The truth is the FDA and FTC have regulatory authority over the supplement industry.

Myth Buster – Nutritional Supplements are indeed regulated

The FDA and FTC have regulatory authority over the supplement industry to ensure that they’re safe, properly labeled and the claims associated with the product is substantiated, which is also policed by the FTC. Much of the debate that surrounds this myth is due to the confusion of how exactly nutritional supplements are regulated in the United States. Many people forget that nutritional supplements are considered a natural food product and not a drug, so in essence the FDA regulates them as a food items. Though supplements are not regulated in the same manner as drugs, supplements are subject to some of the same types of controls.

Another area where the FDA has established quality is via manufacturing regulations called GMP’s or Good Manufacturing Practices. Manufacturing under these strict guidelines allows the FDA to have more regulatory authority over the supplements that hit the marketplace. “An extremely high percentage of the dietary supplements on the market today are safe and efficacious and are produced in pharmaceutical qulatiy facilities”, said Andy Fox, president of the Natural Products Association-East in a recent interview with Vitamin Retailers publication.

Meet Sequence XO’s Manufacturing Partner:

In our efforts to provide the most comprehensive Spa Nutrition products we adhere to the strictest guidelines put forth by American regulations. Sequence XO products are manufactured by Robinson Pharma, Inc. Our nutritional manufacturer is a certified GMP manufacturing facility this is FDA inspected and licensed. Their quality management regimen is based on only allowing tested and approved ingredients to be used within their establishment by qualified and trained operators, in a clean and sanitary environment. Beyond Robinson Pharma’s certification of cGMP they have also been issued a Drug Manufacturing License by the state of California. This government standard is considered the most rigorous and is clear demonstration of our commitment to effective and quality products for you and your clients.

Spa Nutrition: A new product on the retail shelf but not a new philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:16:00 -0800

Many of you may be wondering what role nutrition and nutritional products play in your spa experience. Spa associations, magazines and even spa professionals have chimed in about the nutrition and spa connection in recent months. It’s no secret that nutritional supplements are a new venture for the spa industry but its philosophy has been around for years. Take skin care for an example. Popular brands have incorporated vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts into their skin care lines because of the many well known benefits in keeping skin looking and feeling younger.

Well, today spa goers and enthusiast have begun to capture an ‘inside-outside’ approach to beauty. In a recent study by Mintel’s Global New Products database has picked up on a consumer trend requesting the same food-based ingredients in their skin care to be a part of their inner beauty regimen via nutritional supplements, cuisine and beverages. When asked, the consumer reported that the most comprehensive skin care regimen was the ‘inside-outside’ approach.

As more consumers become knowledgeable on the inside-outside approach to health and beauty, they will turn to their trusted health advisor's to guide them in picking a product. How will you be prepared?

Spa Nutrition™: Nourishing the mind, body and spa atmosphere

When you think of spa nutrition, you may think of many different things. For Sequence XO, Spa Nutrition is approaching nutrition like a spa treatment itself. Take a quality nutritional supplement, add innovation, sexiness and luxury to it and you get Sequence XO’s Spa Nutrition. By creating products that fit within the spa atmosphere, they help enhance the spa experience of your guest to achieve pure relaxation, beautiful skin and healthy aging.

Let Sequence XO be your partner in Spa Nutrition. Still have questions please feel free to contact us at info@sequencexo.com or (949) 608-7112.

Spa Retail: Is your retail space giving you the right profits?

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:01:00 -0800

The opportunity to tap into a new source of revenue is here for your spa with retail products. Establishing a retail presence in your spa is not as scary as one might think. If you already have one in place, there may be some room for improvement. Retail products provide an opportunity for you to establish high profit margins with low overhead costs. This is a beautiful equation for any business owner. But, be careful how you plan, organize, spend and implement your retail presence.

Retail ideas every spa owner can use

Practice the idea of having your therapists both incorporate and suggest the retail products you carry to your clients
Allow all of your staff to use the retail products you carry. Selling products you believe in and are passionate about makes things much easier.
Incorporate retail products to match specific treatments (i.e. stress aiding products with massages)
Keep things simple and educate both your staff and clients on the products you carry
Don’t keep your products in locked cases and provide samples when possible to allow your client’s to have an experience
Provide specific products promotions during seasonal holidays to attract more traffic in your spa
Take advantage of vendor collateral material and displays
Consider investing in a retail sales manager/trainer
Set sales goals and provide feedback to your staff
Encourage product sales by your staff by providing them with incentives linked to sales figures they generate
Prepare kits that incorporate several products you carry for a promotional price to allow customers to experience several products at once

Planning Your Spa’s Future

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:01:00 -0800

The New Year has snuck up on us once again and the time has come to evaluate our business. We all know that the market is currently on a downward slide, but it is during this time that we as business owners must work even harder to persevere. While the end of the year has typically shown a peak in business, unfortunately the beginning of the year has traditionally been a valley. However, just because business may be slower during this time of year doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we can do to stay competitive. The economy, market, customer and competition are constantly changing and evolving. If we don’t change and evolve our planning for business, we get left behind in the dust.

Writing a competitive strategic plan

When starting to write your strategic plan, whether it’s for the first time, or an evolution of a previous one, It’s always a good idea to take a step back and figure out what your are looking to accomplish. Are you looking to lower costs? Increase sales? Improve customer service? Enter a new market? Or all of the above? In any one of those cases, a strategic plan must begin with a goal in mind. Once that goal is established, it’s time to look within for change and growth. Running an internal audit will allow you to find things that may have run passed you during the year. As a business owner, your many responsibilities will deter you from catching smaller details that can be caught during your evaluation process. Below is a list of questions that you may ask yourself when you are in the process of a self audit:

- Do your revenues justify your costs?
- Have your marketing efforts brought you the results you wanted to see?
- Did you quantify your marketing efforts based on the revenues they generated?
- What worked well for you the previous year? Leverage it!
- What did not bring in the results you expected? Eliminate it!

Once you have taken a bird’s eye view of your business and evaluated your efforts, it’s time to start planning and implementing. Writing a strategic plan not only gives you a roadmap and direction for where you want to go and how you want to get there, it also allows you to budget accordingly. A good budget allows you to put your money to good use with more rewarding results.
Strategically planning for your business allows you to be prepared. It allows you to spend money accordingly and get the most out of what you invest. Additionally, a well designed strategic plan sets the foundation of how your year will turn out.

Don’t fall into the trap! Common Retail Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Spa Nutrition by Sequence XO) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Retail as an afterthought
Many still don’t consider a true retail presence to be a lucrative opportunity. The reality is that selling retail products will bring you extra revenues with high profit margins. It is an option that should be highly considered. When implemented properly, a retail presence can generate revenues year round in a consistent fashion.

Improper presentation
If you are considering a retail section in your spa and you are not an expert in how properly to set up a retail outlet, get help from professionals. A retail presence goes beyond simply putting products on shelves. The positioning of the products is key, the lighting displaying the products is extremely important and knowing what products to carry is essential in a successful retail outlet.

Inadequate signage
Properly describing a promotion, sale or specific details of a product your selling is an art form. Too much information will detract from the product, while not enough information leads to skepticism. It’s a fine balance that will ultimately lead to established client trust and increased sales.

Products Displayed in behind locked shelves
When your clients walk into your retail outlet, they should “experience” the products you have available to sell, not just look at them.