ISPA Academy Articles

<<< Back to ISPA Academy

What to Know When Engaging a Coach

July 11, 2024

The spa industry puts an emphasis on self-care and helping guests to be their best selves. It’s no wonder, then, that as coaching grows rapidly, spa owners and operators are working with coaches to bring their best selves to their companies, too.

When engaging a coach for the first time, spa professionals have a lot to consider. After all, working with a coach is an investment in the business and must be done thoughtfully and strategically to achieve the desired values.

Where Innovation Meets Wellness

April 10, 2025

As the vibrant halls of CES 2025 buzzed with excitement, it was clear how far this legendary technology showcase has evolved since its humble beginnings in 1967. Hosted annually by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), this year’s event drew 141,000 attendees and featured 4,500 exhibitors, ranging from established tech giants to ambitious startups.

Where is Spa Technology Heading?

September 5, 2023

Innovative spa technology has changed the experience of both staff and clients in the spa and wellness sector over the past four decades. The integration of spa technology— the use of equipment and machinery to enhance the customer experience and improve the efficiency of spa operations—has been a slow and steady process. It started with small steps like switching from burning real candles to using electronic versions with recharge[1]able batteries. A larger leap was the conversion of appointment scheduling, from a hand-written calendar to online booking systems. Vichy showers and spray-on tans in treatment rooms are other instances of new technology in spa menu offerings. In recent years, Covid-19 encouraged many facilities to incorporate new technology further and faster, with self-check-in and semiautonomous services as prime examples. A recent study of technology acceptance in the hospitality and spa sector indicates guests enjoy and sometimes even prefer the consistency of technology in various experiences.

Why a Remarkable Customer Experience Is Your Best Sales & Marketing Strategy

September 14, 2023

“We don’t need more marketing,” Dan Gingiss says. “What we need is more experiences. Experiences are the things people talk about, remember and want to share with others.”

Dan says he used to be an acolyte of email marketing. Now, he would happily give up the practice entirely. “Customer experience is the best marketing you do.”

How do we get more people to share their experience? “We only share two kinds of experiences: Really good and really bad experiences. We don’t talk about normal or ordinary or average or ‘meh’—we talk about extraordinary or terrible.”

Dan has found spa consumers want to share positive experiences. “All you have to do is look at your Instagram feed to see that.” He shares a methodology—the WISE framework—for creating experiences people want to share:

Why Core Values are Critical (Elevate Your Leadership Pt. IV)

December 18, 2019

Does your company have core values? It’s a leader’s responsbility to establish those, as well as recognize that each employee comes to work with their own set of values, too.

Why PR Isn’t Dead And Other Essentials to marketing in an Untrustworthy World

July 11, 2024

Artificial intelligence is coming for us. And there’s nothing we can do to stop it. You can choose to ignore it, or you can play the game and learn how to extract valuable information and understand just how it can affect your business of spa operations.

What drives me crazy is the “artificial” side of things. Is that really a photo of a beach in Bali that I must visit? Or is it fake? How can you tell?

Why You Should Delegate (Elevate Your Leadership Pt. VII)

December 18, 2019

Do you catch yourself saying, it would just be easier if I did it myself? While that may be a short-term fix, it isn’t the best long-term solution. By delegating tasks, leaders empower their employees and foster growth.

Women’s Intimate Wellness: New Trends Are Translating into Revenue Growth Opportunities

June 13, 2024

It’s no secret women’s wellness is transforming and businesses that want to tap into this large and wealthy consumer group must keep up with its trends. Spas are no exception, especially since women make up the largest percentage of spa service customers, and because spas are increasingly becoming wellness destinations. Understanding women’s wellness needs and adjusting product offerings and service menus to cater to those needs is a growth strategy many spas will want to make a top priority.

Working with Local Schools

March 26, 2021

Looking for new talent? Here are five ways to work with local schools to genreate future spa industry professionals.

Yielding: A Reopening Win-Win

March 16, 2021

In its most traditional sense, yield management is a variable pricing strategy based on understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, time-limited resource (such as airline seats or hotel room reservations—or spa services). As a specific, inventory-focused branch of revenue management, yield management involves strategic control of inventory to sell the right product to the right customer at the right time for the right price. This has worked for airlines and the hotel and hospitality industries for years.

 

Scroll to Top