New salon needs new clients

I received the following question by email:

I own a salon group and plan to open more this year. How do I maintain my existing client base while attracting new clients into the extended salon group without going down the discount route?

Here's my advice:

It’s vital to maximise revenue from your existing client base to help with the costs of opening your new salons. Make a plan and stick to it; ensure you have a strong programme in place for client retention that can be implemented across the new salons from day one.

Maximise revenue from existing clients
 Create a loyalty club
A loyalty club becomes a cultural change for your business. This is a ingenious way to get your clients to engage with your brand in new, meaningful ways.
 Capture data and use it
Capturing existing client data means that you can talk to a large number of people who are interested in your brand easily and cheaply. People who you know have shown an interest in your salon before are more likely to respond to a promotion.
 Create a communications plan
Create a plan of what you will say, who you will say it to and how you will say it – and stick to it. Plan in promotions to appeal to different groups of clients/potential clients at different times. Sending out blanket emails to the same people will turn them off your brand.
 Analyse and maximise your clients’ visit frequency
Do you know your typical client cycle? Reminder emails or texts letting clients know that it’s been six weeks since their last haircut or 12 weeks since their last colour can be an effective way of driving them into salon more regularly, but also ask them to book their next appointment before they leave your salon.
 Look at spend levels by service
Segment your clients’ spend by service and send out communications encouraging them to try something new and experience it all. Cross-selling subtly is incredibly important.
 Reward profitable behaviour
Beautifully gift-wrapped chocolates hand delivered to your top 10 spending clients will not only make them love your salon even more, it will also create a buzz around your brand. 
 Segment your clients based on type
Use the database that’s available through most salon booking systems. Group your clients by age, service types, frequency of visit or even hair type so that you can send relevant promotions and communications to each.

Acquisition of new clients
 Word of mouth
Random acts of kindness are the talk of the town at the moment – clients can’t wait to get tweeting and facebooking about fabulous gifts they’ve received from brands like yours.
 Refer a friend
Devise an indulgent experience in-salon for a client when they visit with a friend; perhaps they could both be treated to a pampering treatment ritual, or a glass of wine.
 Loyalty club
Introduce the loyalty club reward from day one. Make sure you shout about all the fabulous benefits that new clients can get straight away.
 Thank you notes
Clients appreciate nothing more than a personalised note or card from you thanking them for being such a fabulous customer.
 Local partnerships
Partner with local businesses and support each other with exclusive benefits to drive new customers into your salon.