Target offers to make them work for your salon

Salons can use their salon’s quiet times to create targeted offers that help to build business rather than running discounts on their services, says Philip Evans, managing director of Salon Guru. No matter how good your salon is, just being there isn’t enough to fill all of your appointments as more and more clients want an incentive to visit. Recommendations can be effective, but money off is the call to action that works for most people. I often speak to salons that are reluctant to discount and say things like ‘why should we discount our time?’ but you need to be realistic. If there are times of the week that are less busy you can either decide to be quiet and do training, invest in marketing for those particular times and days or incentivise clients to come in. My advice to salons is to identify specific times of day when a salon is particularly quiet or to identify members of the team who need help to build up their column and run offers on those specific slots. It is by far the most cost effective way of getting clients through the door. How can your target offers in your salon business?

• Each week, take a look at your appointment book for the following week to look for any days that are particularly quiet or members of staff who could do with a few more clients.
• Create some last-minute promotions that could fill those slots.  You will have a better success rate if you offer ‘bread and butter’ services like a cut and finish.
•  Write details of your promotions, but make sure you don’t specify the name of the member of staff unless it is a new starter whose column you want to build up - the aim is to generate new business so you don’t want your loyal clients to take these appointments.
• Promote your offers for the week ahead on your website, your Facebook page, your newsletter and any other marketing channels you have.
• Be strategic, you probably won’t need late deals during Easter week, but do run offers when there’s a heatwave and you are struggling to get clients in the door.
• Make the most of the opportunity. Once a client has walked through your door it’s down to the stylist and the salon to get them to increase spend, re-book and turn them into a loyal client.

Philip Evans is the managing director of Salon Guru who manage websites, online marketing and Late Deals for more than 40 salons in the UK and US.  www.salonguru.net