When I opened my first nail salon I wanted it to be all about the customer. If our service was about nails then we were going to do it all! Whatever a customer wanted we did it; gel, acrylic, fast manicures, slow manicures, nail art, French polish, American French, fiberglass, airbrushing, super fast drying top coats, slow drying but super shiny topcoats, nourishing cuticle oils, quick fixes, pedicures, the lot! As I became more experienced in the business I realized I had taken on a huge task. Having such a wide range of services, requiring so many different skills from a technician, meant that we were constantly in training. Applying fiberglass is a very different process from gel, airbrushing is very different from free-style hand painted nail art. But there wasn’t necessarily a market for ‘every’ service so why was I investing so much in training the team to airbrush nail art for example when most ladies in the area wanted straight plan French manicures? Offering a huge variety of services in your salon may be nice but tailoring your service to your market is a lot more cost effective, profitable and most importantly ensures that you do a great job for every client, every time! This was the beginning of me properly implementing a marketing idea in order to attract new customers and create raving fans.
Attracting customers is a marketing function which requires thought and persistence. With most salon owners working on the shop-floor, caught-up in the day-to-day operations and staffing issues of the business; there always seems little time at the end of the day to think creatively about what needs to be done to ensure a continuous flow of clients. This means that many salon owners do not actively or effectively market their businesses; seeing it as a luxury and not a necessity and therefore never giving, this all-important function, the time and thought it needs. If you are guilty of this, stop today and make a decision to start marketing your salon properly, as it is one of the most important things you can do for your business.
Here are 3 ways to start actively trying to attract customers to your salon:-
• Text all your clients whenever you have availability for a specific treatment or service they’d enjoy; for example – Hello Maureen, just a quick text to let you know that we are available today to give you that cut and colour you’ve been thinking about. Give us a call.
• Create eye-catching headlines for you client mail-shots, A-boards, window signs and leaflets; for example – Did you eat and drink too much over Christmas? Come in for a free skinny hot chocolate and some hot tips for a detox. Or, Wish you could have a hair makeover like on TV? Come in today to meet our expert makeover team! Or, Dry feet? Chilly toes? Enjoy a hot softening foot soak plus perfect polish pedicure for just £25... it's what you have been waiting for!
• Have a party; invite past clients, passers-by and local offices to enjoy a drink and meet the 2009 A-Team!
Once in the door, you and your team must be geared up to providing these potential clients with as much information as possible in the friendliest and most welcoming manner! Then of course it is absolutely paramount that you deliver on your offer and your promise; give them the best treatment they’ve ever had! They’ll have no choice but to come back to you… why would they want to waste their precious money anywhere else!
Ego Iwegbu-Daley
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