The holidays are coming, joy is in the air. All those lovely clients waiting to be sold to and there's you with the perfect answer to their holiday needs. You just need to be ready to make the most of every opportunity and ensure you are busy and profitable.
Tip #1: Now is the time to check the quality of your client contact data. Run a report that gives you the status of client details such as number of email addresses and/or cell numbers you have in your database. You could have the best marketing campaign in town, but without correct email addresses or cell phone numbers no one will see it. Doing it now gives you time to find out where the obstacles are (is it failing to collect the information properly or entering it incorrectly?) and to remedy the problem.
Tip #2: Collect, Collect, Collect. If your client information database is thin, consider running a promotion that focuses on collecting client details. Make it juicy with incentives to encourage a good response such as automatically entering respondents into a draw for a spectacular gift basket of products and services. While you are at it, make sure you collect all data including cell phone number, email address and birthday.
Tip #3: What do you want to promote? During Thanksgiving and holiday time most clients will have parties to go to and families to visit, so think about what services they would appreciate the most. A new color for that big event or a blow-dry and make-up? Perhaps different clients would prefer a different service. Consider splitting your marketing energies across a variety of promotional activities by using your database to identify different types of clients.
Tip #4: How will it affect business? Once you've decided what you are going to promote and to who, you have to prepare for heightened activity. Consider your inventory and staff levels. For example, if you are doing a promotion on highlights, how much extra lightener, developer, foil and overlay toners might you need so your team can execute these services? Planning ahead can allow clever purchases and avoid elevated costs that will eat away at your profits.
Tip #5: How will you know it was successful? It's critical to set goals and milestones to measure the success of any promotion and determine if it is worthwhile doing again. If it is a promotion to increase new clients, set a target of how many you need to see each day or week to consider it a success. If it is increased uptake of a particular service, compare figures between set periods. Once you have set the goals, keep track to see what is working. Try, also, to capture any feedback from clients when they respond to your promotion. A well-planned, well-executed promotion will be one you will want to repeat each year. -Debbie Miller, Shortcuts
Debbie Miller has been a driving force in education and building business strategies for more than 25 years with cosmetology schools, private salons, distributors and professional beauty manufacturers across the globe. Today, Debbie proudly works with Shortcuts, provider of intuitive online and offline support for more than 20 years to salons and spas across the world, offering solutions in nine languages to more than 14,000 clients in 46 countries. With Shortcuts, Debbie focuses on the development of Smarter Business Technologies that impact the professional beauty industry.
