Promoting Your Business
You know you have a good business – actually, you know you have a GREAT business – but the challenge now is to make sure everyone knows about it. Can you do this on a budget, and if so, how do you know if it’s working?
You know you have a good business – actually, you know you have a GREAT business – but the challenge now is to make sure everyone knows about it. Can you do this on a budget, and if so, how do you know if it's working?
The beauty business is a competitive one, and as anyone with a spa or salon can testify, if you don't provide the customer with what they want, there's always at least one other business willing, eager and able to take them from you. But for a new salon, actually getting that customer through the door in the first place is the challenge – if you're the new kid on the block, your competitors are going to be all too aware of you and keen to hold onto their clients. What you need to do is to make them aware of your business and give them a reason to come through your door. And as you know you deliver a great service and are better than the rest at what you do (if you aren't convinced of this, then you need to relook at your business first), retaining your new client is easy.
So how do you get potential clients into your business? You need to promote what you are selling and how good your offerings are – simple as that. Business beauty expert and consultant Liz McKeon
(www.lizmckeon.com) explains further.“The hard facts of salon business life are that sales affect every waking moment of your day!
High sales = Salon Success, and Low sales = Salon Failure.
“If you want high sales, then you need your appointment book to be full and in order to fill your columns, customers need to know you exist, then they need to how to find you and they need to know what you do. The more marketing and promotion you do, the more successful your salon business will be – it is that simple. Allocate at least one hour a day, every day to ensure you have a steady flow of clients
Investing in promotions
The problem with promoting your business is that it often involves spending a lot of money – and if you're not a marketing expert, it can be hard to know what's worth investing in, and when you should save your money. If you're new to beauty, the budget can also be tight, thanks to starting-up costs, which can be expensive. “'Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half' – this is the most famous phrase used about advertising,” says Liz. “The fact of the matter is, you don't know what works until you try. Every day, ask every new client and record how they heard about you. Track this and at the end of each month review your findings to find out which promotional activities generated the most new clients. Allocate no more than 10 per cent of your turnover to advertising and marketing activities."
The most budget-friendly way of promoting your business is through the clients you have. “Focus on providing outstanding customer service,” says Liz. “Do everything you can to ensure your clients leave feeling happy, looking forward to returning and happy to recommend you. That way your clients become your salespeople and you can limit your marketing spend. About 40 per cent of salon business is generated through 'word of mouth' advertising, so do everything you can to get your clients talking about your salon.”
Mail drop
Another fairly cost-effective way to promote your business is through
flyers. Jennifer Linton and Jaye Macdonald, co-directors at Linton & Mac hair and beauty salon in Aberdeen, explains more. “Take advantage of hundreds of potential customers on your doorstep by passing out flyers during your salon's downtime. Not only will your staff get to meet prospective new customers, they can suggest some of the latest beauty treatments that will work for the people they meet on the street! Make sure the flyer is colourful and contains clear and concise information, such as your address and telephone number, and of course, the unmissable offer that you are running to ensure they visit your salon.”
From Day One, gather contact details from every client you have, or from potential clients who visit your website or social media (remember to get their consent for receiving correspondence) – but remember not to email them too much. Jennifer and Jaye explain more: “Email is a great way to engage with our customers and keep them up to date with new offers and incentives. We send a monthly newsletter to our clients, which is a running commentary on what is happening in the salon. We have also introduced a blog – The Low Down – that is sent to subscribers, and includes industry news, the latest trends, what is happening in and out the salon, alongside showcasing events and other local businesses and points of interest. The Low Down gives us another opportunity to showcase the great work our team is doing and to prove we are an authentic brand with a real passion for what we do. Setting up a blog for your salon is a low-cost way to keep your database of contacts up to date with unmissable opportunities and show off your expertise.”
Using your customer base
On the subject of your existing customer base, this is the cheapest and best way to promote your business. Liz McKeon recommends simply asking them to promote your business to their friends. “It really is that simple. Tell your clients that you are looking for new clients and can they recommend you to two friends. Then give them two business cards to pass on to two friends that would like your services. Do the sums: if every client you met last week sent you one new client, that would double your client base very quickly. There are also incentives you could use to help this.
“You can also offer your current clients incentives. Keep it simple and
easy to manage. For example: Refer a friend and get 50 per cent discount off your next service. Limit the number of clients you offer this to. While this is a big discount, it is a low cost way to acquire new clients. Run a retail competition for your clients to increase sales – get a raffle ticket for every product you purchase this month and enter a draw for a prize, such as dinner for two in a local restaurant. Clients can then enter the competition as many times as they want. Or simply incentivise your team – whoever gets the most rebookings next week wins a half day off on Saturday!”
Finally, don't get sucked into only promoting at Christmas or other special times in the year. “Promote various services, packages, new treatments, retail products, courses all year round, that way your pipeline of new clients never dries up and you are guaranteed a steady stream of new and existing clients,” says Liz. “And you are promoting your entire range of amazing services, so clients won't ever get bored of your business. Marketing is simply helping people to buy your products and services, so do everything you can to ensure your clients come back more often and spend more money!”
