Spa Clientéle Marketing Tips

How Do You Get Spa Clients to Return?

I am just putting the finishing touches on an e-book on Getting Clients to Rebook and would love to add some additional tips and tools from you on what you do to get your clients back in the door. In fact if I decide to include your tip, I will send you a copy of the e-book absolutely free!

In my spas we always offered new and prospective clients a tour of the facility so they could see what was awaiting them inside. This gave us a great opportunity to talk about the different services we offered and often prompted both questions and new appointment bookings. 

Clients look to both their individual service providers and the spa's staff in general to guide them  to services, special, events and products that will benefit them or that they will enjoy. It is our responsibility as spa professionals to follow through on our end and provide clients with information that will help them make decisions and achieve their wellness, relaxation or beauty goals. The tour was just one part of this process but one that helped to plant seeds for future visits and prompt questions about everything we offered.

The biggest tool I've used (besides directly asking clients when they'd like to come back) is asking clients that don't rebook if they would like me to call them in a week or two to reschedule. I've been doing this with one client every week for almost my whole time in practice. He is a loyal, weekly regular that rarely knows his schedule in advance. But by calling him every Monday, I captured his loyalty and business as well as his wife's...and the tons of referrals they've sent me over the last 16 years. It's worth every phone call!

So what do you do to get your clients - newbies and regulars alike - to come back again? Please share your wisdom and ideas with everyone so we can all grow and prosper together:-)

Can Pets and Spa Profits Go Together?

Anyone who really knows me knows I am a huge animal lover. All of my pets, like Dolly (above) and Brownie, Pogo and Mojo (from left to right below)  are rescued as are any I will get in the future. They were all abandoned by someone else but have found a happy home living with me, my husband and our tabby cat Darby who is too shy to have her picture made.




Anyway, February is National Spay and Neuter Month. If you are an animal lover like me, why not join forces with a local or chain pet store or boutique for a fun indoor or outdoor event to raise money for the Humane Society or your local animal shelter. You can team up to offer dog washes or pet massages at the pet-related business while pet owners receive makeovers or chair massages. The services you offer can be free in exchange for a donation for the charity of choice or you can charge regular prices but donate part or all of the proceeds to the pet-friendly cause you select.

Do what you can to involve other pet-oriented businesses such as local vets, groomers, pet photographers, kennels and others. Give them a sponsorship status in exchange for free offers or certificates for clients that attend…and permission to market the event in their businesses and to their client lists.

At the event, have gift bags ready with treats for Kitty or Fido, offers and coupons from your sponsors, bandanas for all the clean pets…and a paw shaped coupon for all the owners to try your spa out on their own. Who knows, you may even end up adding pet spa and massage products to your own retail offerings to keep those fur ball fanatics coming in your door. Woof!

How to get started: Talk to your clients and staff to see what pet-stores, vets or groomers they frequent. Once you get your list and narrow it down to a few targeted partners and sponsors, set up a meeting or phone call to discuss the “paw-motion.” I'd love to hear how it turns out and to see pictures of your events!

Is Your Spa's Marketing Focused?

I have been accused from time to time of having entrepreneurial ADD. Ever heard of it? Basically it means I have been guilty of being somewhat easily distracted by new, interesting (and perhaps profitable) projects that have come my way. Then when the next bright, shiny thing came along, I'd forget about what I've been working on and wonder off in pursuit the next opportunity.

For example, a few months ago I had the opportunity to do some work in my part-time massage practice with a couple of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about myself and was incredibly rewarding. As a result I was introduced to a whole new group of clients, a different focus for doing massage and a wealth of ideas about how I could promote and teach this type of work to other massage therapists. I could see creating workshops, books, volunteer groups and so much more in the blink of an eye. It was going to be incredible!

Did I mention that the primary purpose of my career is to work as a marketing and business coach for spa, massage and wellness professionals? That I had spent months refocusing that area of my business to do what I am most passionate about? That I have little desire to teach technique or do "hands on" classes and am working little by little to phase out my massage practice all together?

So I had to ask myself, are these ideas of creating training videos, courses and other materials on working with ALS patients in line with my business focus? The answer was no and I am proud to say that I saw this up front and walked away from (or at least tabled) the investment of time and resources I could have spent on a new endeavor. I felt relieved when I did and know that I can always come back to these ideas at a later time if they continue to be of interest to me down the road.

So my questions to you are:

1) What is your primary business goal or focus?

2) Are your current marketing tasks, actions and expenditures helping you achieve those goals?3) Do you have a marketing plan that illustrates how all these things work together?

Take some time to assess these three questions for yourself. Then make a list of all the things that are pulling your focus away from your goals and get to work on making some changes and getting through that list of distractions. Let me know if I can be of help!

Blogs - Easy and Effective Social Media Tools

I just finished the video below as a promo for two upcoming classes I am teaching at the 2010 AMTA Schools Summit next month. Although the tip and classes are directed at massage schools and massage educators, I think it is important for all businesses to consider following my advice from the video and START USING BLOGS.

Take a quick peek at the clip and then follow the suggestions below to get started.

Start a blog that shares relevant information or thoughts with your clients and prospects.Your blog provides a way for people to learn about you, your company and industry as well as related topics. It's a somewhat like a journal so it can be a little off the topic of your business and can be fairly informal. Be aware that just like with email, you should onlywrite in your blog what you don't mind the entire world knowing about you and your business. Encourage your clients to sign up for a subscription or RSS feed to your blog so that they can get immediate notice of new posts and articles right to their email box or desktop.

Write on other people's blogs. Write from your professional perspective when appropriate or possible and include info about your business (name, web site and/or email address) so that people can follow up with you if they want to. Look for blogs that relate to your profession, area or subjects that interest you. The one you are reading now is a great place to start!

If you're still not sure how to get started or are stumped about making blogging and other social media a part of your marketing plan, post your questions here or email me at blogs@spalutions.com to set up a quick social media consultation.

 

7 Lessons for Using Social Media

I've become something of a social media junkie. When I'm not checking Facebook and LinkedIn to see who's doing what and what the hot topics are, I am reading about how to use social media even more to promote and grow my business - and to help my coaching/consulting clients with their social media planning.

I don't pretend to know all the answers. Honestly there is SOOOOO much out there on social media I don't think anyone can understand all the ins and outs of every single tools and site. But it is important to understand some of the basics about all of social media.

That why I'm sharing this link  from http://Mashable.com with you on 7 Lessons for Using Social Media.  There are some great ideas in it - my favorites being Don't Expect a Response and What You Want is Not the Point. They remind me of a friend who started a blog for his company and was then disappointed that no one was "talking" on it. He wanted there to be a lively discussion - his readers however wanted to get information and nothing more at least in the beginning.

So what sites and tools are you using to promote yourself or your business? What is working the best for you? I use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn the most along with a couple of sites that are for specific groups. If you want to connect with me on any of them, please do!

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/feliciaebrown 
Twitter - http://twitter.com/FeliciaBrown
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/people/Felicia-Brown/1158084519
You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/fbrown6886 and http://www.youtube.com/smartspamarketing Massage Professionals - http://www.massageprofessionals.com/profile/FeliciaBrown 

And if you aren't using social media (or don't really feel confident about doing so or how to get started), I'd love to know what trips you up or holds you back. I'll offer some help and "how tos" in future posts and/or courses.

Felicia

PS...I will be speaking on Social Media at the Schools Summit in February (in warm, sunny Florida) and the Day Spa Expo in March (in the un-official spa capital of the US - Las Vegas). Come see me if you can!

Email Marketing Made Easy

I am a big fan of the Internet and use it a lot to grow and promote my businesses - in case you hadn't noticed. One of my favorite tools to use besides my own web sites and blogs is for email marketing. Companies like Constant Contact and RatePoint provide great templates, images and tools to make sending newsletters and promotions a snap for a very cost effective rate.

One of the things that makes this type of service nice is that your emails are less likely to be counted as spam. People not only get your emails but can also forward the emails, click on links and even purchase products you recommend from Amazon.com or your web site if you have a shopping cart set up.

All of these activities are tracked so you can see who does what and who doesn't. You can also make it easy for people to un-subscribe without hurting your feelings!

The key to a successful newsletter (and business) is to have things that engage the clients and keep their interest. A few ideas:

1) Make stories and paragraphs shorter and snappier than you would in a magazine article.

2) Offer tips on how they can help themselves, save money or benefit from your services and products.

3) Include pictures and hyper-links to your web site, blog and other points of interest.

4) Try to send it out on some type of a regular basis - once or twice a month - unless people subscribe to some type of tip for the day or week.

5) Include a call to action - "Call today for a free estimate." "Schedule now and receive 10% off" etc.

Whatever marketing you do, make sure it fits with your business and personality style so that it fits your clients too. And as I keep telling myself, don't be afraid to delegate this job to someone else if it is not your bag or you don't have time for one more thing .

Want to try Constant Contact or RatePoint at no risk? Just click on the links below for a free trial.

RatePoint Trial
Constant Contact Trial

How Do Your Customers Feel About You?

This video shows a pretty funny "conversation" between a company/advertiser and a customer. See if you hear yourself in any part of the dialogue. If it is on the advertiser side, it may be time for you to re-evaluate what you're doing to reach your clients and preserve or improve the relationships you have with them.




If you're ready for some professional feedback about your "conversation" skills, email me at Felicia@spalutions.com to request a FREE initial consultation. We'll take time to evaluate your current marketing and client communication efforts and make immediate suggestions on what you can improve right away. You'll get a sample of what it's like to work one on one with a marketing coach with no risk and no worries. I hope you'll take that first step. I know you want to make sure you're doing all you can to make your current clients happy and to turn new clients into repeating regulars.

Do you really need to advertise to bring in new business?

You may have seen this issue on the blog before but I think question "Do you really need to advertise to bring in new business?" really deserves a second look.

It would be easier if it was a simple "yes" or "no," but as in life, things are not always so black and white.  However, I will say that there are many examples of successful spas, solo estheticians, salons and massage therapists out there that have never run a print ad and are happily booked up. 

What's their secret?  Well for one, success isn't a secret...but it there is no one magic answer either.   But success does require some planning -- we've all heard this before.  A business plan.  A personnel plan.  A marketing plan. And so on.

Very often the marketing plan does not get finished ... or even started ... prior to opening the doors on that first day.  This is not uncommon, but it could also be a costly mistake.  Without a marketing plan, spending and activities are reactive and are not as effective as when operating from a well thought out plan.

I know it can be overwhelming to know where to start...and sometimes this prevents us from starting at all.  But trust me when I say that having a month-by-month marketing plan will save you money and bring in more clients than not having one. 

To get past that stage of not knowing where to start, my friend and partner in this site, Heather Gallegos, created a four-hour course on creating your annual marketing plan called Smart Spa Marketing.  Spread over three to four weeks, this self-paced course will take you step-by-step in the creating a marketing plan for the next twelve months.  And then you can simply make small updates for the next year, and the next.

As most of you know, I recently purchased Heather's business along with the course. As I am going along in blending her business and products with mine, I'd really love to get some feedback on how I can make Smart Spa Marketing even better. That's where I need your help...

I've decided to offer the Smart Spa Marketing course for just $79, but only to the next 15 people that respond to this special offer. That's almost 40% off the regular price of $129. So what's the catch for giving such a huge discount? Not a thing. All I ask is that upon completion of the course you complete a quick evaluation of the course, tell me what you like least and most about it, and provide suggestions on what would make this class more valuable to you and others. The discount is simply my thank you for your time and help.

What's more, by implementing even just one of the helpful tools in the course, I am positive you will make back your entire purchase price and much more. If you don't I'll refund your entire purchase price.

To learn more about Smart Spa Marketing, just click here. When you are ready to make your purchase, type in the coupon code SMARTSPA to get your discount. 

Don't put off making this incredibly affordable investment in yourself and your spa or practice. This is a one time offer and one that will not be repeated.  Get started with Smart Spa Marketing today and make 2010 the best year ever for your business!

Thanks in advance for your help, support, and feedback . Stay SMART!

Felicia

Related Articles:

Five reasons why you need a marketing plan for your salon or spa

Slot machine marketing

Must-do marketing for solos

Let's Start the New Year Off Right!

 
Happy New Year!

Let me begin by officially say how excited I am to be here at Spa Clientele Marketing Tips. I am so thankful to Heather Gallegos for entrusting her "baby" to me while she charts a new course in her own life. As she mentioned in the previous post, she and I have gotten to know each other over the last few years and became fast friends because of our similar methods and philosophies about marketing spa and wellness businesses. I am so thrilled to be able to continue what Heather has already started on this blog and to introduce myself to all of you.  It is a really wonderful way to start the new year!

Like with my business, one of the best things that comes with the passing of December 31st is the opportunity to begin in January with a fresh start. I personally like the chance to reflect on the past year and determine what has been working well in promoting my business (and what hasn't.) I'd like to offer you a chance to do the same.

Below is a list of ten questions I have every prospective coaching client fill out before we begin working on improving their marketing and operations. I thought it would be a good thing to post it here so that you too could get the benefit of exploring the answers.

See what you come up with and feel free to share any of "ahas" or bits of inspiration that come from doing this exercise right here on the blog. And if you decide that you are truly ready to improve your results for next year's "examination" and want to work with a motivational coach and expert to make it happen, email your answers along with your contact information to newyears@spalutions.com. I'll get back in touch ASAP to set up your free initial consultation. 

Download Spalutions - Ten Question Business Assessment - 3

1)    What are the biggest strengths of your business or practice? What makes it unique or sets you apart from others in your field or area? 

2)    What are the biggest weaknesses or challenges of your business? What things are your competitors doing better than you?  

3)    How would you like to see your business change in the next six months?  

4)    What challenges might prevent you from getting these results?  

5)    How do new clients and prospects find out about you? Is this being tracked and if so how?  

6)    How do you follow up with prospective clients?  

7)    How do you follow up with new clients?  

8)    How do you follow up with past or inactive clients?  

9)    What do you love the most about your business and how are these facets represented in your business? 

10) What marketing strategies are you using right now? (not ads that you have purchased but things like sending birthday cards, offering a welcome gift to new clients, etc…things that are more internal in nature.)

Sometimes taking the time to do such a simple exercise can be just the thing to propel your business to the next level. I encourage you to take an introspective moment or two to get a clear picture of where your business is (and is heading in 2010.) And if you want more of what you got in this little exercise, get in touch and/or stay tuned for details on my upcoming Business Transformation Bootcamp that starts in a few weeks!

New beginnings in the New Year

By Heather Gallegos




As 2010 emerges shiny and new, for many of us it also brings new hopes and dreams.    Perhaps you have hope for new clients, or the dream of a new business venture or just simply positive anticipation of better things in 2010.  Here at Spa Clientele Marketing Tips – there is hope for new energy and a dream of helping more spa owners like you grow their businesses.

2009 brought many changes, and for me personally it meant the need to work a full-time job and put writing new articles for this website on the back burner.   I was torn between taking down the site or leaving it…and the more than 100 articles on it … up and available to search and read.   I left it up and as the months passed, I realized could not let the website disappear forever. 

In early 2009, I reached out to my friend and colleague, Felicia Brown of Spalutions, to explore if she would be interested in running this site and my related ventures.  She and I worked together on a few projects before and I always enjoyed working with her.  While I’m strictly a California girl and Felicia is a southern belle, we have very similar marketing, business and coaching styles. And as fate would have it, she was ready for a new chapter for her business as well and began contributing to the blog soon after our initial call!

Now after several months of preparation, I am thrilled to entrust Spa Clientele Marketing Tips and Smart Spa Marketing course to Felicia's care.   She brings many years of running a successful spa and massage therapy practice in addition to her work as a marketing coach and business consultant. She has authored numerous articles in magazines such as Massage Magazine, Dermascope, Massage & Bodywork and Skin, Inc among others. 

 

Felicia has also started up two spas with two very different stories that I’m sure she’ll share with you in the future.   But for now, you should know that she has likely experienced and lived through what you may be facing in your business or practice right now.  I am confident that Felicia will nurture and grow this website while introducing new articles and business inspiration for spa owners and professionals. I encourage you to reach out to her, ask her advice, and share your own stories with her and others here on the Spa Clientele Blog.

Most importantly, I want to thank all of you for being loyal readers and clients – many of you have taught me along the way and helped me grow professionally as well.  It is my wish that your 2010 is full of health, happiness and prosperous growth!

Heather

We're making a few changes behind the scenes on the blog and other sites over the next few weeks. So look for us to be up and posting lots of new Marketing Tips again after January 1st.

Until then, have Happy Holidays and wonderful New Year!