Spa Clientéle Marketing Tips

Fresh New Trend: Martinis and Manicures

I just love this idea for joint, event based marketing. [And have to admit, it is not my idea.]  One day a month (in this case, the first Tuesday), a local hotel hosts a "Martinis & Manicures" event in their very posh bar.  Cost is $20 for a signature martini and basic trim & polish and "reservations are strongly recommended."    Here's what I like about it and my ideas for how you can personalize the event for your business.

Profit!  At $10 a pop plus tips for a basic trim and polish, the technician can do three manis per hour and clear $40 - 50 an hour.  While there is a trade off in volume and ease of event management -- consider offering 15 minute chair massages to those waiting (or drying).  Or quickie-pedi's using soaking bowls. Or upgrades with nail design.

Fun factor. Not only will the clients be in a fun mood, it is fun and different atmosphere that your spa or business brand can uniquely be associated with.  And doing it once a month maintains that uniqueness for you.  [Doing more serious or messy services (waxing, scrubs, facials, medi-services) are not recommended for this type of event. Keep it simple.]

Excellent marketing & referral opportunity. For every new client, you should be prepared to give them a business card or better yet, a postcard that has your contact information, location and services.  Turn it into a limited time offer coupon for a free lip treatment with facial or other upgrade offer that you maintain your profitability and it increases the chance that you'll see them again soon.

No alcohol liability.  Mixing liquor and personal care services is not always the best idea...but we all know that girl grooming prior to going out is all part of the excitement of a fun night.  By partnering at a bar, on a slow night for both businesses, is a win-win.  They get clients in for a beverage (or two) and you have the chance to meet new clients you may have had the chance to build a relationship with before.  [Doing this event at your spa would not be recommended due to the increase liability of serving alcohol, which would have to be complementary unless you have a liquor license.]

The biggest trick is finding the right partner to do this with.  It doesn't have to be a hotel, but it should be a bar or restaurant that:

1. Matches your brand [Frankly, this whole event may not work for you if drinking alcohol is a serious conflict with your key messages.]
2. Is located nearby your business [Clients are going to be local to the bar.]
3. Has enough space to serve several clients at once
4. Is willing to commit to the same day (or days) every month.
5. Is fair in the cost and revenue share -- you both should be marketing the event to your clientele.

And for your final nugget of creative ideas...consider partnering with a mobile bartender or caterer and hosting mobile "Martinis and Manicures" parties at your clients location of choice.  What a fun bachelorette party or bridal shower event!

As always -- let me know what you think!  Submit your questions and comments below or drop me an email.

Open Apology Letter to Advertising Sales Reps

Dear Advertising Sales Reps,

I'm sorry that I haven't shared a very high opinion of advertising sales reps in my e-book and previous blog posts.  I sincerely apologize for offending anyone because I realize there are wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable people who help small business owners of salons, day spas and medical spa increase their client traffic.   Rather than demonizing you as a person [heck, I'm a sales rep too!] for doing your best to provide a way to reach potential clients, I should be more specific and not be so lazy as to pick on anonymous people when it really mass, non-targeted, unmeasurable marketing that I see as the enemy of small business owners.

Let me explain.

The traditional marketing approach of paying for a print, radio or TV ad with the hope of reaching a ton of people that might be interested in a business services is, at best, a gambling bet.  No one can tell that business that they'll see x number of clients or interested prospects for seeing or hearing that ad.  It is simply not measurable via traditional means -- and therefore it is unknown if paying for that ad drove some, none or even one clients to take action.  However, if there is a way to track responses to that ad then offline advertising becomes incredibly appealing.

This is where savvy advertising reps and and savvy salon and spa owners can come together to create action oriented, measurable print, radio and TV ads that make sense.  There is a really technical explanation of how this works at Marketing Measurement Blog. if business owners want to do-it-yourself.  Or, hire someone to do it for the salon or spa business like Campaign Mojo.  Either way, doing the first ad will probably seem like a huge chore to set it up for the salon or spa owner.  But once the data is back on two or three ads -- and one ad clearly brought in far more clients than the other two -- that upfront work will save money and time that will not be spent on ads that don't work.

I'd be more apt to recommend offline advertising as a good option for small businesses if it was easier for the adversing business to set up and track the ad.  As it is today, small businesses need to do double the work of marketing to make sure they their advertising dollars are measured and well spent.  If a media outlet -- whether that is print, TV or radio-- is able to provide tracking URLs or 800 numbers for an ad with them, then I would jump at the chance to advertise with that publication.  Sure, spa owners can do it themselves -- but wouldn't it be a wonderful value add if the media did it for them?

This is why I am such a fan of Internet advertising -- where links, ads and listings are shown only to prospective clients that are actively seeking information on your type of business or services.  And the advertiser always get reports on what is working and what is not working to bring in new prospective clients.

So, I hereby pledge to stop demonizing sales reps for simpling trying to get their job done.  They are not the bad guy.  And advertising -- when measurable and done right -- can be a very good marketing activity to attract new clients.

My sincere apologies,

Heather

What are your clients saying about you?

Internet marketing is becoming a complicated thing these days.  It isn't just having a website for your spa or salon anymore.  It now involves search engine optimization (SEO), Internet advertising, blogs, and social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook.  And lately, there has been a influx of business directories that allow the unmonitored posting of comments about your business.  Hopefully they are positive, but because you don't control them... they might be negative.  However, you do need to know what is being posted about your business.   Here's a list of the most popular sites -- feel free to add your comments about others I may not have listed.  [On most of these, you have the ability to add photos of your business, add a description of services and even pay for a premium listing in their directory.  This payment would be categorized as Internet advertising in your marketing budget -- and in my opinion is a much better (and cheaper) investment than a printed newspaper.]

Well established with high traffic for referrals.

• Citysearch.com
• Yelp.com
• Yahoo! Local (will also get you listed on Yahoo! maps)
• Insiderpages.com

A must for being listed "on the map"

• Google Business Listing Have your business appear to people looking at nearby maps.

It is ethical to encourage your loyal clients to post their opinions about you on these sites.  It is not ethical (and can lead being delisted by the directory) to pretend to be one.  If someone posts a negative opinion, you should be proactive and try to resolve it with them -- perhaps they will post a retraction or an update.  Regardless of their actions, you may learn something about your business by talking to an unhappy client -- it can help you in the future to avoid similar situations.

If you worry about forgetting to check these listings, create a weekly or monthly appointment to remind yourself (or someone on your staff) to check any new postings.  That way you'll be able to reward those clients who praise you and address ones that may not be so happy.

What does your marketing say about you?

While marketing may fall pretty low on your list of things to do, when you do create or send out a marketing communication (brochure, email, newsletter, ad, etc.) it is important that it sends the right message.  There are some hidden messages that you may not be aware of sending when you go about your normal business routine.  Here are some things I have read in marketing that I'm pretty sure the owners didn't want me to read.

• We do not have enough clients to keep us busy.  Usually this is the email sent on Thursday or Friday about all the sudden openings this coming weekend.  Seeing this once in a while is a perk -- but seeing it every other weekend screams desperation.  While everyone wants a fully booked weekend, talking about your available openings can backfire on you.  Humans are pack animals at our core -- the most desirable places to be are often where everyone else already is.  So instead of talking about how no one is booking up appointments with you, talk about the value you provide to your clients and offer a limited time perk for callers in the next 48 hours.  Perhaps a free add-on service that is on the higher end -- like a free cut & blow dry with color; or 20 minute massage with a 60 minute body treatment; or choice of upgraded facial on a standard facial.  Because it is for existing clients and they will still pay a full price for a service, your cost is in some product and minimal time.  And when they call, you can tell them that there are some openings in the next few days.  You'll be able to book up your openings without sharing to the world about your dilemma.

• We are amateurs.  Personal care services face a lot of competition -- and if you have "spa" somewhere in your business name you have already decided that you are a higher-end provider.   Assuming you want to be perceived as providing high-end, elegant, and effective services to clients who pay well for good service -- your marketing needs to show it.  This means that there has to be some investment in creating high quality marketing materials.  You don't have to break the bank here, but you do need a professional business identity with a logo, business cards, brochure, website and email templates that all fit the same branded look.  It is easy to get carried away on the build out of your physical space -- do not forget to spend the same care in the image you project to attract clients to see it at least once.  It is a terrible waste to have a simply gorgeous space and then not be able to attract enough clients to enjoy it.  Some of my more successful clients have fairly simple (humble even) facilities, but with professional marketing and outstanding customer service they have the most loyal clients.

• We are unorganized.  This is usually read in the last minute, hastily written email newsletters right before a holiday.  While your clients can be rushed, unorganized and not plan ahead -- you can't if you want to be perceived has providing a high-end service.  And the more reminders you can provide of an upcoming holiday opportunity, the higher the likelihood that they will buy a gift certificate or book an appointment with you.  Marketing works when it is consistent and repetitive -- because we all need to hear things more than once before it sinks in.

All of these subconscious messages can be avoided through planning ahead, investing upfront in professional marketing materials and consistently following a marketing plan.  And do forgive yourself if you resemble any of these (I'm guilty of some of them too!) -- the challenge of small business success truly lies in finding a way to grow and move beyond the missteps that we make until we know a better way.

Don't have a marketing plan?  Get a jump start on it in my one hour teleseminar on June 19th.

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

So often an afterthought in running a small business, having a marketing plan really can move your salon or spa business from "barely making it" to having it "made in the shade." Here's why:

5.  Save time and money by not scrambling for holiday promotions at the last minute.  Your plan will prompt you to start planning for coordinated promotions with your staff, lobby, website and email communications weeks prior to the target holiday.

4.  Generate more free publicity with a plan to approach local journalists and businesses about customer or charity events.  Coordination of themes, joint marketing or timely events is key for a fantastic story...and requires good planning.

3.  Stop re-creating the wheel every time you want to write a marketing communication (email, brochure, press release, direct mail) because you will simply use your

2.  Get your brand known with consistent and regular communications that reserve a spot in the minds of your clients and prospective clients.  Having a plan allows you to do this well.

1.  You can say with confidence to that pesky ad sales rep "No thanks, I do not want to advertise in your publication."

Don't have a marketing plan?  Create yours now with Smart Spa Marketing  

Drive customer loyalty with speciality training

As a client, there is nothing more inspiring than receiving a spa service that makes me want to shout to the world how wonderful it was.  As a business owner or practitioner, you are of course dreaming that every single client feels that way. But the sad truth is that, as normal human beings, we can easily get into a rut and our customer connection, our pizazz and our enthusiasm suffers...as does your clients experience of the service.

I am often asked by my clients "How can I increase client traffic?"  The quick answer is that there is no quick fix.  It is combination of attracting new clients while increasing return client visits. Attracting new clients is primarily done through referrals, publicity or advertising.   I like to focus more on my return clients - it makes for much cheaper marketing.  And it can start with a simple decision to put your "A" game on when you work with each and every client and provide that "WOW" experience.  Providing outstanding service is a cornerstone of client returns and referrals.

But, as I mentioned earlier, we are all human and thus get bored with doing the same thing day in and day out.  While attending tradeshows and occasional seminars are a great way to get fresh ideas, going for travel seminars can really be a wonderfully memorable experience.  In addition to some great ideas, you can write off the trip as an expense and even earn some CEUs! 

Consider a trip to Hawaii or Costa Rica for massage training at Spa College.  Instructors Liz and Nicolay are really excellent massage therapists that have years of experience as MTs and consultants to the industry. 

Yoga in Italy?  Global Yoga Journeys has week long classes in Tuscany.

While retreats like these for hair and aesthetics are far less in number, you can book more time on an upcoming trade show trip to attend specialty classes held before and after the show.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep your techniques and enthusiasm fresh to keep your clients coming back.