An amazing invention - but who would ever want to use one?
- U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes after he made a call from Washington D.C. to Pennsylvania with Alexander Graham Bell's telephone in 1876
One of the most powerful and underused marketing tool a spa professional has is their phone. A simple follow-up call a day or two after a spa visit is a free, easy and effective way to strengthen your relationship with your clients. On top of that, it will greatly differentiate you from your competition.
Sure, there are plenty of good excuses not to make a client follow-up call. Some of these may even sound familiar:
- I don't want to bother them.
- I don't have the time.
- I wouldn't know what to say.
However, the underlying reason for not creating a system to make these calls is fear. Fear of being considered a telemarketer. Fear of wasting your time. Fear of rejection.
Yet, when a simple process is established and followed for you or your staff, you'll find that your fears are unfounded. Instead, you'll boost your return client booking and referral rates because you'll have reached out beyond the treatment room to connect and relate to your clients.
Let me help breakdown those fears and excuses and give some ideas to implement this simple strategy and process.
1. I don't want to bother my clients. (Fear of being considered a telemarketer.) First off, you just spent thirty minutes to an hour with them in your chair or while they were half-naked in your treatment room. This is why you will never be associated with a telemarketer. Secondly, and this is important, you already asked their permission to call them before they left your spa or salon.
"I always want to make sure everything is okay for you in these next few days. <Then refer to common questions they may have: muscle soreness from massage, swelling from medical injections, ingrown hairs from waxing, hair styling a new cut at home, flareups or breakouts after a facial or peel, application of recently purchased products.> So often I find my clients have unanswered questions, but are shy and don't call me. I want to call you in with you in a few days to check up on you. Would that be okay?"
If they see your genuine interest in them, 99%will say "of course!" Furthermore, let me clarify that these followup calls are not sales calls. They are "I care about you, and I am here for you" calls and you absolutely have to make them once you say you will call.
2. I don't have the time. (Fear of wasting my time.) While it can be challenging to remember to call clients, the key here is to not leave it up to your memory. Create a process to add their name, number and service to a set meeting time on your calendar two days after their service. This way, at a set time every day, you have a list of a few calls to make. Each call will take about 5 minutes or less. If your appointments are less than 80% of capacity, you can spare 30 minutes a day to focus on no-cost marketing and increase referrals.
3. I wouldn't know what to say. (Fear of rejection.) An easy way to move beyond this one is to imagine you ran into them at the grocery store two days after their appointment. What would you say to them? If you are still stuck, a generic script is to simply ask how their hair/skin/muscles feel today and if you can answer any questions. If you get voice mail, end it with a pleasant wish to have a great day and that you look forward to seeing them again soon. Again, this all about building a relationship and connection with your clients.
What will you do this week to start building your fortune by following up with clients?
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