HOW DO I ATTRACT NEW CLIENTS?

The question I get asked most by salon owners is, "how does my salon attract and retain new clients?" Sometimes, a salon owner will make a statement like, "My goal for 2023 is to get one new client each day". That's a great goal. Here's some steps to help work towards it.

Most salons try to achieve these goals by spending their marketing dollars on website marketing, Groupon, direct mail, social media, etc. While these are all marketing tools that should absolutely be part of your marketing plan, the easiest, best, and least expensive way to grow your business is NOT by adding new clients, but by retaining existing clients and increasing the money they spend in your salon. In a recent study, the Harvard Business School found that increasing client retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25%.

There is nothing more offensive to your existing clients then a promotion or deal "for new clients only". Running a "new clients only" promotion tells your existing, loyal customers who have been supporting you for months, or even years, that you do not value them. Don't worry so much about new clients - focus on the low-hanging fruit, your existing client base! You can't afford to lose these people. In order to grow your business, you need to get them to spend more money in your salon.

How do you do this? The answer is in your book!

Tip 01: Who haven't you seen in 60+ days? Call them and invite them in! Treat them like gold. Show them what's new. Offer them a promotion (these are the ones who deserve a promotion).

Tip 02: Go through your book and see which clients get what services. What can you add? You already know they like you and trust you because they keep coming back.

Tip 03: You want new clients so you can grow your business, but the best way to grow your business doesn't require any new clients at all! Focus on your existing client base. Offer your color client a few complimentary face framing highlights to introduce them to this (highly addictive) service. Rather than saying to your client "So what are we doing today, same as last time?" take a minute before they arrive and think about what service or product you offer that you can add to their ticket to help them look even better. Remember, the more services they come to you for means more money in your pocket, and less chance you lose them to the salon or suite down the street. Take the time when they are in your chair to discuss added products or services and how they would benefit from them. Express Keratin? Spot perm? Treatments? Tools? Highlights? A few minutes of preparation and targeted marketing to a captive audience is the best marketing you can get, and it costs you nothing!

Blue Sky Beauty will be offering Business Classes in our Hauppauge, NY Interactive Stylist Lab in the coming months discussing this and many topics to help you grow your business, so keep an eye out for more information!

Stay Beautiful,

Larry Drew

Blue Sky Beauty