Nadine Dilong Welcoming a brand new client to your business is great, but having them come back is even better.
Beauty Salons Coach Kailey Hegetschweiler explains how:
So many beauty salon owners focus a lot of their marketing on attracting new clients to their business, so they tend to miss the opportunity of converting new clients to regular clients. In today’s economy where clients seem to be cutting out their ‘luxury’ or ‘unnecessary’ spending, especially with the pandemic that is unfolding with COVID-19, it has never been more important to adjust your focus from attracting new clients to converting client into regulars, as well as keeping your regulars coming back for more.
Shifting your focus and aiming for a higher client retention rate is guaranteed to increase your profit margin, without having to increase your prices. Studies have proven that once you build a strong, genuine connection with your clients they are more likely to spend more money within your business. Without establishing those strong connections with your clients, you run a risk of your products and services getting lost in translation against your competition. With access to the internet at the touch of a button there is so much information out there that your clients can easily get hold of. You don’t want to fade into the background, you want to stand out.
This can be achieved by providing exceptional services and support, so that it doesn’t matter where they go, they will always come back to you. Repeat clients are known to spend 120% more annually than new clients. As a business owner you need to make it your priority to truly understand what your customers’ needs and wants are, in order to maintain their loyalty throughout the good times and the bad.
So where do you start? How do you turn new clients into regulars? Let’s take a look at four easy steps you can start taking today!
Bringing the WOW factor
The journey you take your clients on, from the moment they enter your spa/clinic to the moment they leave plays a vital role when it comes to client retention. First impressions are everything. The moment a client first walks into your business, they are already judging whether or not they will rebook or recommend you to friends and family. Appearances generally aren’t everything but the look and feel of your entrance directly affects your client’s experience. You want to ensure you have a warm, clean, friendly and welcoming environment – this is your client’s first impression of your business after all.
Your goal is to WOW your clients and the best way to do this is to walk through your business as a client. How would you expect to be treated when you first call up to book in your appointment? What would you expect on arrival? What would be essential for your day spa experience? It could be the smallest things from having a herbal tea waiting for them on arrival, or putting their name on the treatment room door. Think about things you can do that will get your clients talking but don’t overlook the small things.
Building true connections
Everybody loves the feeling of being remembered, this is one of the biggest contributions to client retention. You want to actively get to know your clients and find out why they have come to you. What are their concerns when it comes to their skin? How can you help them with your expertise? You want to collect as much information about them as possible, it’s important that you make notes of each conversation you have with your clients. So even if you are seeing twenty different clients a day, when that client walks through the door you can pick up where you last left off. Make notes of their birthdays, special trips and important dates so you can send them a personalised message on those days. This alone will make each client feel valued.
Repeat visits
A good way to keep clients coming back is bundling services. Instead of a once off facial you could sell them a course of six treatments that would be more effective and beneficial for them. This allows you to strengthen your relationship and build up their trust. Once you build up their trust it’s easier to recommend retail products to them. Don’t forget to ask each client if they want to rebook before they leave!
Re-engagement marketing
Establish which clients haven’t booked in for a while and create a message that re-engages them. You can send a personalised text message and email with the caption ‘We miss you’ and a special offer inviting them back to the spa. I would advise calling up once-off clients to find out why they haven’t rebooked. You can then use that information to improve your business.
This is only a small portion of what you can do to turn new clients into regular clients. The more small steps you take the bigger the reward.
Kailey Hegetschweiler is the Founder of Beauty Salons Coach. beautysalonscoach.com
