How to get clients lining up at the salon door?

[Bombalurina]

Hi Geeks!

I've recently set up on my own, renting a beauty room within an established town centre hairdressers Fridays and Saturdays only (While I continue working as trainer for a beauty equipment manufacturer Mon-Thurs!).

I've only been in one day so far (Sat last week), and it was quiet, which is to be expected, and this Saturday will be my second day, which is still looking quiet. Ok, only week 2, but I'm hoping for crowds! I know patience is a virtue, but I'm not feeling very virtuous!!

This is what I have done so far;

• Banner in salon window
• Posters in window offering free file & polish for fingers when booking a platinum pedicure, and £10 off a LaStone back neck & shoulder massage
• Have been out in town handing out leaflets
• Raffle prize of Classic Manicure given to local charity evening
• Organised to attend a charity evening in September offering massages
• Mass text sent to all my existing clients
• Mass text sent to all salon hair clients
• I'm also telling all clients as I see them of my news
• Offering a free wash & blow dry to anyone who spends more than £25 with me on beauty/holistic treatments.

I still need to:

• Mass email all my existing clients
• Mass email all salon hair clients
• Give all existing clients my new price list, discount voucher, and "Platinum Client Card" offering them 10% off beauty & holistics with me at the salon for the next 6 months (I'm trying to convince as many mobile clients as I can to come see me at the salon!!)

What can I do to generate some impulse spending on a Saturday?! I'd like to get some manicures in so I can sit and work in the window, and people can see that I'm there, and can see what I do...short of bribing my mum, do any of you have any ideas?!!

I know its early days, but I'm passionate about this, and I want to make it work so much!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Debs001]

I think your expecting too much too soon. A lot of people don't know your there, or just because they do they're not all going to decide they need a treatment then and there. Maybe do a free eyebrow wax with a treatment instead of mani, personally if I was out shopping a spur of the moment mani would not appeal as it's quite time consuming and I would be worried about it being ruined if I carried on shopping. Whereas a quick and easy treatment would appeal if I was getting my hair done.

 

[emlouise_87]

Personally I think you've done alot considering you're only in your 2nd week! It definitely needs some time, but at least you have another job so u have some income coming in. Give it a bit more time x

 

[Bombalurina]

Thanks for your advice, I've worked in salons before and I do realise it takes time...but I'm trying to do all I can to make sure it takes less time than I've previously experienced!

I like the free eyebrow wax when spending a certain amont idea (Threading would work well in my area), so I have another question...if I was to offer this for "one day only", how would I go about advertising such a short term promotion? Posters in the window? I don't have time to get flyers etc printed....and I don't yet have a website although this is up and coming shortly.......

Any other geeks out there that can help, also? Do you run short term promotions on quiet days, and if so, how do you get the message out there???

 

[hippy-chick]

I ask for clients email and mobile numbers, I then send out an email and in some cases I send out a text to selected clients.

I also find facebook good, if I put that I have a 3pm available then quite often someone books it.

 

[Bombalurina]

Thanks Hippy-Chick, that's a fab idea!

 

[Aromababy]

Hi Geeks!

I've recently set up on my own, renting a beauty room within an established town centre hairdressers Fridays and Saturdays only (While I continue working as trainer for a beauty equipment manufacturer Mon-Thurs!).

I've only been in one day so far (Sat last week), and it was quiet, which is to be expected, and this Saturday will be my second day, which is still looking quiet. Ok, only week 2, but I'm hoping for crowds! I know patience is a virtue, but I'm not feeling very virtuous!!

This is what I have done so far;

• Banner in salon window
• Posters in window offering free file & polish for fingers when booking a platinum pedicure, and £10 off a LaStone back neck & shoulder massage
• Have been out in town handing out leaflets
• Raffle prize of Classic Manicure given to local charity evening
• Organised to attend a charity evening in September offering massages
• Mass text sent to all my existing clients
• Mass text sent to all salon hair clients
• I'm also telling all clients as I see them of my news
• Offering a free wash & blow dry to anyone who spends more than £25 with me on beauty/holistic treatments.

I still need to:

• Mass email all my existing clients
• Mass email all salon hair clients
• Give all existing clients my new price list, discount voucher, and "Platinum Client Card" offering them 10% off beauty & holistics with me at the salon for the next 6 months (I'm trying to convince as many mobile clients as I can to come see me at the salon!!)

What can I do to generate some impulse spending on a Saturday?! I'd like to get some manicures in so I can sit and work in the window, and people can see that I'm there, and can see what I do...short of bribing my mum, do any of you have any ideas?!!

I know its early days, but I'm passionate about this, and I want to make it work so much!!!!!!!!!!

Make sure all the hairdressers are wearing YOUR nails and YOUR toes, eyelashes, tans whatever you are doing. That used to get me loads of new business when I rented in a salon x

Sent from my GT-S5830 using SalonGeek

 

[pampered1]

Make sure all the hairdressers are wearing YOUR nails and YOUR toes, eyelashes, tans whatever you are doing. That used to get me loads of new business when I rented in a salon x

Sent from my GT-S5830 using SalonGeek

I agree, with the above post, plus the hairdressers promote what I do to all their clients.
I work on the same basis as u full time job and friday and sat in a hair salon. When I first started I put posters in the shop window, spoke to a couple of the neighbouring shops - hair salon and tanning shop, even the bicycle shop, I offered the staff special deals. For my first 2 weeks I got my friends and family to come in for appointments and charged them a special rate which encouraged the salon customers and passing trade to enquire and make appointments. The staff from the other Hair dressers and tanning shop also took up my offers, were happy with the service and now regularly refer clients. The bicycle shop lady is now hooked on shellac - lol. I've been in the salon 6 months and I'm steadily building a good customer base. But i have to say patience and perseverance is the key, remember Rome wasn't built in a day. X

 

[tireeteam]

GUMTREE is fab for advertising deals. I run my ee business from it and Its FREE. Best thing I ever did.demograhic of clients runs from, middle class professionals like dentists,to single mums on benefits. All great customers and high level of repeat business xx

Sent from my HTC Desire using SalonGeek

 

[bombini]

oooo everyone loves a bargain.... something mega cheap for one day only!! How about a crazy offer for one day only - on a Saturday say... eyebrow waxing for a pound... (bear with me) - I know that sounds mega cheap but you make a pound per client which is better than nothing at all that one day and its a quick and easy treatment with massive impact results for your client. They will talk about you to everyone - everyone will notice their eyebrows and they love them so much they keep coming back. A lot of the battle of a new business is enticing people away from their existing place and theres nothing like a bargain shocker to do that! Put balloons out, get 5 t shirts printed up and you your mates don them and go around town with the promo news - and around all the local shops. Create a stir - people will be like, whats going on there?? You might only make a tenner, but you can guarantee they will be back once you engage them with your first impression... x good luck!!

I wouldn't recommend this purely because when I rented a room in a hair salon the owner decided that as a promotion I should offer the hair clients a free eyebrow shape whilst they were having a cut or colour. The result was I spent most of the morning doing these free treatments for clients that had absolutely zero interest in their appearance other than hair (always find that weird, they have to have immaculate hair but couldn't give a fig about the face !) I think about of about 10 I had one client interested in having them done reguarly but she was only in town for the weekend !!

For me I always found the local paper the best form of advertising, especially editorials. Im not saying discounting doesn't work but I think anything over 50% is not worth it and even 50% is only something I would do for a new treatment so that I could practice.

I know some salons get a great response rate from huge discounted treatments but how many of those clients stay with the salon in the longterm ?

 

[heaventherapy]

Hi

We have been in business since March 2011 and September will be our highest turnover month yet.

We have done, Living Social, Groupon and KGB Deals and have retained a lot of clients from those deals as well as gaining new clients through the website using Search Engine Optimisation

-Hope that help!

Regards
Craig

 

[Bombalurina]

Thankyou for your replies, support, and words of wisdom! All greatly appreciated, and I have some food for thought now

I wanted to let you all know that Saturday just gone, my second day in the salon...I WAS FULLY BOOKED!!!!!!! Amazing!!!! I feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, the timing is right and someone is looking over me and smiling. Still taking one day at a time, and this coming Friday is looking quiet so far, but that's ok - more time to hand out leaflets and price stock up!!

Thanks again for your advice Geeks, you're all wonderful. I love this site