Wednesday 11 April 2012
Recommendations are the key to get more customers
I don't think you'd be surprised if I told you that regular clients are those who generate the most revenue for your salon. There are two simple explanations for that. First, they bring you stability and ensure you a constant turnover every month which is essential if you want your salon to survive and sleep well at night. But even more important, they are also the best way for you to extend your network and grow your business. These customers are indeed obviously satisfied with the treatment they receive and are therefore more inclined to recommend you.
Some salons only count on promotions and marketing to attract new clients. But by acting this way, they don't make the most of their regular customers and miss a great opportunity to promote themselves for free! Recommendations are essential because they can bring you potential customers who are as likely to turn into regular ones than those you attract using discounts. Moreover, getting recommendations have a big impact on the image of your salon and its reputation. It is therefore vital to ask your customers to spread the word after any treatment received.
There are two main ways to make your regular clients promote your salon:
1. Offering them incentives if they recommend you
Sponsorship is an old but still very effective trick to attract new customers. If some of your clients are motivated by reductions, you can for example offer them a 20% discount on their next treatment if one of their friends get booked.
If some of your clients are, on the other hand, more interested in discovering new things then offer them one of your products for free (nail varnish, shampoo...). If they like it, they are very likely to buy it on a regular basis which would generate a new revenue stream for your salon!
2. Asking them to share their love for you online
There is nothing more powerful to promote your business than one of your customers praising you spontaneously using the Internet. After their treatment, when they are still in your salon, suggest your customers to share a photo of the new hair cut or manicure you just gave them with their friends. They will probably do it using Facebook or Twitter which will enable you, if you have accounts, to get tagged or mentioned on the picture. As these social networks are widely used across the world you will get free advertising at large scale.
Every new customer you'll get will then recommend you to their friends and bring you other clients. This is how big names are built.
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That is very true and yet many businesses are reluctant to use these amazingly effective recommendations.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting to me is the passion that others have (our customers) for us as we try to be quietly humble about our offerings.
I think it's because we don't want to seem like we're 'Blowing our own horn" but let's face it, if you want to stand out in today's marketplace with the bad economy and all, somebody has to talk about you, and as it turns out your current customers have the most credibility to do it.
Your job is to find ways to make it easy for them to do your promotional work for you.
Hi Rick! I agree 100% with you. Being humble is a good thing because nobody likes a boaster but it shouldn't stop you from promoting your business when you deserve it! After all, that's why you opened it and should be recognised for!
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