I have a suggestion. Finding a marketing niche that sets you apart from
your competition will help prevent them from going to another salon. If it
is worth the wait it will be worth the wait. I'm brain storming right
now, but I'm sure more will come to me after I hit send. I personally
always hated doing hand massages or even foot massages. I always felt like
I wanted to spare my hands (*cough* lazy *cough*). I know first hand that
today's client is about ME. I go and get my pedicure done even though I can
do it myself. I absolutely LOVE my pedicure time. It's HEAVEN. Adding a
massage or making that part of the service extra special will make someone
come back. I promise you. Who has ever had a great massage and said, I
don't want that again? If your book is slow, give a free extend massage
time. BE SURE and say, Because it is slow, today I'm giving you a longer
Massage at no extra cost. I simply have the time.
If a new client calls and you can't take her, you need a marketing ploy that
will make her say, OMG I can't go down the street I have to get into this
chick (or guy haha). Over the phone say, I'm all booked up next week (ie:
gone on vacation) but I assure you, coming the following week will be worth
the wait. That week is Warm Milk and Honey Week. (lie). With all (whatever
service she wants) I am giving a warm Milk and Honey butter (hand or foot)
massage at no extra cost using (insert fancy massage terms and luxurious
products).
I'm just using Massage as an example. Anything extra you do, makes it that
much more worth it to return. The spa I used to go to for my hair in
Woodland Hills California used to give me water infused with Cucumber when I
sat down. When the girl shampoo'd my hair I got a neck and scalp massage
during the conditioner. HEAVEN. The only reason I don't still go to her is
distance. I bought a house too far away.
Trust me, do something special and you WILL be worth the wait. Just get by
doing the norm and you can easily be traded off for someone else. My
beauty people I have in my life right now, couldn't be traded for anyone
else. They all offer something that is HEAVEN to me.
Don't stop taking those vacations, btw. Or you'll just burn yourself out.
It's easy for us techs to get to the point where we are doing doing doing,
for everyone else, that we forget or don't take the time to do for
ourselves. I got to a point like that with my own nail business. I got
angry or bitter that I was giving all my time to my clients. Mentally, it
effected me. Everyone deserves a vacation. Just find the right me me me
things to make you worth the wait. Trust me, it'll happen.
:) Elaine
Elaine T. Watson
Star Nail International
Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Global Education Director
800.782.7624 extension 321
fax 661.257.5847
ela...@starnail.com
Blog: itsnotarealjob.blogspot.com
On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 8:49 AM, Katherine polishedpana...@yahoo.comwrote:
I, too, have noticed this change. I've been doing nails for 23 years and
for all those years I've taken 1 week off in February and 1 week off in
August. Those were my slow times. So predictable that I planned my wedding
by it. For the last 3 years, getting my wedding anniversary week off for
vacation has progressively been like pulling teeth. My slow week has
become impossible to predict. I thought that it was because the date has
changed for the first day of school around here, so families have changed
their vacation schedules. But, my slow time seems to have no pattern
anymore. I'll come in to work with 4 people on my book and before the day is
out, I'll have done 8 or 9. Unfortunately, it's gone the other way too. I
was looking at doing 5 or 6 people and ended up doing 3.
I've not lost many clients because of the economy, for me it's because my
second largest group of clients are the WWII generation and they are a)
dying or b) moving to retirement apartments and no longer driving. My
largest group of clients are the Baby Boomers, solid, 2 week standing
clients. I have an incentive program to get new referrals that is working
very well to get new young clients in the door, but they are the call when
they want an appointment clients, not 2 week standings.
I have always offered the latest and greatest in service, product and
fashion so I did not notice the change right away. About a year ago when I
tried to get a full week off in August and found it to be impossible is
when it hit me. I checked my old appointment books and found a steady
decline of the 2 week standings (seniors who passed away or moved to
assisted living). Just looking at my bank deposits didn't show it, I was
still making the same money, what changed was the 2 week standings and the
last minute appointments ratio.
I do not like this change. It is very hard to get a week off for vacation
with the last minute people. When they call and I can't accommodate them
because I am out of town on vacation (a
