Diana, I am with you on this one. I donate something to anyone who asks. The organizational people see my name, and repeated name exposure is what gets you business. I have people who come to me just because they kept hearing my name, so mine was on their mind when they DID decided to get a service done. I donate full sets only, because those people are more likely to return. They have to do SOMETHING in a few weeks with them, and someone getting acrylics is more likely to get noticed by friends, family,and coworkers. Also, usually those people have had nails before, so they can see the difference coming to me over a discount salon. How many of these clients have stayed with me over the years? A handful. How many people they have referred to me that HAVE stayed with me? Immeasurable. Also, in a business that works on referrals, you have to get outside of your client base to build. The people who have been with me for a decade have already told their friends and family about me, many of whom come to me... but guess what?!? They have the same friends and family!!! To bust out of that, you need to get nails on a total stranger! Then "they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends, and so on and so on and so on"! (Remember that commercial... LOL)
When McDonalds stops advertising, then I will too. And whether I am cutting a check to Val-pak, the newspaper, kinkos for copies, or the business card people... I have to spend money. If I don't get anyone off it, they don't give me my money back! If I don't get a return on a giveaway, I got the name exposure for free. If I do, it cost me one hour of labor and $3 in product. Where else am I getting that good of a deal on marketing!!! Now, I'm off my soap box. LOL. Mind you, I have kept putting out advertising like the day I started 12 years ago... and I have gotten new clients every week. There are tumbleweeds blowing through every salon in my area, but we are busy. The other techs in my salon have taken a hit, but I got 5 new clients in the last 2 weeks! What other job are you in control of your income like that! Take it and run with it... Happy filing... (I've never been so happy that I have file cuts all over my fingers!!!) Michelle Cordes Bremerton and Tacoma, Washington From: Diana Bonn <[email protected]> Subject: NailTech:: Just don't get it/building biz/donations To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 5:14 AM Okay, maybe you guys can explain this to me. Maybe I am emotionally involved with these gals, know their personalities, that I can't see. The owners (we are booth renters) asked us if we would like to donate to the annual Children's Museum Charity blah blah, by email. All we had to do was email them back with what we would like to donate. I donated a spa manicure. The owners made a large basket up, put a gift certificate in it, my biz card, Creative Nail Lotion, Nail Polish, Nail Envy, a description of the service. Then they shrinked wrap it with a big beautiful bow. The stylist that donated a hair cut, had the same type of basket with everything but her's had about 6 different hair products, 6 oz bottles. All we had to do was to email them. No money, not our products. zero nada zip. Just donate the service. Only two of us did this. The busiest hair stylist. The busiest nail tech. The two of us just shake our heads, Like why not? These gals sit around and witch how they need 2nd jobs. "The salon is not busy, I can't get new clients." "I am going to find a new place. " "The economy is so bad" "I can't afford to advertise" "this is a bad location" "people can't afford to get their hair (nails) done because of the taxes" BLAH BLAH BLAH I just want to SCREAM!!! Don't you get it, you have to build your biz, get your name out there to EVERYONE. I don't care how you do it, just do it. I have heard it all, I don't want those type of people, I will do them once and never come back, it will not work, blah blah. But my point of view is, If they don't come in, fine, cost me zero. If they do come in, it cost me my time and a couple of bucks in products. If I do them once and they never come back fine. I have touched someone. They know my name. They may not be able to afford to come back, but their sister, doctor, friend, family, co-workers may be able to. Hundreds of people will be there and they will be walking around looking at all the donations, and my biz card is sitting right there with my name. Talk about advertising for nothing.This advertising may not be immediate, but my name is on someone's mind this month, next month or a year from now. My name is out there. I have given away HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS dollars away in free services in the eons I have been doing this. BUT, I have made THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars because I believe in getting my name out there. So if you are trying to build, why wouldn't you do this? I just don't get it. Maybe someone out there can explain this one to me. diana from indiana --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/NailTech?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
