Today’s salon clients stretch the time between their visits for a variety of reasons including a busy schedule and a desire to stretch every dollar. A great way to increase visits and maximize their return rate is by implementing a pre-booking strategy. The key is to reward them for returning quicker. And reward staff for cultivating a pre-booking culture within your salon/spa.
Check out this calculation:
300 clients booked every 8 weeks at $50/visit = $97,500 per year.
300 clients booked every 6 weeks at $50.visit = $130,000 per year.
Pre-booking leads to busier days, full appointment books and increased earning for the salon and service providers. How can you create a pre-booking culture in your salon? Here are some strategies to help increase pre-booking and profitability for everyone:
Strategy 1: Pre-booking Contest: Offer prizes that are enticing and meaningful to your clients. Help your staff communicate the benefits of the offer to their clients. Create salon signs that grab clients attention and gets them asking questions. For example: WIN $300 Services Card or $300 Beauty Bag full of products they choose. Create a colourful display using tissue, gift boxes, beautiful ribbon and other packaging options you can pick up at any packaging store near you. Hold the contest for 8 week invervals, so you can offer it to your entire client list.
Strategy 2: Offer Staff Incentives: Reward staff for pre-booking. This can be tied into their commission plan or set a group goal with rewards. Think of it as part of a package with retail sales and customer retention goals. Your salon will see more business, stylists will earn more and your staff will be rewarded.
Strategy 3: Incentivize pre-booking with other staff for other services. Create a win-win reward system that helps staff to broaden service type for clients. Reward staff that recommend other salon services, especially if it solves a problem. Maybe a spa client tells their esthetician that they are having a hard time finding a stylist that cut well with a razor, and you have a stylist who specializes in this area. This will help create a culture of pre-booking, while increasing team work among your staff.
A strategic pre-booking strategy is a great way to elevate income without the expense of trying to find new clients for your salon/spa. Great rewards are great incentives for clients and staff to jump onboard.