Recurring customers bring the most business at the lowest cost, so why not reward them? Birthday gifts, mobile loyalty programs, and excellent services are just a few of the ways you can turn them into lifetime clients.
The beauty industry is built on trust. Customers are often referred by their friends, and going to a salon based on an ad is risky when your hair or skin are at stake.
Depending on what industry you’re in, studies show that it’s anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive to acquire a client than getting business from existing ones.
So why wouldn’t you encourage your customers to keep coming back to your beauty salon, and maybe even bringing a friend with them as well?
The problem lies in how we see loyalty. There are many customers who might have been satisfied with your services but chose to give a new place a try because of a discount.
You have to bring more to the table than excellent services. Reminders, discounts, loyalty programs, and an attitude that makes even the most anxious client feel safe are just a few of the things that you can tap into in order to make them clients for life.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of how to develop long-lasting relationships with your clients, read on.
1. Birthday Gift Cards
Who doesn’t enjoy receiving a treat for their special day?
Sometimes a desire to save money or expensive bills forces some of your clients to skip their yearly treat and find a cheaper alternative at another beauty salon.
A birthday gift card is a perfect way to brighten up your clients. Many salons send out greeting cards via email, but those usually get ignored.
Sending a discount via email is so common that your message might end up getting buried. Not to mention, your client might feel like you’re only using their birthday as an opportunity to make a quick buck.
On the other hand, taking time out of your day to mail the gift card physically along with a handwritten note for their birthday shows involvement. Few companies go this far.
2. Use a Loyalty Program
Many of your clients will probably drift away if they aren’t provided with an incentive to come back. Who knows, maybe the beauty salon next door is delivering high-quality services at a lower price?
A loyalty program shows your clients that you care about them and informs them that it’s worth coming to your beauty salon over and over again, simply because they get rewarded for doing so.
But how should you construct a loyalty program? In a survey, 71% of the participants said they would be more likely to use a loyalty program if it would be accessible from a smartphone.
Giants like Amazon, Starbucks, and Walgreens are already using mobile applications for loyalty programs, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of it either.
But loyalty programs aren’t all about the discounts. These programs help business owners gain a better understanding of what discounts work best, what are the peak hours, and what needs to be changed to increase revenue.
Not to toot our own horn, but…. Loopy Loyalty allows you to design your own digital loyalty program and can notify your clients about discounts when they’re around your beauty salon, and it gives rich insights on customer loyalty, including what days are more popular and what deals perform best.
3. Post ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ Photos on Social Media
Your clients don’t do business with a logo. They do with you.
This is why it’s so important to humanize your brand and show other people that you have fun. You might make mistakes along the way, but at the end of the day, you manage to pull it off. Customers will find your struggles, jokes, and behind-the-scenes photos relatable.
Having a story behind your brand helps you stand out, and social media offers an excellent opportunity to communicate, share snippets of your everyday life, and connect with people without even being near them.
At the end of the day, people choose to work with those they like and trust. It’s not always about the fancy decor and advertising.
As Seth Godin put it:
“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”
4. Give Expert Advice via Email
If you work as a skincare specialist or a hairdresser, you should have the ability to recognize what products work best and how your clients can solve their problems.
It’s not uncommon for customers to get shy about their issues. Even though they might want to ask you about their split ends or acne, for example, they often avoid going through with it.
Fortunately, this can be fixed by using a weekly newsletter where you curate the content that goes to each client. Your customers won’t know that you sent them content that applies to their specific problem, but they will benefit from it without feeling uneasy about the situation.
As a bonus, they will come back to your salon because they know you have the solution to their issues.
5. Don’t Make It Awkward
Many people avoid going to beauty salons because for them the whole experience is awkward.
Keep in mind the fact that not all of your clients are the same, Some are introverts while others are dealing with issues such as alopecia or severe acne.
Most hair and nail issues are not caused by the wrong shampoo or a poor skin care routine. It’s important to remember that your clients most likely discussed their problems with a medical specialist already.
As a consequence, having your employees jump at the chance to offer advice about what worked for them might come off as downright insulting to someone who suffers from hormonal acne or hair loss caused by genetics.
A trip to the beauty salon might be a stressful experience for them. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to “read” the body language of each customer and make their individual experience as pleasurable as you can.
Wrapping Up
Retaining clients is not only easier on your wallet, but it can also lead to referrals. The more you try to impress your clients and keep them close to you, the higher the chance they will bring a friend during their next visit.
Keep in mind that all of your efforts should be aimed in the same direction: making clients feel like they’re part of a special club. Once they start seeing your beauty salon as a place they belong to, there will be no drifting away.
