Marketing and the Blame Game

It’s sometimes baffling and always frustrating to see a salon client running a promotion in a half hearted manner.

Allow me to extrapolate.  Imagine a salon running a promotion to bring in new clientele.  Then imagine the new client is not given a client card to fill out, they are not asked to re book and they are treated like a ‘bargain hunter’ and given a half hearted service from their stylist.

Then imagine me on the phone to the salon owner who is complaining wildly that the promotion attracted the wrong demographic, everyone using the promotion was a ‘bargain hunter’, and that no one rebooked.  It’s probably not hard then to imagine me slapping my forehead and vowing to run away to join the foreign legion.

Salon owners rarely like to admit a failed promotion had anything to do with them or their team.  In a way, the salon owner is right to say, “That promotion was a waste of money”.  What’s not right is to blame the promotion itself for the failure.

Let’s look at how you can be sure the salon promotions you run will be a success.

1 – Concept & Design

All promotional materials from the copywriting, to the photos and the actual promotional concept itself MUST appeal to the right target market.

Professionally designed and written promotions will get a better response from your demographic.  Stop using your talented friend or your butcher’s kid to design your promotions… unless they happen to be marketing professionals.

One more note from my marketing brethren.  If you hire a professional, listen to them and respect their opinions and advice.  They know what they are doing.  They are well trained and have experience in their field.  Remember the saying, “Why buy a watch dog if you’re going to go outside and bark yourself?”  Stop barking.  Let the dog do it.

2 – Training & Implementation

To make the most of your promotion it is essential that all of your team is aware of the terms and conditions.  They should confidently adhere to the promotion terms and be prepared to answer questions about them.

What’s more important is making your team aware of the standard of service you expect clients to receive, and making sure they deliver that standard every time.

It’s best to re-train everyone on re-booking and product recommendation procedures prior to running a promotion.  You may even want to spot check these procedures are being followed in your absence by sending some mystery shoppers through the salon.

Customers contacting your business for the first time are usually apprehensive. They may be concerned that the promotion offer will not be honored, or that staff will treat them less favorably, perceiving them to be ‘bargain hunters’.

Your team needs to be committed to treating everyone with care and respect.  No one is to make a judgment on a client, or to treat them like anything less than a VIP.

3 – Evaluation

Finally, I recommend conducting a promotion evaluation.  Once the promotional period is finished its advisable to ascertain its value.  Promotion evaluation allows you to determine which promotions work best for you, and therefore which promotions to run in the future.

Look at figures of how many new clients were introduced to your salon, what the promotion cost you to implement, how many people rebooked from the promotion, how much retail was sold and other pertinent figures.  Some promotions concentrate on rebooking, others on product sales and so on.  Establish whether your promotion goals were met and analyse what did and did not work.

Last of all, I need to tell you some good news and some bad news.  Bad news first…

In any promotion you run to attract new clients you will find not all of them will rebook.  If you get a 100% retention rate from such a promotion I want to congratulate you on your outstanding rebooking protocol.

Set a realistic goal for your promotion.  Don’t expect the world.  Some promotions are designed to raise brand awareness, some to promote your salon ethos, some to sell more retail, or bring in new custom.  Be aware of what your promotion is designed to do and don’t expect it to do anything else.

The good news is this…

Even if someone does not respond to the promotion you have on offer, they may have taken notice of your salon name or location for their future reference.  Raising your brand awareness in the community can bring in referrals unrelated to the promotion for months to come.

For more information on appraisals and finding the right salon. Contact a salon specialist broker today on 1300 366 521.

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