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The six crucial elements of great salon promotions
Still with me? Fantastic!
You know I’m all about marketing that WORKS. Like the salons that I work with, we don’t have huge bags of marketing cash sloshing around (Oh, if only I had!) to spend on marketing that just doesn’t work.
In fact it makes me want to cry when I see adverts like this (phone numbers removed to protect the innocent!) :
Why? Because I know that even through all their hopes and dreams, with marketing like that THEY ARE GOING TO FAIL! ‘Sob’ (And, sadly, this salon did go out of business pretty quickly)
But what exactly should you put in your marketing message?
You know most people, since leaving school, have not written another piece of text. Let alone a skilfully crafted marketing message that will literally drag a client out of a competitor’s salon and into theirs! This is a process referred to as:
Salesmanship in Print
You know writing great sales copy is HARD WORK. I know. I’ve done this for the last 15 years. And it is still hard work. BUT:
Even bad copy, as long as it has some essential elements in it, stands a better chance of selling something than no copy at all.
Aside: something that really gets my goat. Salons spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds on producing lovely brochures. Nothing wrong in that. But then you open it and it says:
WAXING
½ leg ….. £xx
Full leg …£xx
Etc
URGH! Why do this? To me this says “Our waxing is pretty much the same as any other waxing you can get anywhere else. In fact the only thing different about our waxing is the price” DUMB DUMB DUMB!
Why? Because someone can pick up your brochure, and the only thing they’ve got to compare is the price. You’ve also given your competitors your complete price listing! AND (if all this was not bad enough) if you want to increase your prices you’ve got to ditch all your brochures! (OUCH!)
Why not do it like this …..
WAXING
Here at ABC salon we care about your waxing. In fact we’ve been told that clients find the process so good they call it ‘relaxing waxing’! You’ll be …..Prices start from as little as £xx.
See the difference? The first one is oh-so-slightly ho-hum, whilst the other is intriguing. But “Folk don’t know the price” I hear you wail. EXACTLY! To find out the price they’ve got to call you up! With the other brochure they’ll make the decision just on price alone.
Also what happens with this brochure, when you want to put up the price? Nothing! You can leave your lowest price fixed! You do, of course, have a price list but this is kept under the counter and is NOT given out to everyone who asks for one! Also this price list is just one side of A4 printed from your computer. You can now alter prices without binning those leaflets!
OK, soap-box moment over - back onto the matter in hand …
So, you’ve done the hard work and figured out what it is that you’re actually selling. Now onto the process of crafting that hard working message …..
1. The Headline
There is one job and one job only that the headline should do:
Grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more
So when your ad rep suggests putting your name or logo at the top of the ad, ask yourself “Would this make me want to read on?” The answer is a definite ‘NO’
No, the headline should offer the reader an immediate and tangible benefit for them.
Here’s the acid test. Remove everything but the headline and the contact details. Does the ad still work? If it does, great. If not write another headline.
2. A great offer
Remember this is NOT discounting. This is adding massive value to the client at little or no cost to you.
Remember this: what that treatment costs you is of little or no interest to your client. AND remember, if you don’t put a value on this, your client won’t value it.
3. Make the offer scarce
What are advertisements & promotions all about? Getting someone to do something - in this case, come into your salon. So you need to give the reader a reason why they need to act today. Now. Not tomorrow or next week - because they won’t. How do you do this? Put deadlines on the offer! Limit them by time, space, or numbers available.
4. Proof that what you’re saying is true
As a salon owner you’ve got three ways to prove that what you’re saying is true. These are:
- Before and after photos - why do you think the weight loss industry use them?
- Scientific evidence - what the reps say about their products
- Testimonials - what your clients say about you is worth 100 times more than what you say about yourself. Fact.
Also what is your major source of new business? Referrals! And what is a referral if it isn’t a verbal testimonial?
Aside: I’m always amazed because, in the salon industry referrals are the major source of new business. But how many of you have an active referral system? So that, rather than waiting for referrals to happen to you, you make them happen. Not many, I’ll bet! But here’s the great news - inside The Essential Salon Owners Marketing Toolkit you’ll find the system to make this happen.
The reason you need these things is that it lowers the barrier to sale. And makes you far more believable.
4. An interesting story - what ‘triggering events’ can you call upon that will make the prospect want that service? Mothers’ Day, Valentine’s Day, Summer Holiday, etc.
What stories can be told around these events? You need to put in the ‘window dressing’
Make sure you can draw upon each of these 4 points in each of your ads.
The next point is soooo important that I’m going to devote an entire lesson to it! Why? Because the next point can:
Double, triple or even quadruple your responses!
(Click the “Next Lesson” link below)
Dedicated to filling your salon with clients
Martin Smith
