by Greg Milner | Apr 7, 2011 | Selling Salon Products, The Right Mindset
Inner Circle member Jane Mason of Pure Day Spa in Caloundra was facing a double challenge: not only was her primary market tourists – her spa is in a hotel, with little or no walk-by traffic – but she’s in the heart of the area devastated by the Queensland floods this past January.
As Jane writes below, she had to take MASSIVE ACTION – and used some classic “Sales Thinking” to come up with a clever twist on the famous Queen of Referrals system in the Toolkit.
It worked brilliantly – and Jane has generously shared the marketing pieces she uses in this campaign with other Members.
“It is quite basic and the letter could most probably do with tweaking. I rolled this out to 4 of my top hotels, as at a recent meeting they all said they were struggling and to be honest so was I (and looking at closing the door).
MASSIVE ACTION was needed. My salon has a 30/70 split in favour of the tourist due to us being inside a hotel and very little walk past. Although not directly flooded, a lot of my regular holiday clients are from Brisbane, Grantham, Toowoomba and the Lockyer valley.
The way it works is simple, I send the hotels 60 vouchers to the value of $25, which they can do with as they wish… Staff incentives, booking incentives, hotel Guests and residents.
When they run out they call and I take them some more. I keep track of the vouchers and at the end of the month the winning hotel gets a $100 voucher. Some of the hotels have gone to town with it, putting posters in lifts etc, others are a bit more discreet.
We gave out 240 vouchers in March and got back 67 (the girls also tried to upsell on the pedi’s so that in actual fact we didn’t give anything away).
The average spend per service $122.75. We have found that even if they don’t use the voucher the seed has been planted and they call us first without looking around town at what’s on offer.
We also had an offer that was value added that they couldn’t use the voucher on which the girls upsold (some were better than others at doing this). We have found that hotels that didn’t have them were phoning me to get in on the act so in April we have rolled this out to another 8.”
Now that’s what we call smart marketing. And obviously, getting results.
67 new clients at an average spend of $122 = YOU do the maths!
of the entire system.
by Greg Milner | Feb 22, 2011 | Done for you Newsletters, Shop
If you put a gun to my head and told me I could only use ONE method of marketing to my clients, I’d always give the same answer – NEWSLETTERS!
Not once every six months, not once every quarter, but every single month. Nothing puts an ‘iron fence’ around your clients like a regular hard-copy newsletter, in an envelope, with a stamp on it. (Email? Sure – it’s efficient, but it’s nowhere near as effective.)
Now, there are THREE ways to do a monthly newsletter.
1) The HARD way. Sit down at your computer and write the whole thing yourself, lay it out so it looks attractive, and get it printed.
2) The EASY way. Download the many templates for newsletters in the Members area, sit down at your computer, and write all the content for it.
3) The REALLY EASY way!
Long-time IC member Susan Vincent has set up a brilliant ‘done-for-you’ newsletter service for salon owners who know the value of a monthly newsletter, but just don’t have time to do it themselves.
For just $97 a month, Susan will do everything for you, and email you the complete newsletter, in Word format, every month. All you need to do is insert your own details, and send it off to the printer.
Here’s a sample newsletter you can download (Right click and ‘save as…’)
Frankly, it just doesn’t get any easier than that. For $97 a month, there’s no way I’d be sitting down at a computer for hours on end!
Here’s what Inner Circle member EvaTzschaschel says about her experience with Susan’s newsletter service:
‘Hi Susan,
I just wanted to let you know how excited my clients are about the newsletter. I know I would have never gotten my act together if you didn’t offer your fabulous service. Here are some comments of my clients: “I enjoyed reading your newsletter”, “It’s a really good read”, “Very professional”; and a few people asked me for the next issue. I think it’s a good way to stay in front of clients without being pushy. Thank you so much for your help.
Kind regards,
Eva Tzschaschel
Face Body Wellness
4/3 Julius Ave
North Ryde
NSW 2113′
And here’s what Claire Mason of Integrity Paramedical Skin Practitioners in Seven Hills, Queenslandsays:
“During November for marketing I released 4 newspaper ads, Glossy DL clinic package promotions inserted into envelopes and home delivered, Email’s sent out to the data base (I had purchased a beauty salon prior) and hand delivered DL cards. Nothing sold more clinic packages than the newsletter.B ecause of the style of your text, even clients of 11 years can’t tell it’s not me talking. Thank you Susan for your passion. Integrity is growing with you on board.”
by Greg Milner | Dec 9, 2010 | The Smell of Success
Maria Haanpaa of Studio Highlight in Finland ‘doubled sales in three months’ with the marketing Toolkit
Recently our sole salon in Finland won a major prize at a salon competition in Paris. “How do we use that win to our advantage?” asked salon owner Maria Haanpaa.
I advised her on a couple of strategies, and didn’t hear from Maria for a couple of weeks. Last week, she emailed…
I have to thank you for your response about our world champ-marketing.
I called the local newspaper and they made a story of us and at the same newspaper we ran an ad (the Hollywood package) but it was called the ‘World Champs’ package.
With that ad we’ve got 26 new customers at 79€. We’ve
taken all their information and also gave them 5 of the Queen of Referrals
and they are bringing more new customers to us.
Since we started the Queen of Referrals (from the Toolkit) we’ve got about 50 new customers in a month! We’ve been doing that just 2 months now and I did a
competition on that. Whoever gets the most customers to us by the end of March will win a 1000€ gift certificate.
I’m now using our World Championship ‘Silver Medalist’ message on everything I print and it seems that it works so well.
I have also built up Facebook pages and I update that every week because if it stays still it loses its value and people don’t go there to look anymore.
Anyway, thank you so much for everything, I wouldn’t be here without you guys! We’ve doubled our sales within only 3 months and I still want to double that within the next 6months….
Sincerely,
Maria Haanpää
Studio Highlight, Kielotie 4-6
01300 Vantaa
Finland
by Greg Milner | Nov 19, 2010 | Canada, The Smell of Success
New Inner Circle member Shola Olorunleke of Quinn’s World Salon in Canada – inspired and lifted by the instant results of her first ‘WSM-style’ marketing campaigns.
I’ve often pondered what the ‘real’ value of the Toolkit and the Inner Circle program is to struggling salons. And it’s clear, going by feedback like this from salon owners like Shola Olorunleke of Quinn’s World Salon in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada) that the real value is not so much the proven tools, templates and strategies the system provides, but the sense of motivation, direction and sheer inspiration that lifts the spirits of so many.
Here’s what she writes:
“Since our last coaching call some amazing things have been happening. I got the glamour package flyers printed (10,000 copies). I was lucky due to a promo at the printers, I got them printed for 2c each instead of 4c this cost $200.
I put everybody at the salon to work folding the flyers when they weren’t busy. We finished folding and bundling the 10,000 on Sunday. I dropped them off at Canada post distribution center for delivery on Tuesday morning before 11am. Wednesday morning our letter courier mentioned he had our flyers for delivery and before 12noon we had started getting calls and booking new clients.
It has been a week and we are still getting calls. So far we have 20 new clients booked from the flyer. The cost for getting the flers out was canada post 12c each = $1200 and printing 2c each= $200, this totaled $1400. From the bookings we have so far this cost is already paid for.
I just signed up with an online marketing firm that offers coupons to their subscribers as daily deals, before I wouldn’t have done this as I would think that I will be losing money. I jumped at this opportunity because I now underdstand the life-time value of the guest.
We are offering a winter hydrating package (haircut and hydrating treatment) a $65 value for $32. There is no out of pocket cost because the company designs the offer, sends out the emails to subscribers in Saskatoon, and sells the coupons.
I am also sending the poster to be printed for the Christmas gift certificate offer.
We have also started the Queen of referral program and I plan on doing a contest in the new year for our guests. The newsletter has been a hit with our guests.
But here’s the clincher. There’s no doubt that success breeds confidence. It’s amazing how so many members of the Inner Circle program suddenly develop backbone and resolve – to run their businesses with their heads for a change.
The morale in the salon is better, my 2 stylists are excited as they are busier.
I have also taken a firmer stand as I have one stylist who comes to work late and 2 Saturdays in a row didn’t show up for work. We were scrambling to take care of some of his clients and call the others to reschedule their appointment. I had a meeting with him and let him know that his behaviour will not be tolorated any longer (this is after 2 warning letters) and that if it happens again, he should just come in and get his stuff as I would assume he had quit.
I have already put an ad out for a hairstylist and will be interviewing 2 potential stylists in the next few days.
Before I joined WSM I was frustrated, stressed out and constantly worried but now I know what to do to get the results I want to take Quinn’s World to where it should be. It is a lot of work and a lot to take in and do but with the amazing materials in the Toolkit and online, the work is a piece of cake. I am more focussed and I cant wait for what the new year has in store as I know that this will be my best year yet.
THANKS TEAM WSM, Greg and my coach Alberto.
Shola Olorunleke
Quinn’s World Salon
Saskatoon
by Greg Milner | Nov 11, 2010 | Marketing Superstars, The Smell of Success
IC member Lynette Rogers of LA Hair & Beauty in NSW – 100% growth in her salon in 6 months since getting her Toolkit
“When I joined the Inner Circle program and got my Toolkit I only had 4 staff, now have 6 staff, soon to have 8 or 9 staff…..what does this say 🙂 Super-excited Lynnie! Since I started sending out the newsletter 4 months ago, income has increase $2000 – $3000 just from newsletters. Staff are doing 20% retail and 50% re-booking, getting there!!
Thank u thank u thank u!!! And there is still more and more and more to do!
(Oh I put on another full time senior hairdresser today, she starts tomorrow! OMG! That’s 7 staff and in a few more weeks another apprentice!! Thank you again for everything.)
I recently spoke to another salon owner at a Delorenzo conference, who had your program and she said she had not seen any results! I basically told her she was crazy and lazy and to open the damn thing up and get to work!! With my salon with over 100% increase since March, what a goose! I later heard her husband telling her off and she came later for more advise! Just wanted to let you know of that experience I had and how dumbfounded by the conversation I was…lol
All the best and keep up the great work.
xxoo
Lynette Rogers
PS: I’m going to get myself a nice new shiny car and go over to South Africa in the new year!! with all my success why not 🙂
LA Hair and Beauty
Shop 10 Tanilba Bay
Shopping Centre
Tanilba Bay NSW 2319″ntire system, including the Toolkit.
Inner Circle member Jane Mason of Pure Day Spa in Caloundra was facing a double challenge: not only was her primary market tourists – her spa is in a hotel, with little or no walk-by traffic – but she’s in the heart of the area devastated by the Queensland floods this past January.
