by Greg Milner | Sep 28, 2010 | Email marketing, Packaging Salon Services, US
“…We are stoked and plan to run this sale the entire month of June in 2011!”
Inner Circle member (3 years) Molly Verbrugge of Indulgences in Little Rock, Arkansas, is justifiably glowing after a Worldwide Salon Marketing promotion she used for just two weeks in June this year boosted sales to $81,235 – a staggering DOUBLE her takings of $41,956 for the same two week period in 2009.
Now if that doesn’t get your attention, you’d have to be comatose from the neck up.
It came about after a coaching call with Tim & Kanna Reilly in our Arizona office, after they’d modified and implemented a WSM marketing campaign in their own clinic in Scottsdale.
“After speaking with Tim and giving my review of our discussion to Leslie (my spa manager), she and I decided we might benefit from running the promotion ourselves! Well, we started running the sale on June 17th.
We sent email blasts along with approximately 5 newspaper ads totalling a cost of around $750. We began the sale on June 17th and it ran until July 3, 2010. Last year during the time-frame of June 17th thru July 3rd, we had total revenues of $41,956, this year our total revenues were$81, 235!!!
We are stoked and plan to run this sale the entire month of June in 2011.
Thank You Tim and Kanna and Worldwide Salon Marketing for your invaluable marketing ideas!
Husband-and-wife team Tim & Kanna Reilly’s Body Solutions Laser & Skin in Scottsdale, Arizona, grew 63% in 2009 – after a massive 500% increase in 2008 – thanks to the marketing and ‘sales thinking’ tools in the Inner Circle marketing & mentoring program…
Successful marketing is NOT about re-inventing the wheel, unless you’re particularly a) rich, and b) prefer to risk your money on experimentation. Tim and Kanna had proven this particular strategy works, having rolled it out with massive results every year for three years.
Here’s how Kanna describes the promotion:
“We started it in 2008 when we came to our One Year Anniversary, and now do what we call the “Penny Sale” every year. It happens to be June. We ran the Penny sale for the entire month.
We printed the copy on paper with US pennies around the borders. We also e-mailed out to our database of customers 4 times that month. No other advertising at all, just e-mail and in store flyers! You can also mail out to your client database in an envelope with pennies printed on it. This year our total gross sales for June was up 62% over our average monthly sales.
We originally did this for a few reasons:
1. To let clients know that we are celebrating our anniversary and to let them know that we appreciate their patronage and loyalty and to reward them we offer the penny sale.
2. July and August are brutal in Arizona as our temperatures reach 110 degrees F and over. Many people leave town for weeks on end to avoid the heat. So in order to boost sales and keep people coming in we offer the Penny Sale. Originally, this helped us pay the rent for the two months in advance while our books were slower in the beginning for those hotter months. You can also use this strategy to pre-pay for equipment investments or Salon renovations etc.
What we found:
1. We found that many of our higher margin, more costly services was what people bought the most of (which was fine with me).
2. We also found that clients purchased services they didn’t regularly come in for or had never tried before.
3. We received and still receive more referrals in the month of June than any other month of the year.
There are many ways to use this program. You can run it for only a few days, or a few weeks, or for the entire month as we do.
Remember to remind your client base about the Penny Sale and when it will end. We had a majority of our sales come in the final week as people rushed in or called their orders in by phone. And when we ran our final e-mail that in 24 hours the sale would be over we could hardly keep up with the phone volume.
by Greg Milner | Aug 10, 2010 | Australia, Canada, Salon Seminars, The Smell of Success
Ahmet and Selma Sadi of Answers4 Hair & Beauty in Narre Warren, Victoria…one of the first of 15 new salons to join the Inner Circle marketing & mentoring program and get their new Toolkit at the Salon Profit Secrets seminar at the Sofitel on Collins this week…
Hair Salon Marketing Strategy: Have these salon owners gone MAD…or do they know something about salon marketing that you don’t???
There’s always one in every crowd. In fact I’d be surprised, if not disappointed, if there wasn’t at least one stand-out, Olympic-standard, world-champion naysayer in every marketing seminar I run for salon & spa owners.
This week in Melbourne, as I demonstrated the differences between typical ‘pretty’, branding-style marketing that most salons & spas are told to use, and ‘my’ kind of Emotional Direct Response marketing, I put two ads on the screen side by side.
One was a typical, wasteful salon ad that failed every test in the Direct Response Marketing 101 handbook, and deservedly didn’t draw a single booking. The other was a typical ‘copy-intensive’ ad our Inner Circle members are familiar with – this one brought in 35 new clients in a single week.
But there was one in the crowd who wanted to argue.
“But your kind of marketing doesn’t look professional enough for my salon. I just couldn’t show that to my clients…”
Deanna Ristevski and Debbie Wardle of Maestro Hair in Point Cook
At least she spoke up. There were bound to be other doubters not game enough to show their hand. So I did my best under time pressures to explain why this salon owner’s opinion about her marketing just doesn’t matter. The only opinions that matter are those of the customers…and they vote with their credit cards.
The ONLY valid test of any ad or flyer is the return on investment it generates – not what it looks like, how well it strokes your ego, or how many glowing comments you get from friends or family.
That is NOT to say that all Direct Response marketing must, by its very nature, be ‘ugly’, copy-intensive, bereft of pictures, with no appealing visual features. Quite the opposite. Well-used photos or graphics can often increase an ad’s pulling power. But they must earn their right to occupy valuable and expensive advertising real estate. They must sell. Using pretty pictures or graphics for their own sake is an almost criminal waste of money.
Trish Rochetich and son Kristian of Take Off Waxing in Melbourne
I was wasting my breath – the naysayer in the room didn’t get it. Needless to say, she did not join the Inner Circle coaching program and leave with her Essential Salon Owner’s Marketing Toolkit tucked under her arm.
But 15 other Victorian salons did get it, especially when Inner Circle members like Mark Gibbs of Shellmark Hair Shack (18 months) and Kirsty Cuthbertson & Jasmine Dwyer of Adore Skin & Body Therapy (6 months) got up to do a ‘show and tell’ on their experiences.
Mark Gibbs reported his and wife Shelley’s salon had doubled their turnover in the past 18 months. Kirsty Cuthbertson reported her little two-person beauty salon’s takings for June 2010 were up by $15,000 over June the previous year.
Lina Rossi and Rebecca Naple of Vive La Belle Beauty in East Kew
Among the salons to join the program at the seminar…
Kristy Timms of Ren Skin Health in Geelong
Anita Kaine of Michindis in Mansfield
Kelly Inglis of Pure Skin Clinic in Belmont
Christine Palumbo of Take Off Waxing in North Melbourne
Debbie Wardle of Maestro Hair in Point Cook
Elva Vodanovich of Bio-Ger in St Kilda
Lina Rossi of Vive La Belle Beauty in East Kew
Selma Sadi of Answer 4 Hair & Beauty in Narre Warren
Andrea Martin of Lust for Hair in Forest Hill
Michelle Quarrell of Vanilah in Ballarat
Jacqui Chew of JC Unique in Mitcham
Deanna Hewitt of Academy Studio in Camberwell
Leanne Christie of Gossip Lane Hair Design in Park Orchards
Hair Salon Marketing Strategy: Have these salon owners gone MAD…or do they know something about salon marketing that you don’t???
There’s been flood of new members from all over the world in the past few weeks. In addition to this week’s Melbourne enrollments, we’ve welcomed from Canada:
Kirsty Cuthbertson and Jasmine Dwyer from Adore Skin & Body Therapy in Colac, Victoria. Members since February 2010, they’ve increase their takings 40% over 2009 since joining the Inner Circle marketing & mentoring program
Glennys Shouldice from Pure Hair Studio, Rita Singh of Ossia Salon & Spa, Nadine Bastien of Aphrodite’s Sanctuary, Vanessa Pagano of Mellennia Aesthetics Institute in Ontario, Dawn Fraser of Studio 324 Hair Salon, Janice Carr of Kismet Hair and Body and Andy Palitti of Avanti Hair Studio in British Columbia, as well as Deb McMillan from City Looks and Angela Ruiz of Lash Love / Love Nail Bar in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
From New Zealand we’d like to welcome Nicola Smith of NV Hair in Wanaka, Tania Dench of Wish Hair & Beauty in Papanui, Lauren Meacheam of Chillout Face and Body in Auckland, Kelley Leonard of Inspired By You in Whakatane, Monique Bright of Beauty Matters in Hamilton, Robyn Franich of Hair @ Matakana, and Charlotte Wenslick of Reaveal Beauty Therapy in Warkworth.
Costa Rica? Sure, Marc Langwieser of Arco Azul Salon & Spa in San Jose decided if ‘it’ works for the English speaking world, Spanish speakers might well respond to the same marketing stimuli too! His spa becomes our first member in Latin America.
All up since the beginning of the new financial year we’ve accepted 45 new salons in to the Inner Circle program.
by Greg Milner | Feb 2, 2010 | The Right Mindset
Nail Salon Website Template From South Africa, a Salon Business That Defied the Odds…
“Thank you for your BRILLIANT BRILLIANT marketing!!!”
Aw, shucks… I never get tired of hearing that. But all the more so when it comes from an Inner Circle member who began with the considerable handicap of being born in one of the most troubled countries on the planet. A third-world currency, constant civil and racial upheaval, drugs, violence, you name it. South Africa was at the back of the queue when the Big Guy was passing around the Lucky Dip bucket.
South Africa’s Fairoza Tippens (middle) and staff – an amazing story of success against the odds
Fairoza Tippens hardly looks like a toughened, battle-hardened entrepreneur. But toughness is a mental thing. 18 months ago she left her country’s troubles behind her, flying 20 hours from Cape Town to Sydney just so she could attend one of our seminars – she was that desperate to get her hands on the Essential Salon Owner’s Marketing Toolkit® and join the Inner Circle program, even her country’s basket-case economy wasn’t going to stand in her way.
Last week came this amazing story of grit, determination and hard-won success in her salon business as a result of that do-or-die flight half way across the world…
Hi Greg,
Yes I know, I was supposed to call you last year already, but I was terribly busy with my new money-making Spa. (Firstly, let me apologize for the Susan Boyle comment, your article was hilarious and I couldn’t resist!!!!)
As you know I have moved my Salon into a Spa and into an upmarket area (targeting the least and last affected by a bad economy) and I’ve been on a roller-coaster all the way…
Greg, you will be pleased to know, since opening on the 30 October 2009 (I’ve been with the Inner Circle since September 2008), I was approached by (one of South Africa’s biggest companies) to put Spa-Bella in all 4 of their Wellness centers.
Brilliant, I thought…. I had two weeks to find staff, get organised and BREATHE as the launch was on the January 27… Within 2 1/2 months I have 5 (FIVE) Spas, little old me……
I could do NO pre-launch marketing and I needed to stand out from the other Beauty Service Provider ( who has been in the Centers for 6 years) on the day of the launch… but I knew she’d be doing the normal kind of ‘pretty’ marketing and clearly not Inner Circle-style stuff…. There were rules about colours to be used ( ‘NORMAL’ AGAIN), dress code and all the usual crap that goes with narrow minded marketing.
I have higher- end clients at my main Spa in Willowbridge and therefore attract beautiful , sophisticated higher- end therapists (and no, I do not employ them purely on their looks).
SSSOOOO …. I had asked a few of them to come ‘dressed to kill’ in black but still professional, got my staff of Spa-Bella at Blu (the company’s Wellness Centres are called BLU) to wear their designer suits, all wore skirts to diffrentiate between Spa-Bella Willowbridge and Spa-Bella Blu.
I obviously wore a blue cocktail dress!!!!! I got my product’s reps to give free Spray Tan, Waxing, massage etc to everyone that gave us their details, made bookings or met with Blu’s Therapists… the unsuspecting clients had to go through my medley of Healthy, Intelligent, Good-Looking, Sexy Therapists who gave out red Ferroro Roche® chocolates.
Our ” Grand Opening” offer was for R199 (199 Rand – about $US26) and as much verbal info the therapists could dish out…. Suffice to say, whoever walked into the exhibit saw my stand FIRST!!!!!
There was a problem, the other beauty spa was not impressed, as they looked and did the ‘normal’ and I felt there was a complaint on the horizon and thought maybe my Spa was going to be put out of the Centers. After a sleeplesss night , got a call from the Centre saying they needed to see me urgenly.. GRRR, I got there, with no make- up thinking they not impressed anyway, only to be told, they are so THRILLED to have me on board, all their staff are raving, and asking who or what we are, some men were itimidated but definately going to try us out…. The BIG boss himself sent word that he likes my ideas and hoped I stick around and be patient with them, they are trying !!!(hmmm… I need to twist their arm about me doing my own ‘Toolkit-style” marketing though)
As for Spa-Bella Willowbridge, I started implementing most of the marketing ( got challenged by staff but that didn’t deter me)…and in November and December we sold 479 packages @ R199. Xmas vouchers I still have to re-check but was over 100 sold (the R199 was more attractive)… this is besides other treatments booked and products sold….. In my two months at Willowbridge I’ve brought in just under R 200,000 ( still not enough but okay:-)
We have over 700 contact details and growing. Next week my Valentines Ad’s heading is ” Beauty Spa promises that their products contain no sexual stimulants” lol.
I know I am supposed to call you regarding the Academy ( I REALLY WANT TO ATTEND), but can’t be definite yet as I’m still sourcing the RIGHT staff and trying to get everything implemented (I let go of my Receptionist the 1st week of December- don’t have time for S#@t… SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT). I know, I know take action now….
I have been doing all different sorts of marketing and can truly see that doing everything at once really pans out, I just have to keep my head above water and AWAKE at all times!!!!
I read a forum once where an Inner Circle member said she’s aiming to be a “Michael Curtis” and I thought, I am aiming to be a ” Greg Milner”…. no disrespect to Michael of course!!!!
Thank you for your BRILLIANT BRILLIANT marketing!!!
Fairoza Tippens
Spa-Owner
p.s. I am COMPLETELY off the tools and go dressed to kill everyday to work!!!
When she got her Toolkit 18 months ago, Fairoza Tippens was in the same position as most salon owners – desperate, barely able to keep the doors open. But oh, what a difference Action combined with the right Tools makes.
Fairoza, I take my hat off to you. And if anybody ever says to me “my business is in a poor area/the economy’s to blame/I can’t afford it” yada yada yada… I’ll send them your details and say “well, if SHE can do it….”
by Greg Milner | Nov 17, 2009 | Marketing Superstars
“…booked out till March 2010!”
IC member Joanne Hamley – booked out till March 2010 with many clients booked through to June.
Hair Salon Template Inner Circle Member of the Week: Joanne Hamley of Hair and Beauty 4U, NSW
Inner Circle member of 12 months Joanne Hamley of Hair & Beauty 4U in Loftus (southern Sydney) is jumping out of her skin.
(And it’s only partly because of the brand new car sitting in her driveway)
Joanne is one of those rare people who asks ‘how can this work for me’ rather than the majority who look for reasons why something won’t work. Her attitude is ‘it’s easier to seek forgiveness that it is to get permission in the first place.’ And it’s brought immense rewards for her salon business, as she details in this email just received:
“Hi there thanks for all the info. I’ve been really flat out, about to put on another senior stylist. I’m booked out to March next year and have clients booked up to June next year.
I’ve been with you now for 1 year, I know I wouldn’t have done so well if it was not for your on-going help.
Joanne’s new car – thanks to a stunning turnaround in her salon in just 12 months.
Retail sales are unreal – some months we’ve doubled, some months we’ve tripled compared with 12 months ago and average client spend has more than tripled.
I now have my salon as hair and beauty not just hairdressing and I just received my brand new Holden Captiva LX model Car (WHAT RECESSION!!)
I just had another 10% price increase, Also 2 months ago implemented the cancellation fee – NO MORE NO SHOWS!
In the last year of the recession I have had a 35% price increase.
Anyway thanks again Greg.
by Greg Milner | Nov 11, 2009 | Increasing Retail Sales, Marketing Superstars
Hair Salon Web Template Marketing Superstars – Inner Circle Member of the Week Maria Mazis
There must be something in the water in Adelaide. For the second consecutive week our Inner Circle salon superstar comes from the City of Churches in South Australia.
Maria Mazis of Skintelligence, just a few blocks away from last week’s superstar Inner Circle member, Dina Matters of Contours Clinic, has discovered the incredible power of a monthly newsletter to deliver sales and profits.
Maria started sending a hard copy newsletter to her clients soon after joining the Inner Circle program in March and tweaking the easy-to-use newsletter templates she found in the Members Only ‘sealed section’.
Last month, her simple, two-page newsletter brought in no less than $10,000 in extra sales, thanks to a cleverly-designed Mini-Membership program she promoted to her database.
In addition to the $10,000 in Mini-Membership sales generated by the newsletter, Maria also promoted a clever ‘free facial’ campaign to the teenage daughters of her clients – an idea that generated another $400 in product sales; but more importantly these teenage girls are ‘prime’ candidates to become long-term clients. Smart.
I cannot stress enough the importance of a regular newsletter. Most business owners put it in the ‘too hard’ basket, unwilling to commit the resources and time necessary to implement and maintain it – and thus miss out on easy dollars from an eager client base just waiting to be asked to hand over their money.
