Ever thought about how your salon’s location might affect your business?
This question may not be something that you have ever considered. You have three possibilities from which to choose. You positioning means you are one of the following:
1. A destination salon
2. A walk by/drive by salon
3. A shopping centre salon
To help you to understand the one that that you are, the characteristics of each can broadly be describes as follows:
1. Destination salon
Low traffic flow past your door
Lower rent
Clients come to your location just to see you
Profile of a destination salon
Your salon will usually be located either totally as a stand-alone salon, maybe not at ground level, or you may have a small number of other traders around you. You may have the luxury of a larger floor area. Parking is often very convenient. Most clients will be by appointment. You will have the flexibility of trading hours that suit you and your clients. Clients can sneak from the car to the salon without needing to be as dressed up or made up, as they would have to be for a high traffic salon visit.
2. Walk by/drive by salon
Strong traffic flow that walks or drives by
Medium rent
Clients need to be attracted to you
Profile of a walk by/drive by salon
Your salon will usually be on a busy road, possibly in a strip shopping area with good drive by traffic that means you will have good visual exposure. You also have quite good walk by traffic. That is also good visual positioning. The difference between you and a shopping centre is that people are not necessarily shopping as they are passing you by and you need to make sure that you attract them to your salon .You will get some walk in clients but repeat business and referrals will form a large part of your business.
3. Shopping Centre Salon
Strong walk by traffic flow
High rent
Prospective clients are plentiful but you need to get them into your salon
Profile of a shopping centre salon
You will be paying high rent and the shopping centre should, for that premium rent, create traffic flow for you. They will bring clients into the centre. You need to get them into your salon. Image is very important and must reflect the market you want to cater to, as you are very much on display. Productivity management is very important to get right.
There is no right or wrong, good or better type of salon. All can be successful. It is important to recognise where you fit so you can make the necessary management decisions to do the right things in your particular sector.
Some of a things you need to get right
Destination Salon
Clients will choose to come to you, out there all on your lonesome, because they love what you do, so you absolutely must get it all right. The quality of your hairdressing, the level of service, the development of the relationship between you and your client
Every visit must be an experience filled with points of difference. What exactly is a point of difference?
A point of difference is something that the client gets, that they don’t expect to get, that they remember after they have left the salon.
Examples of some point of difference that work well are:
Refreshment menu and how you present your refreshments
Dedicated consultation area in the salon
Hand massage during the service
The shampoo is made an experience to be remembered
Follow up calls for new clients or a client who has a changed look
The service of re-booking is a must in all salons, but it becomes absolutely critical in a destination salon. You don’t get walk in clients so you must invite the client to return and make sure they return when they should, not when they get around to it. Always confirm all re-bookings. It is part of the service
A destination salon marketing plan
Every salon should have a 12-month marketing plan and in a destination salon your focus would be equally on getting new clients in, getting existing clients to return and encouraging existing clients to extend the range of services and products they have.
Empathy marketing works well in this type of salon. That is focusing on developing the relationship with your clients.
Some examples that work are:
New client packs
Link your loyalty programme to VIP or club marketing
Referrals from existing clients with rewards
Using your data base to thank and give clients a reason to return
Theme days or weeks that show you are fun and different e.g. Xmas in July
Walk By/Drive By Salon
You also need to make sure that the quality of everything you do ensures that clients return. We know that you have good drive/by walk by traffic, so your signage and outside messages are vitally important. They need to stand out and clearly have your salon name and contact number. They must also reflect your image.
Always remember, you pay rent not just for your floor space, but also for your window. So use it! Market with it effectively. Open your salon up so people walking past can see you are busy and happening. People like to choose a salon that is busy because it says you are good at what you do. Let them see it.
A Walk By/Drive By Salon Marketing Plan
There are some great marketing strategies you can put into your marketing plan.
Banners that change regularly, displaying your current promotion
Pay for a train fare if you are near a railway station so clients can travel to you by train
Pay for parking if clients need to pay a parking fee.
Have a 4-6 weekly message or promotion displayed in your front window
Use SMS/email marketing to fill short term appointments
Always have your service menu outside the salon so walk by prospects can take one
Shopping Centre Salon
One of the most valuable people in your salon in a shopping centre is your receptionist. If that person in not you, the salon owner, make sure they are the best you can get. They can make or break your business. They are in control of who and how many come into your salon. You need to say yes to absolutely everything that can be taken without detracting from the quality of service. In shopping centres people have another option very close by. Always keep clients in the front of the salon to give the feeling of being busy.
A Shopping Centre Salon Marketing Plan
Marketing dollars need to be spent wisely on internal concepts. The front of your salon is the best marketing tool you have. Thousands of clients and prospective clients pass daily and you need to clearly and in an exciting way tell them what you have that they want and need.
Some ideas that work:
Reward for buying retail products a return service at a value added price.
Tenants newsletter that offers fellow tenants rewards or offers for a limited period
Cross marketing with the coffee shop that is at your front door. Provide the coasters with an invitation to visit your salon
Get involved with centre promotions
Have your service menus at the information counter with inserts of current promotions
Use the centre PA system to promote
It doesn’t matter where you are positioned, but it does matter who you are and how you do it. Your reputation, wherever you might be positioned, will grow and be one to be proud of if you do it well. If you don’t get it right you will always struggle to have a full appointment book and all your chairs full. Which is of course the only measurement of a successful salon.
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