Are you discounting your services to get business? It’s a common practice among salons, but it’s an expensive and ineffective way of attracting good, solid repeat clients.

What makes it so expensive? Let’s say you offer a $10 discount to 5 clients each week.  That means you will lose $2,600 per year in cold hard cash.  That’s like paying an extra month of rent. Just think how much back bar and retail product you could buy with that kind of money!  

But many salons and spas use discounting as a primary marketing tool. I think it’s largely because they don’t realize there are far more effective methods for getting new clients, methods that ultimately turn prospects into solid, repeat clients.

And then there’s the other ugly problem with discounting: It sets the client up to expect it again and again.

How to fix the problem

First, understand what’s going on with the public. Although 90% of Americans are working, there is still concern for the 9-10% that aren’t. That means consumers are looking for value to justify spending their money. The public needs to feel they’re getting more for their money.

So here’s the good news: instead of blaming the economy, use it to your advantage. Bundle services together in a package at an unbeatable price. For example:

“$286 in spa/salon services for an incredible $99!”

Here’s a sample from a partial hair ad:

&  FREE Semi-Permanent Colour Shine valued at $65

&  FREE Tingling Scalp Massage valued at $12

&  FREE Spa Gloss & Hydration Hair Treatment valued at $28

That’s $105 in value. 

It doesn’t really cost you $28 to do a hair treatment.  At most it will cost you $1.  And if you get the client in for $99 you’re way ahead, especially if you compare it to having an empty chair.

The same is true for the aforementioned hand massage. It doesn’t cost $24 to do a hand massage, but it does take some skill, sometimes even a certain technique. Give the hand massage a special name to reflect its uniqueness and the subsequent value.

Remember to place a value on your consultation time as well. It’s a service you already provide; place a value on it.

As you may have guessed, this type of marketing is called value-adding. It places the focus on more, not less. It also creates a WOW effect for prospects and current customers. Just think of what you can do with hair treatments!

Use Packages To Promote Other Services

Use packages to add complementary services with your offer like a light makeover. Then sell the make-up products. It just takes a little bit of your time and some make-up. Clients rarely leave without buying something!

Package offers together with a service you want your clients to know of and start using. When I owned my small spa, we did this all the time. It’s an incredible tool for building awareness and hooking people on another part of your business.

The Rule Of Three

If you arm yourself with this important mind shift, from discounting to value-adding, you can attract the clients you really want in your salon or spa. Focus on value, never discounting.

Just remember, get prospects back in three times and they are usually yours for life. The sooner you stop discounting and start value-adding, the quicker you’ll gain more clients, make more money and stand out from the pack. And that’s what it’s all about, right?

About the author: HAA member, Susan Vincent owned a small spa in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for 10 years. She is the now the owner and writer of Easy Salon Newsletters, a done-for-you newsletter service that provides hair, skincare, make-up tips and a bit of humor for salons and spas around the world.

Whatever economic status you fall in, there are chances that you may require beauty care either to enhance your beauty or to repair the missing assets. So, is the beauty care industry being affected? Here the question is how they are being affected by the economy? The answer lies although people tie belts and their budgets, can they afford the ever increasing prices of the beauty products?

How they have been affected by the economy will depend upon, how hard the times were and did it make them put off their beauty treatments? As per a survey done, expensive salons saw a dip of about 25% in their clientele, and celebrity perfumes for example, saw a dip of about 20% in their sales during the recession. People still bought perfumes, but settled for the less-expensive ones.

About the Author:

Charlotte Howard is a Business Consultant and Founder of Charlotte Howard Consulting LLC. Personally Connect With Her On FaceBook At The Group “Hair Artist Association” For Beauty and Business Tips.
Copyright © 2009 Charlotte Howard Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved.

Sure there are many people looking for work in this economy. We all no in life you must take some risks. If you aren’t willing to take some sort of a risk in life, don’t expect any rewards. We all learn from our mistakes and can turn those mistakes into helpful lessons that can help others.

If you are at a point in your life where you feel things aren’t looking up for you. It is time for you to change your life and make your next move your best move. So here’s what you can do to begin changing your life.

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

2. Get rid of all negative influences.

3. Begin investing into positive resources.

If you want change in your life you must do the things that negative influenced, people won’t do. Starting a home business can be your ticket out of the rat race.

Top 3 Reasons Why a Home Business Can Help YOU:

1. Excellent Tax Break.

2. Full-time or Part-time Income.

3. You Can Work From Home.

About the Author:

Charlotte Howard is a Business Consultant and Founder of Charlotte Howard Consulting LLC. Grab Charlotte’s FREE click by click training for Traditional Business Owners and Home-Based Business Owners.

Copyright © 2009 Charlotte Howard Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved.