A spa or salon sales event should be fun and profitable. Here is what to do to make your event a success for your customers and your bottom line.
Balance the products you sell at the event
When hosting a spa or salon sales event, consider a mix of durable products and consumables. Durable goods are anything foundational to a “system.” They are important to help a customer develop a routine or habit that will drive return visits. Build an assortment around a core durable good like an electric facial brush, for example, to help customers extend their spa experience into their homes.
Consumable products (skin care, hair care, etc) are great because they need to be replenished. Which gives your clients a reason to return. Consider putting a “10% when you return this package” sticker on any products you are selling to give customers a reason to return. The discounted margin will be made up by more frequent face-to-face relationship-building and loyalty. 10% off is very little cost to drive a return visit and purchase — especially if you can take advantage of the second visit to add on sales or services.
Consider offering a recycling message (if you will recycle the empty packages.) The idea is that when a customer really enjoys a product, they will not make future purchases somewhere else.
During your spa or salon sales event, create a sense of urgency. Make it clear that you have special prices for the event that will not be available during other times. Employees can build trust with their clients by informing them of the special prices during the event to encourage customers to attend. It also helps employees build a reputation for “looking out for their customers.”
Finally, consider providing bundle pricing where items will be discounted more steeply when they purchase a complete bundle. A yoga value pack that includes mat, blocks and bands could be priced with a lower overall margin than each item individually. But because the customer buys all 3 items to qualify for the discount, the spa actually makes a larger dollar profit because customers are enticed to buy 3 items instead of 1 or 2.
Select a theme that resonates with your target market
Hosting a themed spa or salon sales event makes sense, if you can market to the correct demographic. If your mailing list can accurately identify targets who would want an anti-aging event, for example, then do consider multiple events. But be careful not to communicate a targetted event to the wrong audience. Menopausal remedies to millennials is not a good idea. 🙂
If you do not trust that your marketing list is clearly targetted, you can still choose to host a themed event. Make sure it will be generally appealing and broad enough to drive people to visit your location or website, like an aromatherapy event for example. With a themed event, make sure there is something above and beyond that will happen at the event. Will there be a floral scent expert on hand? Free samples?
Remember that the driving trend in personal care is customization for each customer. Provide a custom blend or a ten minute mini-session for each client who attends as a valuable motivator. Entice customers by providing them with access to people, products, knowledge or personal insight into themselves to build an emotional connection to your company and the event.
Leverage your network to increase attendance
When planning your spa or salon sales event, reach out to your suppliers and vendors to gauge their interest in co-marketing or co-hosting the event. Leverage the power of their social media and email channels to publicize the event. Vendors often have small local marketing funds to help cover printing costs or provide free samples. Ask to have your event included in their social media posts.
Broaden your appeal by working with neighboring businesses to attract more people. Consider a local dentist who may want to work with you to promote their whitening services in return for sending an email to their customers about the event. Look for like-minded businesses who are focused on helping people be healthy and attractive. Optometrists, personal trainers, gyms, dry cleaners, shoe stores. Think beyond your usual sphere. Talk about your event with other business owners. Would a local restaurant be willing to add a 15% off coupon for their salads in return for putting a notice in their vestibule or the back of their receipts?
Networking through your neighbors is what builds a strong community. Strong communities are resilient through tough times. Small businesses who work together are more likely to get press coverage. If you are not already a member of the Chamber of Commerce or a local BNI chapter, consider joining to make connections to other business owners who are interested in building joint marketing efforts.
Make it special
Your spa or salon sales event should feel special. That means different attire from your staff, decorations, music and a different focus from team leaders from the everyday. Inexpensive things like balloons, finger food, cake, give-aways every half-hour all add up to a festive atmosphere. As corny as they sound, they are classic indicators that the event is special. Frankly, the event will feel as special as the leadership and the staff make it.
At the event make an extra effort to make it as Instagram-able as possible. Include a special backdrop and adopt a hashtag for your event. Use the hashtag before, during and after the event on all channels. Part of marketing the current event is marketing future events. You want a certain FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) amongst the people who do not attend to build anticipation for your next event. Ask all employees to post about the event before, during and afterwards. Have a special reward for the most fun/appealing post to motivate them to participate.
Finally, make is easy to complete a sale. Have plenty of staff on hand to help customers make selections and a dedicated checkout area for the event. Mobile devices make it easy to complete sales without a mundane transaction at the checkout counter.
How to make it Extra EXTRA
When you pick a theme for your event, make a relevant connection that will give your customers additional motivation to attend. Maybe it is a free sample bag, a door-prize for a big-ticket item or access to a local celebrity. Start by thinking about your target market and what matters to them. If it is busy moms, offer free childcare during the event or a meal-service give-away. If it is professional people, travel-packages and an airline club give-away would be enticing. Think about who you want to attend the event and then build the event around their dreams.
Charities and local causes are excellent – especially if they will also help promote your event. To the degree that you can select a local cause, you can improve your ROI on marketing by reaching out to the affected community. A local playground is an excellent cause if your target is young mothers. A local meal delivery service is a great introduction to local seniors and their caregivers. While you do not have to have a charitable cause, it is a good idea to build a real connection to it. A national charity or changing your charitable giving every event will limit your impact on the charity and your importance to them.
Savvy spa and salon owners know that sales events can build revenue and deepen their connections to their clientele. I’d love to hear more about your Spa or Salon sales events or answer any questions you may have.