Get Clients Ready For The New Year Of Beautycare With

DAY SPA PROMOTION IDEA STARTERS:

To get you and your staff started, here are a few ideas.  Remember, some promotions can be done right within your day spa salon, while others will require getting more actively involved outside of your day spa within your local community.  Be open to a full array of promotional activities that are fun for you, your staff… and most importantly – your clients!

CLIENT REFERRAL PLANS: These special promotions really do work – but only if you and your entire staff create a long-term partnership to make them work!  Create printed day spa salon brochures that offer a free facial, massage or manicure to anyone who sends in at least 2 of their friends.  This Client Referral Brochure should briefly tell about your day spa and salon services.  This brochure should include 2 each of 6 separate ‘Facial’, ‘Massage’ and ‘Nailcare Discount Certificates’ each valid for a 1/2 price introductory Service – for new clients only!  After each 2 new day spa clients come in – reward your referring regulars with the same FREE facial, massage or manicure.  You must create exciting offers that will motivate your clients to bring in their friends, business associates and relatives.  Introduce this Client Referral promotion by asking each client; “How would you like your next facial (or massage / manicure) for FREE?”

Visit an artist at your local quick printer to create and print professional day spa Client Referral Brochures.  Client Referral Programs don’t work on a short term basis.  You must continually promote them all year long!

REFERRAL – GIFT CERTIFICATE SALE: This is a terrific idea to build new day spa clients through your regulars.  It simply works like a New Client Referral Certificate Sale.  Create posters that note “Buy Any 2 Day Spa Gift Certificates – For friends and Family… Get the same certificate for yourself – FREE!”  It will be important to have pre-printed day spa salon gift certificates prepared, so you can write in the new person’s name, address and telephone number.  Remember to tell each client that they must send in new clients ‘who have never been into your salon for day spa services before’, in order to be eligible for their own promotional gift.  This promotion will work all year long, but it works best if only promoted once or twice a year around Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation or the year-end Gift-Giving Holidays.

COUNTRY CLUB INVITATIONALS: Work with the Owners and Social Directors of your local Country Clubs to have a Special Lady’s Day Out – for a ‘Day of Beauty’.  Attempt to have the Country Club officially sponsor this event, by having at least 10 women sign up for a special day.  Give everyone attending a special free luncheon as part of the package, a 20% discount or both.  Offer to have the Country Club use your day spa as a social meeting setting.  Another idea is to offer a ‘Tour of Beauty’ where you invite each Country Club to a tour of your day spa, with a one hour lecture demonstration on the various skincare, haircare, nailcare and bodycare treatments.  Pre-plan to make this either a women’s event or a couples event.  In this event, offer a ‘Day of Beauty’ as a door prize to one lucky person in the audience.

MEN’S SPA-NITE OUT PROGRAMS: Create the opportunity for men to have their own night out.  Create a special package that may offer an introductory discount, a free set of retail products or both.  It’s best to start with some Men’s Clubs or organized groups out of a Health, Tennis, Fitness or Country Club.  After a few of these, you can start your own Preferred Men’s Mailing List.

One large day spa salon in Crofton, MD regularly offers two Men’s Spa Packages, besides all of the normal Day of Beauty Packages.  Their Men’s Executive Escape at $77. Offers an escape from the busy office with a back massage, scalp treatment, haircut and style.  Their Men’s Royal Treatment includes the choice of a Hydrating or Aromatherapy Facial Treatment with a full body massage, sports manicure, lunch and a take-home gift for just $122.

SOCIAL SENIORS: Call the various active local Senior Social Clubs.  Many have monthly activities for these folks who are retired with plenty of time and money to spare.  They love self-indulgence!  Create a special discounted ‘Day of Beauty’ Package just for them.  We suggest this event be for the active, yet mature women.  Use an early week day, when your spa is typically slower.

SOCIAL SINGLES: There are plenty of Singles Clubs and Dating Service Businesses in most towns.  Offer each Club the opportunity for an event at your day spa.  Make a social evening out of it, by offering a selection of three ‘Nite of Pampered Luxury’ Packages, all at special introductory prices through the sponsorship of their club.  All they have to do is guarantee at least 10 people sign up one week in advance, so you are properly staffed.

NEIGHBORHOOD SPA PARTIES: Many planned communities have their own pool and tennis club, besides having an array of social gathering events each year.  Contact the Presidents and Social Directors for a Neighborhood – ‘Day Spa Day’ at their Pool Club or at your Day Spa.  It’s obviously best to have them come to you.  Offer to have a one hour Panel Presentation by a nutritionist, fitness expert and your Day Spa Staff, before offering some half-price introductory manicure, massage and facial treatments.  Full Beauty Packages can be offered at an introductory discount or at full price.  This event can be promoted for free through the community’s newsletter.  You may even want to design your own promotional fliers to attach within their newsletters for distribution.  Just be sure to help them write the feature stories describing your day spa and your services.

CHARITY SPA-A-THON FUNDRAISERS: Contact the local chapters of several ‘national’ charity associations like Operation Smile, Cancer, Leukemia, Lung and Heart to see which of these powerful groups will work ‘with you’ to create a fun fundraiser that will meet all of your outlined goals.  Find a charity that is ready, willing, and able to help you get local radio, newspaper and television publicity as part of a Spa-A-Thon.  Find a charity that is willing to tie you and your talented staff into one of their own programs or sponsor your event.

Like any Cut-A-Thon, you need to do more than graciously turn over money at the end of the event.  You need to wisely invest your donated time in publicity, while also helping the community you live in.  A Spa-A-Thon can be as simple as facials, mini-massage, manicures and pedicures for a $10 donation.  Do this event on a Sunday in your own day spa or out in the middle of any well trafficed public place which the charity can arrange.  Avoid charities that won’t pitch in… If they just want to accept your donations after the event is over, they’re not worth the effort.

MORE CHARITY FUNDRAISERS: The Currie Hair-Skin-Nails team in Glen Mills, PA regularly ties into numerous community charity fundraisers each year, raising money for The Humane Society and The Ronald McDonald House as well as other local and national causes like Hope Cuts for The City of Hope.  Randy Currie notes, “It’s important to give something back to your community, it builds a tremendous staff team spirit and it’s fun!”

A salon owner in Springfield, VA creates seasonal charity events for her highly successful salons.  Their biggest three this past year were their annual Toys For Tots Campaign tie-in, a Holiday Canned Food Drive for the Homeless Shelters, work with a woman’s shelter program and the gala ‘Imagine Benefit Fashion Show’ held at nearby Planet Hollywood in Washington DC.  They note, “We always get back more than we give, and our pay backs in life come in many, many ways!  Plus, our clients always comment how they love how much we care about our community.  It’s just a good feeling to help less fortunate people, to help themselves.”

CREATIVE EXCHANGE: Want to help other needy salon professionals and salon owners?  This new national non-profit charity is there for you!  Please contact Linda Bundrick, president at 1-703-313-8481 or visit http://www.worldpark.com/exchange to set up a fundraiser that will help support our own industry.  They help those with salon disasters, aids and they also work on helping more students enter cosmetology school.  They now offer motivational, educational and inspirational audio tapes by Geno Stampora, Larry Oskin and Bennie Baugh.  If you have a thoughtful story to share, a poem or a drawing, please submit it for inclusion in their upcoming book; Hearts With Style! Send entries to CEX, PO Box 1583, Lorton, VA  22199-1583.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAS: Align yourself with a Girl Scout Troop or Women’s Club that may be interested in a Mother-Daughter event at your day spa salon or at their club’s meeting location.  Prepare a brief lecture demonstration about your complete day spa services, give away a few door prizes, and offer a 25% discount to everyone who comes in for this event.  Offer a few extra service options to promote various day spa services, like a FREE chair massage for any child with any adult Shiatsu Massage service.  Your entire staff can participate in creating elegant tea and cookie refreshments.  Have everyone ‘dress-up’ for the occasion in their ‘Sunday’s Best’.

SWEET 16 & TEEN PARTIES: Teen girls love to indulge too!  Especially, if their parents are paying.  Include this in your regular salon menu, offering to customize day spa services for these young women, with facial, manicures, pedicures and massage treatments.  We suggest avoiding haircut and waxing services at this event, yet send them home with a promotional piece offering discounts on those more personalized services.  You may want to create a small brochure on all of the different types of spa parties and packages available in your day spa.

SORORITY & GREEK PARTIES: It’s time for a Toga Party, if you are near a college campus.  First, try a special introductory day spa program aimed at just the sororities.  After one or two successful events, we suggest a coed affair with one sorority and one fraternity.  Don’t be afraid to ask them to come dressed in togas, before their coordinated bash back at their Greek Houses.  Keep it controlled, yet make it fun.  You’ll become the talk of the campus.

EXECUTIVE CONGRATULATORY NOTES: Each week, your local newspaper lists the major executive promotions.  Send each local executive ‘Mover and Shaker’ a little congratulatory note with an introductory Gift Certificate, whether or not they are a client.  Look up the company addresses in the Yellow Pages.  Keep these names and companies in one of your Corporate Mailing List Files.

TAKE A MASSAGE TO WORK DAY: Many large corporate offices now have an occasional ‘Casual Day’ at the end of the month, when they treat the staff to a few extras for motivation.  Write and call all local business offices to offer the services of your massage therapists and manicurists.  Offer to have them set up shop right in the office once a month, with the company picking up the tab.  Give them a special daily rate by agreeing to an Annual Spa-At-Work Program.  Take along your business cards and day spa brochures, since everyone will want to know more about your other services.  You’ll be amazed at how many introductions will lead to new spa clients!

SECRETARY’S SPA MONTH: Each April, bosses wonder what to give their secretaries for a gift, especially if they don’t want to just treat them to a group lunch outing.  Send around direct mail letters, fliers and faxes to all area business owners within a few miles of your salon.  Follow up with calls.

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS PROMOTIONS: Twice a year you’ll need to remind the local businesses that your Day Spa Gift Certificates are terrific holiday presents as well as incentive award prizes for staff recognition and contests.  Send single page direct mail letters attached with photo illustrated fliers to post in their supply rooms or coffee rooms.  At holiday time send your package addressed to the company President or Owner.  In the spring send it again to the owner or to the Vice President of Human Resources.  You can even offer to set up a V.I.P. Program for their corporate executives.  Include a small introductory gift certificate to the letter receiver as an advance ‘Thank You’ for helping to pass along the word.

CORPORATE GIFTING PROGRAMS: Develop a special brochure just to promote Corporate Gifting Programs.  Offer a 10% to 20% discount for corporations that purchase at least $1,000. To $2,000. In gift certificates for their employees.  This should be promoted year-round for incentives, contests, rewards and holiday gifts.

MEDICAL OFFICE TIE-INS: Many day spas and resorts successfully tie themselves to local dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists, obstetricians, nutritionists and other medical professionals.  They work together often cross-promoting each others services to new patients and clients. It’s wise to work with at least three or four medical professionals.  Have them come into your salon during Open House Events and Lecture Demonstration Programs.  It’s time for day spas to actively reach out for more medical profession partnerships.

FREE ROBES, SLIPPERS OR WINES: Create some events for your best regulars by offering a free gift by PRE-BOOKING their next ‘Two Days of Beauty’.  You can have Robes made with your logo imprinted, just as easily as on giveaway spa slippers and private-labeled wines.  Offer this promotion through such engraved invitations as a “Thank You for being such a loyal guest in our day spa”.

MORE AD SPECIALTY GIFTS: These are fun and they don’t have to be expensive.  Buy something your clients can use that will help promote your day spa salon business with your salon logo and phone number printed on it.  Whether it is a coffee mug, spa bath towel, fun t-shirt, ‘nail-saver’ soda can opener or a day spa salon business card refrigerator magnet, get your day spa salon name and telephone number out there… and into the client’s homes.

PRE-BOOK SPA SAVINGS: Pick one month each year to offer your regulars the opportunity to save $25. On their next $100. Or more spa service, by pre-booking it before they leave the day spa today.  All appointments have to be for the next calendar month.  Plan ahead by targeting your typically slow months.  The same can be done in the salon by offering to save $5. On any haircut and style or $10. On any chemical service, just by pre-booking to come back next month.

JEWELRY STORE NAILCARE TIE-INS: Work with your local jewelry stores.  Offer a free introductory manicure gift certificate with the purchase of any special new fashion ring, or more especially with any engagement ring.  What woman wouldn’t want to have beautiful nails when she is showing off her new diamonds or engagement ring?  They’ll be thrilled with your gift and you will have the opportunity to bring in a new client that will certainly want her hands to look spectacular right through the wedding ceremonies.  You have the opportunity to create a client for life.

MASSAGE, SUGAR & MANICURE CLUB CARDS: You can use these printed promotional vehicles just like every clothing store, video store, dry cleaner and hairstyling salon does to keep your regulars coming back with the incentive of a terrific reward.  Buy 8 manicures (sugaring hair removal sessions or massages) – Get 1 FREE!  Visit your local quick printer to create these Massage Club Cards and Manicure Club Cards.

FREE VICHY SHOWER TREATMENTS: Getting some clients to feel more comfortable with any level of undressing in the day spa is often a challenge.  Create very strong promotions with terrific incentives.  For example, take advantage of your Vichy Shower Treatments, by offering them FREE for one month packaged with any first-time facial treatment or other expensive spa service.

FREE HAIRCUTS: Use a FREE Haircut and Style to promote any new ‘First-Time’ Haircolor, Perm or Body Treatment Service.  It’s a terrific incentive, offering something everyone needs, while also introducing them into a new day spa or salon service.

Larry H. Oskin

President of Marketing Solutions

Email: MktgSols@MktgSols.com