Summertime is vacation time – for many industries (including tanning), it notoriously brings slower days, weeks and even months. People are traveling on vacations; parents are tied up with kiddos being out of school and most everyone else is trying to head out to the beach or backyard for some rest and relaxation. Regardless of the reason this season brings foot traffic down, there is no need to stress!
Here are some strategies to help keep income flowing during these hot months.
Stretch Out Your Network
On average, 20% of your overall clientele is still patronizing the salon. It’s important to reach out to loyal customers, offer great deals to both new and existing tanners and ramp up your marketing efforts to keep your name in everyone’s mind. So, first things first: it’s time to organize your database and beef up your email and especially social media marketing campaigns!
Merchandising for Seasonal Sales
With more than 70% of all purchasing decisions taking place in-store, it makes perfect sense to feature product displays in your salon. Have you ever noticed that successful retail stores use visual merchandising to maximize sales? They typically have products displayed on an end-cap, showcased in the front of the store or at their counters/registers. This is no coincidence, because it creates a non-pressure environment allowing shoppers to react to impulses. Therefore, it can be good to embrace the philosophy “If no one can touch it, they won’t buy it” by utilizing a focal counter display in your salon. It’s just another way to keep things fun, fresh and profitable.
Surprise! Pop-Up Sales
It’s really a must that you entice customers to come through the door and offering them a great opportunity to save money will usually do just that. The idea of a pop-up sale is that it is unadvertised until a few days before or on the same day, which means that your customers must check in with your store to see if you’re having a sale or regularly follow your Facebook and emails. If you start having pop-up sales two or three times a month, customers are more likely to stop by because they don’t want to miss out on something. So, getting them through the door is half the work of increasing summer sales.
Some Pop-up ideas could be:
- A 12-hour product or service sale
- BOGO lotion packets
- Free tanning lotion with 1-month unlimited package or 3-month EFT
- Free body wash with a $70 product purchase
- Free mini-size with any body care product
- Buy 3 months, get 1 month free
- BOGO on session upgrades
Incorporate Reward Programs
Rewards like “Buy 6 Packets/Get the 7th FREE” and “Buy 6 Upgrades/Get the 7th FREE” can really boost sales because they require customers to buy more of a product/service than they typically might for the opportunity to get a free one. Or, offer a points program that gives customers a reward or retail product discount when they reach a specific number of points. A “Salon Cash” incentive works great for this, too.
Beef Up Your Referral Program
Referral programs are great for gaining new customers and rewarding loyal ones who recommended your business to friends, family, coworkers, etc. There are many ways to offer a referral program, but the key is to HAVE one.
It’s a Celebration!
A “free tan weekend” or open house allows you to showcase your services, products and how to use them. Invite your best customers and give them gift bags or even offer a snack and drink buffet. The key is to create a fun environment.
Even though you have a plan to beef-up marketing, get organized and make your customers feel special, this isn’t enough! Be sure to keep your staff motivated to sell – they can really make or break the hot months of summer.
For free promotional support or more information, email gjaeger@sunevolutions.com
