September? Is it really already September?
It seems as though this summer just flew by! Now that salon traffic is officially slowing down, we should take the time to reflect on this year’s tanning season – evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what should change or be incorporated for next season. Plan special promotions and events while your ideas are still fresh in your mind.
Reports, reports, reports! It’s time to pull everything from January to July and really take a look. What times of the day were your busiest? What products sold the most? What were the best product price points? What were the most popular packages? What days of the week were busiest? And if you don’t already track this, determine the PPA and LPPA (Per Person Average and Lotion Per Person Average) for each employee and each month, overall. If there were days that were busier than others, make notes of this for better staffing for next season. If your staff had lower averages than expected, plan sales training for one Sunday evening each month during season, to get your team prepped and pumped up to rake in the sales during busy times.
Events & Promotions – It’s always great to plan these in advance. We know that during season, most salons see a lot of vacation, wedding and event tanners. Use this downtime to plan ahead for what events and promotions you could offer. I suggest making a calendar of ideas for weekly specials and promotions now, so that you can forecast to have the correct product and sales team in place during these events. Another way to plan ahead is to research upcoming bridal events in your town – they are great places to send staff to pass out “Free Tan” cards. That way, when these brides are ready in the spring to prepare for their big day, they come to you for their tans. Also, plan ahead by cross-promoting with hair salons, day spas and nail salons; most vacation tanners are also getting their hair and nails done for their big trip.
Don’t forget to pay attention to what’s right in front of you – your current salon guests who are still tanning! These are your year ‘round tanners or those who have not yet canceled or frozen their memberships for the fall. Reward their loyalty with enticing offers to get them to tan through the winter. For example, create a package offering large discounts on five months of unlimited tanning in all equipment levels. Or, advertise “Tan ‘til 2017 for $99” for base level beds, and the sooner they buy it, the more they save. That way, your customers will continue to tan through the holidays, right back into next year’s busy season.
My suggestion for this month: reflect. Look back on what worked, what didn’t and make a plan for next season. You will feel much better going into next year with a clear idea of how you want your business to operate.
Always remember … “Success is where opportunity and preparation meet.”
