Although the usual time frame we’ve known as “busy season” has somewhat transformed and evolved from what we are used to, you’re likely winding down from a prosperous period for your salon. Now is a better time than ever to look at what you can do this month in preparation for the upcoming summer months.
During slower time periods, a robust EFT membership program is not only rewarding for your guests, but it can be for your business, too!
Even if you historically earn the majority of your annual revenue during the busy season, there are ways that you can keep that cash flowing year ‘round.
Do you have tanners who are fairly regular patrons of your business in that they will purchase a package from time to time, but once they’ve used up all of their sessions you don’t see them again for a while? I’m willing to bet that many of these same customers have visited your salon this busy season and purchased a package in order to tan for an upcoming event such as a spring break vacation or prom.
The month of May is a perfect time to convert these customers to a recurring (EFT) monthly membership! The key is to incentivize the purchase by offering promotions that are only available for redemption this month.
With a little creativity, there are a number of ways you can encourage customers to purchase an unlimited recurring membership. If you typically charge an upfront activation fee at the point of sale for your EFT memberships, you might consider waiving this fee for anyone who purchases from May 1 to May 31. Or, perhaps you offer the first month of tanning free for those who sign before the end of the month.
Another way to boost membership sales, as well as repeat product sales, is to offer a substantial discount on the purchase of any retail item on the day the EFT membership is purchased. You never know, your guest might just get hooked on their favorite new product they may not have otherwise purchased!
Making the terms of the memberships you offer as flexible as possible is vital not only to closing the sale, but also to ensuring that the tanner retains their membership into the future. Allowing them to freeze their memberships without a minimum draft requirement will diminish any guest’s apprehension, especially those who may have summer travel plans. Charging a nominal “freeze fee’’ each month that the membership is frozen – with the option of refunding the fees upon reactivation in the form of reward points – will entice guests to unfreeze sooner than later.
We have an idea of when our peak and slower seasons tend to occur cyclically each year. In an effort to create a balance of the revenue you generate throughout the year, give some thought to instituting an annual supplemental fee into your membership agreements; drafted automatically from your guests’ accounts in August, for example. The amount of the fee will seem inconsequential to the tanner, but multiply that by the number of your active memberships, and the result will be significant to you!
Incoming cash flow is imperative not only during busier times of the year, but in the off season, as well. During slower time periods, implementing a robust EFT membership program is not only rewarding for your guests, but it can be for your business, too! With a solid salon management software program, the possibilities are numerous.
