With a little creativity, there are a number of different ways that you can encourage your guests to purchase an unlimited recurring membership.
As you near the end of what was likely a prosperous period for your salon, there’s no better time to look at what you can do this month to prepare for the impending slower summer months ahead.
Even if you typically earn the majority of your annual revenue during the period we all refer to as “Busy Season,” there are ways to keep that cash flowing in all year ‘round.
Do you have customers who are somewhat 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 spring break, a vacation or prom.
The month of May is a perfect time to convert these tanners to a recurring monthly membership! The key is to incentivize the purchase of an EFT membership by offering promotions that are only available for redemption this month.
With a little creativity, there are a number of different ways that you can encourage your guests to purchase an unlimited recurring membership. If you typically charge an upfront activation fee at the point of sale for your EFT plans, you might consider waiving this fee for anyone who purchases from May 1-31. 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 that an EFT membership is purchased. You never know – your guest might just get hooked on her favorite new product that she may not have otherwise purchased!
Making your membership terms as flexible as possible is vital; not only to closing the sale, but also to ensuring that your tanners retain their memberships for a long time to come. Allowing them to freeze a membership without a minimum draft requirement will diminish any buyer’s apprehension, especially for those who may have summer travel plans. Charging a nominal freeze fee each month that the membership is on hold, with the option of refunding the dues upon reactivation in the form of reward points will entice customers to unfreeze sooner than later.
We all know that our annual peak and slow seasons are cyclical. In an effort to create balance of the revenue that you generate throughout the year, give some thought to instituting an annual supplemental fee into your membership agreements; drafted automatically from your customers’ accounts in August, for example. The amount of the fee will seem inconsequential to them, but multiply it by the number of your active memberships, and the result will be significant to you!
Incoming cash flow is imperative – not only during busy season, but in the off season, as well. During those slower time periods, implementing a robust EFT membership program is not only rewarding for your tanners, but can be for your business, too! With a solid salon management software program, anything is possible.
