For many, the holiday season means just that, a holiday.It’s about spending time with family and relaxing. For better or worse, this isn’t the case for salon owners and employees. If you work in hair, you know that it's the busiest time of the year for salons. And while 2020 hasn’t been easy on the hair business as a whole, there is still an anticipated surge in bookings. Plus, it’s an opportune time to maximize business online.
If 2020 has taught salon owners anything, it’s that staying on top of proper business practices is crucial and that there’s always room to expand business potential. Keep reading for 5 of the top business tips for salons during the holiday period!
It’s November, which means that you’ve started to see that holiday spike in bookings. With this influx of appointments comes a larger room for error. The last thing you want to deal with during the holiday surge is that dreaded double-booking. Make it clear to your team that the books need to remain tidy and organized. Beyond that, you can also implement text alerts to your clients so that they don’t miss their bookings. Text alerts also become an opportunity to send notifications of holiday deals, packages, and offers to those clients in the future.
During the pandemic, many salon owners have relied on gift cards to keep them afloat. Not only do they lock in future sales, but they also encourage customer loyalty and provide the salon a chance to upsell during the actual visit. Gift cards are also quickly becoming the most popular form of holiday gifts.
Prepare your team to push gift cards and make sure you physically have enough on hand. They should be presented at checkout for those clients who love an impulse-buy! You can also boost gift card sales by incorporating them into holiday bundles (with services and products).
Products and salons go together like hot cocoa and a toasty fire. Retail has become another way for salons to up revenue streams during the pandemic. Plenty have mastered the art of selling them to their clients online via their websites and social media. It’s essential to promote products to customers both online and in stores.
During a booking, the easiest times to sell is during the shampoo or styling. Let your clients know that they can achieve salon-worthy results at home if they’ve got the right products. Also, remind them that professional-grade hair care and tools make for excellent gifts.
Most people look to social media for beauty tips, which is why it’s so important to maintain Instagram upkeep (along with other forms of social media) for your salon. Encourage clients to follow you on social media and tag you when appropriate. Let them know that exclusive deals are released through your social pages. Or, if you have a loyalty program, you can give them points for following, commenting, or posting about your salon. Make the most of the holiday foot traffic by talking up your Instagram account to clients.
You can also increase your following by liking and commenting on local social media pages or offering product giveaways to followers who tag their friends. Think of your social media page as a way to gain more customers and grow the relationships you already have. Content like styling tips typically does the best for salon pages.
Clients love to feel like they are getting an exclusive deal, especially during the holidays. A nice way to drive sales, make your clients feel special, and beat the competition is by offering a gift with a service purchase as a holiday special. This gift can either be in the form of a small, low-cost item (such as a travel-sized hair care product) or a gift card to be used towards retail items or their next visit. When people receive gift cards, they often end up spending more than the card is worth. With a $10 gift card with a service purchase, you will likely see your client spend $10, $20, or even $30 more. They might plan a future visit or give their gift card to a friend (increasing your chances of generating new clientele).
If you own or manage a salon, these tips should prove extremely helpful for you during the holiday season. Just as important as increasing revenue is checking in with your staff of employees and stylists. During this chaotic time of the year, a small 5-minute check-in with your team before they hit the floor goes a long way. Make sure that everyone is feeling good, on the same page, and knows how to properly promote the business. Encourage stylists to establish their own personal relationships with clientele as well!
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