Salon Marketing

4th June 2008

Five Inexpensive Direct Mail Tools to Generate Client Leads Fast

Massage Marketing, Salon Marketing, Spa Marketing

There are many new ways to generate client leads today, but direct mail remains one of the most powerful lead-generation tools. If you are not using this for your Day Spa, Salon or Massage Practice… you should start!
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Lots of successful businesses within the Spa and Salon industries are discovering that direct mail is essential for growth, since newer marketing tactics, especially online via internet… such as SEO, social media, and email marketing, often have limitations because of the rapidly changing rules and technical issues involved. And a steep learning curve!
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While a mailer isn’t as sexy as a viral video emailed to one another and it’s not a hot topic at industry conferences & tradeshows, it’s the most reliable way to reach people at home or at work. Its reach is wider and deeper than any other medium’s. Plus, there are few restrictions on format and no message filtering headaches that plague email marketing.
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Isn’t direct mail expensive? It can be. But don’t think that you have to create big, flashy mailers. In fact, when your goal is to generate new client leads, simpler, cheaper formats often work better. That’s because the purpose of a lead-generating mailer is not to tell the whole story but to say just enough to get people to ask for more information.
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Here are five basic direct mail tools that you can use to generate new client leads quickly and inexpensively.
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1. Sales Letter
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The letter is one of the simplest and most effective direct-mail tools available. It won’t win any design awards, but if written well it’s one of the few types of advertising that people will actually read all the way through. And generate a response!
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To generate new leads with a letter, you generally want to offer something free, such as a brochure, sample, treatment, consultation, or information kit. There’s no need to get fancy when writing your letter. Keep it simple. Identify a problem, present your solution, and offer to send your freebie. Doing so allows interested prospects to identify themselves and gives you a “foot in the door.”
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The simplest letter mailing includes a one- or two-page letter and a reply card in an envelope. You can enclose anything else you like, but remember that your goal is to get people to ask for more information, not to close the sale immediately. Less is more.
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2. Postcard
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Yes, simple postcards are a terrific way to generate leads. They’re easy to print and as cheap as mail gets. If you’re a small business, you can even print postcards through a variety of online printers and apply stamps and address labels by hand.
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To get the cheaper postcard rate, the minimum size of any postcard you can send in the US mail is 3.5″ x 5″, and the maximum size is 4.25″ x 6″. You can certainly create larger postcards, and many day spas & salons do. You simply have to pay more postage. Larger sizes give you more room for your message and photos or graphics. Just be sure to talk to your printer first to determine the most efficient size for printing so you get the most for your money.
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Postcards are particularly good for generating a quick phone call or for driving people to your Website. Since cards are small and offer little room for copy, your product or service should be familiar and easy to understand. Your offer should be simple and direct. People don’t read postcards as much as they glance at them.
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Your phone number or Web address should be big and bold so people can’t miss it. If you’re driving people to your facility, make sure to give clear directions and a simple map if you have room. Telling people what you want them to do and how to do it is the best way to maximize response rate.
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3. Flyer
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You want simple and cheap? Print up a flyer on ordinary paper, fold it, affix a mailing label and a stamp, and throw it in the mail. This kind of guerrilla tactic is dirt cheap and can produce fantastic results for day spas, salons and massage clinics alike.
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It’s particularly good for small, local businesses (or businesses that want to appear small). Unless you’re selling Mercedes sedans or Rolex watches, no one expects you to do fancy mailings anyway. In fact, in a pile of over-designed ad mail, a simple flyer from a local business stands out. People are subjected to so many clever ads, they develop “ad blindness.” To get people to notice you, just mail them ugly flyers that don’t look like ordinary advertising. Ugly gets opened!
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When you’re mailing a flyer, you should fold it in thirds (called a “roll fold”) and affix a tab to hold it closed so it can survive the journey. You will put your main message on the inside with teasers and your mailing information on the outside. And be sure to design the flyer so that when you read the address, the folded side is on the bottom and the tab is on the top. Most printers, even small ones, should know this…
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4. Invitation
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When you see the word “invitation,” you probably think of small cards with heavy paper and elegant printing asking you to a wedding or formal dinner. But invitations can take almost any form. They’re simply a way of presenting an offer that feels personal and important to your prospective client.
You can certainly go the expensive route if you have an expensive products or treatments. But you can invite people to an event with any of the formats above: a letter, postcard, or flyer. Just start the headline with the words “You are invited to…” then tell people what the event is.
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You can invite people to an open house, special sale, party for your best clients, product demonstration, informational presentation, or anything that requires getting people to a particular location. The key is to make people feel that they are special and not everyone is being invited. Once they get there, your staff can go to work.
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5. Special Delivery
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FedEx, UPS and other quick delivery services are far more expensive than regular mail, but this is a technique for a special “wish list” of your best prospects. If you have 100 key people you want as customers, spending the money to overnight a brochure or product samples may well be worth the investment.
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This mailer is guaranteed to get opened. Who can resist opening a FedEx package? Inside, you should include a personal letter explaining who you are and what you are offering. You might send a sample with a note that says, “Here’s a small sample of our skin care products. If you’d like to see the real thing, call me and I’ll have a full size product shipped to you.” Or you could enclose a disk with a video presentation or an info kit with detailed information about how others have used your products and treatments and now look 10 years younger!
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Once again, don’t try to fancy it up. You are sending a message to a highly select group of people, so it should look like you’ve done it personally. This isn’t advertising; it’s a personal contact from you to them.
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No matter what direct mail tool you use to generate leads, remember to follow up quickly once you get the lead. Hot leads cool off quickly. Ideally, you should respond to people within a week, more than this is tooo long.
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Give your leads to the receptionist and make sure they understand what was offered so they can follow up with a phone call.
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Almost every day a new marketing technology or technique is developed. But good-old-fashioned direct mail hasn’t lost any of its power for generating leads. So start today!
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1 Comment

3rd June 2008

Five Marketing Steps to Keep for the Summer Months

Massage Marketing, Salon Marketing, Spa Marketing

Most Day Spas, Salons and Massage Clinics would say that the summer Months generally are slow. I don’t believe that is the case. You may not be getting clients in the door but what have you done to get them through the door? Have you made out your summer marketing strategy?
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Have you planned and made a commitment to make sure that your summer is going to be profitable? Are you buying into the news media who are constantly telling us that we are going into a recession?
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Here are a few steps you can do to make sure this summer you are making money!!!
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1. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET! USING THE EXCUSE PEOPLE ARE PAYING AT THE PUMP AND SO THEY AREN’T GOING TO PAY HERE IS JUST THAT… AN EXCUSE!!
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2. TAKE ACTION!! Do Several Things at a Time. Get a Calendar and get things Started.

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3. Schedule an Open House or a Big Event (Ex. Customer Appreciation) for all Clients.
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4. Get an Ad in the Newspaper offering a Summer Special or send out a Direct Mail Postcard.
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5. Use the Yearly Events to help come up with Ideas. (Ex. Wedding Season, Fourth of July, Back to School Special)
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Now you may wonder “how can I do this, summer is here?!!” You can find all of this within the Spa Marketing Toolkit under Resources. There are ads, flyers, client sales letters, and a bunch of other resources at your fingertips to draw Ideas off of.
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Change what and who you are listening to, change your mindset, make better choices, set your goals, and go out and DO IT!
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Make it a Great Summer,
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John Uhrig
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P.S. To find out how to get access to the Spa Marketing Toolkit ‘Starter-Pack’ and try it out with a 15-Day no-questions-asked guarantee go to: www.spamarketingtools.com?blogNOriskoffer
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30th May 2008

Why You Need To Run A Survey, Email-Marketing Technique

Massage Marketing, Salon Marketing, Spa Marketing

Spa Marketing, Salon Marketing & Massage Marketing - Strategies…
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Do you have a list of e-mail addresses for either your spa business or salon business of clients or prospects? Do you have a list of e-newsletter subscribers? If you have their permission, send them an e-mail survey to conduct some under the radar market research. See if clients are satisfied with your products or services, or see if they enjoyed their visit to your spa or salon?
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You can learn things you didn’t know about your business by surveying your clients. Maybe your clients buy your main services just to get the free gifts. Your potential may think it’s too hard to due business with you. You may find out that most of your clients make over $100,000 a year. By knowing this type of important information you can improve your web site, products/services, and marketing.
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There Are 3 Popular Types of Business Surveys…
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Client Satisfaction Surveys: - what did you like or dislike about our products or services, what can we improve or add, how satisfied are you with our customer service, etc., etc.
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Business Feedback Surveys: - did you find it to easy to find our business, was the reception accommodating and helpful, did you get the results form the treatments or services you were expecting, what did you like or dislike about your experience with us, etc., etc.?
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Demographic Surveys: - what’s your gender, age, income, occupation, marital status, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and cell number (use this for SMS marketing campaigns… HINT: Very
powerful!) etc.
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Sometimes people don’t want to take the time to fill out a survey. To encourage them to fill out the survey offer them a freebie if they fill it out. Some ideas are free reports, sample products, free mini services or free newsletter. Hold a free online contest or sweepstakes on your website and ask visitors to fill out a survey before they enter.
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If you don’t yet have an e-mail address list you could post your survey on appropriate newsgroups, forums and e-mail discussion lists. HINT: “Craigslist”… this is a perfect place for *FREE*
advertising and it works! You could also print out survey cards at reception…
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Basically, the more you know about your audience the better your marketing becomes! You’ll be able to address their Hot Buttons, concerns and likes. A more personalized and customized marketing message works better EVERY time!
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Something to think about before you create your next piece of marketing material…
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For some proven marketing campaigns for your business that work! Visit:
Done-It-For-You-Marketing
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Dedicated To Multiplying Your Revenues,
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John Uhrig
Monochrome Marketing Solutions
Results-Based Marketing
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P.S. Fill that appointment book with clients eager to give you their money…
Done-it-for-you-Marketing
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26th May 2008

5 Key Hotspots of Salon Merchandising

Salon Marketing

Are you using all profit centers in your salon to their full potential?
If you’re only merchandising retail product in your salon’s front retail
area, then you’re missing valuable retail opportunities.

Wella•Sebastian•Graham Webb Regional Sales Manager Kathleen Cannon has identified five major points of ef fective merchandising in the salon. Find out how you can tap into these hidden “wealth centers” and build your retail sales revenue.

1. The Stylist Station.
Every inch of space is a precious commodity on the stylist station, but this critical area holds the captive attention of your clients during their services. Use this space to subtly sell clients on the features and benefits of styling products. Let clients s ample products, such as Color Preserve tester s or the mini Sebastian Shaper Plus hair that come s with the purchase of every Potion 9 through June.

2. Shampoo Area.
The shampoo area is the first point of exposure to your promotions. Cannon advises turning that time in to a sale by explaining the benefits of your care products, such as a Color Preserve Shampoo before a hair color service. Make sure you have plenty of samples on hand to let them
smell and touch the product.

3. Powder room.
The powder room is the perfect area to encourage testing of retail products, such as Back to Basics Bath & Body Boutique, a full range of shower gels and lotions in matching scents like Calming Blue Lavender, Coconut Mango and Soothing Jasmine.

4.Front desk
Impulse buys have high success rates with sales at the front desk, and no woman can resist Trucco’s Dollface spring/summer makeup collection. Place the display kit on a corner of your front desk to let your customers play with these fresh picks for spring.

5. Promotion table.
Keep your retail area up to date by setting aside a separate table featuring the most recent Wella•Sebastian•Graham Webb promotions. Offer monthly deals with product displays and signage clearly stating features, benefits and pricing. But beware of creating a discount table. “You want something classier that shows exciting, new items and gives your stylists something new to talk about with their customers,” Cannon notes.

To learn more about effective salon marketing and spa marketing… PLUS to receive FREE customized marketing suggestions for your business… visit: www.spamarketing.ca

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