October 15, 2009
Attention Salon Owners
New blog site is now located at http://www.AndrewsSalonMarketing.com You can receive a 7 day FREE Salon Marketing Video Training Series.
September 10, 2009
ATTENTION SALON OWNERS! Grab A FREE Salon Marketing Make Over. http://ping.fm/5uLMq
August 29, 2009
Are You A Solon Marketing Hero Or Zero?
After almost failing in my first business 13 years ago, and having the privilege to speak to so many small business owners, it’s clear to see that we all tend to focus on the wrong things.
When I decided to start my first business thirteen years ago, I had no business back round or marketing experience. I started the business because I thought I could do it better than my competitors.
I remember the first week I started. I rummaged through my local paper, the yellow pages, and the mail I had collected from competitors, so I could try to create a marketing campaign that would attract business. Several weeks later I spoke to a few ad reps about my marketing. They told me to run a bigger ad more often. I was getting so desperate that I actually started to copy my competitor’s ads just to keep food on the table. One month was good and the next shameful.
I was simultaneously running out of money, and desire. My hopes were fading like a sunset on a clear sky. I knew all the money, sweat, and long hours would be for not, if I couldn’t figure out how to attract more clients. I was a marketing zero!
Several marketing books later, I figured out that people respond to the “familiar” more often than the unfamiliar. So I started several different marketing funnels to get my name out. One was to homeowners in a specific carrier route. Another was to homeowners who made a specific yearly income. Another was an ad I ran in my local paper. And lastly was a flier I distributed to specific neighborhood.
I received amazing results that changed me from a marketing zero to a hero within 2 months.
I also figured out that my marketing needed to be completely DIFFERENT than my competitors if I wanted to dominate my market. I started to send out handwritten letters that out performed my other marketing 7 to 1. Needless to say, I enjoyed the marketing of the business more than the business itself. My sister now runs that real estate investment business, so I can focus on what I love…MARKETING!
Here are your keys to successful salon marketing
1. Have multiple salon marketing funnels going simultaneously (newspaper, yellow page, postcards, fliers, letters, and word of mouth.)
2. Make sure your marketing looks completely different than your competitors (STAND OUT)
3. Have fun with your marketing. Do something outrageous that gets people talking.
4. Make sure you target your prospects so that you’re not wasting money.
5. Test, test, test, and make adjustments quickly.
6. If you need more clients focus on marketing. Set aside one hour a day just to focus on that, and you’ll reap huge rewards.
Please leave me a comment and tell me what your biggest challenges are in your business. We can all grow from each others experience.
“How to Increase Sales Within 14 Days With A Simple Promotion”
Who are your best customers? Your best customers are the ones who have purchased from you in the past. Your past customers are more likely to purchase from you again and again. This is a great way to get old customers back into your salon.
Here’s how you can boost your sales within 14 days using your old customer list. I hope you collect the names and addresses of your customers, past and present. I’m assuming you do.
1. Pull your list of customers who have not purchased from you in the past 60 to 90 days.
2. Write them a nice letter and make them an irresistible offer on one of your products or services.
3. When writing your sales letter, make sure you personalize the name. And make sure you give your customer a date to respond by (14 day Deadline.)
4. Send your letter and check your response. If you did this correctly you should receive a cash flow boost within 14 days.
I have clients using this strategy and receiving no less than a 7% response rate. A more advanced strategy would be to send a sequence letter campaign, which I will cover on our next discussion.
Leave me your comments by click the “leave comments” button below. Tell me what you thought of this article.
Warmest regards,
Glen Andrews
P. S. I’ll be helping 3 more salon owners with their marketing starting 9/1/2009 if interested leave me a message or email me at Glen@small-business-advertising-strategies.com
August 21, 2009
What Are Your Prices Saying About You?
Glen Andrews is a marketing expert/coach
Is your pricing telling your clients how good you think you are?
When marketing your salon there are only 3 distinct positions that separate you from your competitors.
1. My prices are the cheapest so don’t expect miracles.
2. My prices are average and so is my service
3. My prices are high and my service is impeccable
There are a lot of businesses that have taken these positions. When you think of cheap/low prices most people think of Wal-Mart. When you think of average most people think of Sears/JC Penney/Target. And when you think of expensive you think of Neiman Marcus.
All humans have a perceived value of goods and services by what they cost. What are you saying to your clients and prospects about your products and services?
The challenge is NOT being the cheapest salon. Most people assume you deliver an acceptable service at the lowest cost. Most people don’t expect much when paying low prices.
The challenge is NOT being the most expensive. Most people assume because you are “high priced” that you have the best products and services. Most people desire and expect exceptional products and services when paying a premium.
The challenge is with being camouflaged in the middle. Most people assume that you’re not the best, and you don’t have the best prices, you’re just average. So you end up being lumped into mediocrity competing with every other salon in your market. Prospects come to you because it’s convenient. Not a good position to be in.
But, if you find yourself competing in the middle you can stand out and still dominate your market just by creating a superior marketing message.
Please leave me your comments below and let me know if there are other marketing topics you’d like me to cover. You can also subscribe to this Blog and receive weekly marketing gems.
Warmest regards,
Glen Andrews
P. S. For a limited time you can grab a FREE marketing CD “9 Beauty Salon Marketing Secrets To Attract and Keep More Clients Without Spending More $$$$.” Go to http://www.small-business-advertising-strategies.com/Beauty-Salon-Marketing.html
August 18, 2009
Powerful Beauty Salon Marketing Referral Strategy
Glen Andrews is a marketing expert/coach
The easiest way to receive referrals is to do what you do so well that your clients feel compelled to tell others.
Have you ever had a really great experience at a restaurant, or great service from someone that made you want to tell your friends or family? Me too!
We’ve all been around poor and mediocre service for so long, that it doesn’t take much too really make us feel special.
It’s sad but true. Businesses push us through their establishments like we’re robots on a conveyor belt.
I’ve been in retail stores, restaurants, and observed sales people, store clerks, waiters and waitresses, going through the motions of their jobs almost sleep walking until a favorite client or close friend comes
in. Then the clerk perks up, smiles, comes alive and instantly becomes a different person altogether.
I’m sure you’ve observed this same thing. When a person cultivates the ability to express that kind of friendliness and enthusiasm with everyone, he or she has a tremendous advantage that must eventually be a great career advancement value.
You might think about it this way. We all share the same basic human needs, desires, and motivations. You, me and every customer or client we deal with. One of the most basic of those needs is the desire to feel important. You don’t want to be an account number, a file, or just another client.
You want to be recognized and treated as someone important…so does everybody else. Only the real “Great” businesses know how to make everyone who comes in contact with them, feel like family.
Once your clients feel like family they will tell others about you.
Let’s say you set up a referral program. You set up a store sign that says, “Help us grow.” Anyone who refers a client to us receives 15% off their next visit. Anyone who refers 2 clients gets 25% off their next visit. Anyone who refers 3 clients gets 40% off their next visit and anyone who refers 5 or more, their next visit is completely FREE.
If you incorporate this one strategy you’ll have at least 3 to 7 new clients a month from current clients.
Think about it, everyone has 7 to 12 people in their inner circle who they talk to every day. If your service is excellent and your client can see how this will benefit them, and their friends, they’ll be more than happy to refer.
And better yet, it doesn’t cost anything but really great service, and a willingness to give back to your clients who have helped you grow your business.
