Congratulations on your new Owner Operated Business, HairONE.
Although networking, flyers, and other advertising methods should not be discounted, I have always believed that most upscale Hair Salons kind of miss a segment of repeat and loyal customers.
Have you considered targeting your clients based on their professional functions? Targeting Banks, Retail Stores, Upscale Restaurants and offering incentives...or monthly packages really could work.
For instance, let's consider a standard Front-Line Bank Employee. Their positions require them to have a neat coif. These employees would be a perfect candidate for packaged services....
Basically, you schedule them for the same day of the month ...each month and include services at a rate "just for their industry". You can create packages for "touch up" services for those who color or highlight their hair. You can even create a DeLuxe package where a person comes to you each week for conditioning, head massage, touching up gray hairs...etc. Have fun with it!
How do you get your foot in the door? Easy! Offer the HR Department Head a conditioning/head massage treatment in exchange for some time and information to help create packages. Then, ask to have the package information distributed to employees. Be sure that whatever you offer-you can deliver. Scheduling around business hours is a very important consideration for professionals and their grooming.
If you do expanded Spa Services...then, WOW. You can have fun with that.
Once you're "in the door", don't be a stranger. Get involved in corporate events and mixers. Be sure you're the first to know about them too...so you have time to create a package. Be the Groomer for the traveling execs...that sort of thing. Get to know your clientele while doing their hair. Ask about upcoming trips, dates, presentations, reviews...and offer. When people come to get their grroming, they expect you to be interested in their lives as well as their schedule...and they want to look good. Don't hesitate to offer upsells. For instance: "Oh, you have a big meeting coming up this week? How about a hot oil treatment with a head massage? It will do wonders!"
Another place to target, would be either late pregnant or new mother business. These women had to stop coloring their hair, they feel fat and ugly, and they're tired. You can offer safe color alternatives, hot oil treatments with head massage...or simple "sprucing up" packages...better yet "Gift Packages". You can talk to your local Women's community center, Lamaze, OB/GYN facilities..See if you can post on their bulletin boards. In the hospitals...ask if your "package" can be included for new mothers. You may find it works so well, that you also decide to get included in "POST OP" packages as well, for those patients who suffered the trauma of an operation. They can use a treat!
Apart from targeting your market, how else do you get the word out? Create something worthwhile and uniquer to sell, and distribute the information both conventionally and unconventionally. It will always be more of an effective tact to create the "what" BEFORE applying your distribution or the "WHERE". So...spend some time creating products unique to your target. Examine what people you want through the doors and cater to that segment. You should develop a brand and launch your marketing with it always present....
There are a ton of marketing professionals on this forum to help in the segments you will advertise. Internet marketing is the least expensive, then Newspaper, Radio, Television, Magazine...and up through to National. Each of these segments will tell you that if you do not have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition), you're just NOISE...and worse...you may advertise for your competetition because the audience wants the services...but couldn't remember who was on the ad...or felt it didn't matter.
I hope this helps!
Kat
KatsVoice
in response to: CollectiveInk
