Ask yourself honestly. Do you run your salon promotions full-heartedly? 

Poor execution is usually to blame for marketing promotions not meeting expectations. Many salons run campaigns with the goal to bring in new clientele. Yet, the opportunity to turn the “promotion guest” into a loyal client is lost. 

How and why is the opportunity lost? There are three main offenders:
1. The guest is not asked to fill out a client card to allow future correspondence.
2. The guest is treated like a “bargain hunter” and subsequently receives a “half-hearted service” experience.
3. The guest is not rebooked for a follow-up service. 

Here are some tips for future salon promotions to ensure they will be a success:
1. Train VIP Treatment
Train your team to treat every customer like a VIP every time. Make your team aware of the standard of service you expect for ALL all clients, especially promotional clients, to receive. No team member is to make judgment on a client, or to treat them like anything less than a VIP. 

2. Train Team Promotion Terms & Conditions
To make the most of your salon promotion it is essential your entire team is aware of the promotion terms and conditions. The team should be prepared to confidently share and answer any questions about the promotion.

3. Train Team New Client Re-Book Implementation
Re-train or refresh your front desk team on the salon’s re-booking protocol prior to running a new promotion. You will find not all of them will re-book, but many will.

4. Evaluate Promotion Results
Salon promotions are designed with distinct goals and intentions – such as advertising a new service, increasing retail sales, or brand awareness. Evaluate which promotions work best for your salon and which types of promotions to run in the future.

5. Brand Awareness
If the response to your salon’s promotion is less than anticipated, don’t forget to calculate the immeasurable brand awareness created by your salon campaign. Potential or future new guests have taken notice of your salon name or location for future reference. Raising your brand awareness in the community can bring in referrals for months to come.

6. Turn Promotional Guests into Loyal Clients
Promotions give salon owners the opportunity to turn a “promotion guest” into a repeat and loyal client. A solid first impression and experience will make them more likely to return.

 Turn promotional guests into loyal clients by:
– Ask each guest to fill out a client card to allow future correspondence.
– Treat each gift card guest like a VIP.
– Re-book each guest for a follow-up service at end of experience

7. Email Follow-Up Strategy
Follow-up is the key. Reconnecting with a client after their first visit is your opportunity to increase the odds of booking another appointment. Are you following up with your clients? If not, start by implementing a Repeat Visit Email Follow-Up strategy for all first-time guests. 

Email 1: One day later – Send a helpful email with important advice regarding color maintenance,  style maintenance tips, or to keep hydrated after a massage. 

Email 2: One week later – Send an email where they just check in with the customer. No sales pitch. Nothing. Just a simple email asking them how they’re doing, and then share some data / research about the importance of getting a massage regularly.

Email 3: Two weeks later – Send an email invitation to join your loyalty program to get them to rebook (if you were not able to sign them up in-salon).

8. Run Promotions Full-hearted
The final ingredient to a successful salon promotion is a salon staff that participates full-heartedly. Get your team inspired!