Pulse November 2016 | Page 63

at an all-time low, which means that this method alone is not going to be enough to win back a lost client. I recommend combining the power of Facebook advertising along with SMS and email marketing to display a series of come-back offers that will entice clients to return to the business. P: What must be done if client retention is low? L: If client retention is low, I recommend surveying the client base to understand what might be driving them away and, as you make correction, you will need to repeat this survey every six months to ensure continued forward movement. However, reactivation doesn’t end with getting a lost client back for one more visit. Businesses will need to treat this person as a brand-new client and have a system to indoctrinate the client into the business to get back on a regular rebooking and purchasing schedule. If not, the reactivation process is just training the client to wait just long enough so they will receive that reactivation offer, and the cycle continues. P: Can you share proven-and-tested strategies that may drive guests to return to the spa more frequently? L: Frequency of visit is one of the most overlooked areas of growth in a business and usually, it suffers because the business simply fails to ask for the rebook. Marketing can play an integral role in this number by removing the objections from the client as well as the resistance from the staff members. To achieve success with increasing this number, you must layer consistent frequency of visit strategies within your overall company marketing strategy. Loyalty rewards for pre-booking is an example of a top layer within a frequency of visit strategy. Without another more enticing layer, loyalty rewards will not be enough to meet a goal to increase this number. The next layer is a six-week pre-book contest wherein all clients who pre-book and return within a specific time frame are entered to win a prize. This would then be followed up with a cross-promotional campaign that would incorporate a new service category and give the client a voucher to use on the next appointment within the desired time frame. The secret to increase frequency is to understand that it will take multiple marketing efforts to train your clients to visit on the optimal schedule. n HOW CAN SPAS LEVERAGE the power of word-of-mouth marketing? Click here to read more expert insights. Tips for Building a Stronger Loyalty Program According to Lemere, so many loyalty programs are built to benefit the business and don’t really benefit the client. Don’t make the same mistake. TIP 1: Survey the client base to find out what they would really value in the program—this will help to avoid guessing. TIP 2: Design the program so it is simple to understand. Clients do not want to do the math, figure out conversions or think too hard about the reward. Put the benefits in simple terms. TIP 3: Regularly inform clients about the program. One of the biggest complaints from clients is that they don’t know about the program. This should be an ongoing focal point in the monthly marketing campaigns. If points are offered on behaviors such as online booking, make sure this benefit is reiterated in the call-to-actions within your marketing campaigns, for example “book online and receive 100 points.” This will continue to remind the client and connect them to the perception of value in your business. Conference Moments P: What was the experience like for you speaking at this y