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
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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