These are my random thought for the day. Im a very seasonal person and am in full autumn mode now

It is now autumn. It is cold, sometimes rainy, has that smell in the air and the leaves are falling. Pretty soon the nights are gonna draw in and its going to get pretty cozy inside and pretty dismal outside.

A lot of salons struggle at this time of year after the summer boom and waiting for the Christmas rush and there have been a lot of threads here about how to gain business at this time of year.

I always look at the time of year for business and not just what that means in the calender holidays wise, but what does it mean to us as people.

The one theme that always comes through for autumn is that people like at this time of year a lot of COMFORT.

They are sad the summer is over, they are anxious about Christmas and comfort foods, fluffy blankets, gas fires, soups and stews all start to enter the frame again.

How can we make the most of this need for comfort?

Offer physical comfort
It is when we feel down and stressed and tight in the muscles that we feel the need for the physical touch, keep massage, relaxing and more physical treatments top of the menu and top of the promotion list.

Add some new treatments to the list even if they are a remodel of some remaining treatments to change things up a bit and give customers a feeling of something different being offered with the change in season.

Offer warmth
Time to dig out those warming products that make make people all cozy and happy. Push those body wrap treatments that wrap people up in cozy little blankets and if you have thin old nasty towels and bed towels, change them up to be a little thicker and cozier.

Smell like the season
All those vanilla, cinnamon, berry, apple, spiced scents need to come out of the cupboard whether it be candles, oils, creams, lotions, air sprays or laundry waters. Make those customers smell comfort from when they walk in the door to when they leave.

Be friendly
One of the most comforting feelings we get as humans is when somebody is friendly to us. Even though the whether is foul, youre broke and its all very depressing make an extra effort to be friends with your clients. Your feelings about the time of year will transfer into your manner and your speech automatically but make a concerned effort to fight it at least when customers are there. Make the space a big ball of friendship and positivity. A place people feel free and accepted and in the comfort of others.

Do the same when attracting new business. Always with a friendly touch. At this time of year we all need new business and so go and find it.

Embrace chocolate
As a major comfort food and something that just goes perfectly with comfort and luxury, use chocolate to your advantage. Offer little chocolates to customers, maybe introduce hot chocolate as a drink and push those chocolate treatments. The little endorphin high one gets while eating or drinking chocolate is something you want a client to have while in or thinking about your salon. Even if you are standing outside or at a fete giving out leaflets, give our chocolate too. Let them associate your salon with the happiness of chocolate.

Great thread Lisa, and seasons are something I always try to think of. This Autumn, I have started to include a Chocolate and Vanilla hand and foot masque/scrub with Rock Start toes/fingers. I offer them a hot chocolate (sometimes hard to drink when your hands are in mittens though !) and I include a hot chocolate sachet in my welcome packs.

Spring is Daffodils, lemon smells and fresh cut grass.
Summer to me is strawberries and cream. Mmmmmmm
Winter is cranberries, vanilla and spices smells.

I do try to describe the treatments in as much detail as paper allows to try to invoke a sense of wellbeing

xx

Chocolate and vanilla masque and scrub sounds amazing

i agree, it was a fab thread! people often post about trying to get clients but if they actually sit down for just 30minutes with a pen and paper it's surprising what ideas can pop up! i wish alot of salons would take your advice about acting cheery! gosh the amount of salons i have beeninto where the therapist and hair dresser have moaned about the weather being yucky and how they have no money is unreal! a smile costs nothing! x

It is lovely and I make it up myself so it's also as natural as it can be just using good quality 70% dark chocolate, brown sugar (or any sugar will do as long as it's not icing ), a tbsp of honey (raw is best but any will do), a tbsp of olive oil to help with consistency and vanilla essence for the vanilla smell. Mix it all together once you've melted the chocolate and you get a fabulous scrub that's calorie free

If I want to use it on myself as a masque, I just omit the sugar.

xx

Sounds fab Sarah. May have to take some inspiration from that, lol x

Go for it hunny!

Absolutely fantastic thread! Thank you!

Just beginning my Beauty therapy course and hearing how passionate and diverse people can be in this industry gets me more excited about being apart of it! haha

Thanks again x