drumming up 'new' business - your tips

[MINKUS]

Hi all

I have a very loyal client base but i don't seem to get many 'new' customers.

I get the odd one, from yellow pages/customer referals.... but i have no shop front/passing trade to 'attract' new blood!

Our local 'village directory' is FLOODED with tech's popping up here there and everywhere! There must be 5 tech's now at least in my village alone !

What do you do to attract 'new' clients.

I have tried a bigger advert in the yp to see if that would work - now im thinking wonder if peeps look at that and think 'ah she's going to be expensive':green:

AMb xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

But Amb...have you even got space for new clients....?? you are always as busy as i am and i know i would struggle with new ones that wanted to become regular.

 

[Lucy-Jayne]

How much are local radio adverts these days?!

I'm trying to drum up new clients at the moment. Just recently got 2500 flyers delivered in my area for £60. I spent ages on these flyers and everyone who's seen them has said that they look fantastic and that they catch peoples eyes.

 

[MINKUS]

But Amb...have you even got space for new clients....?? you are always as busy as i am and i know i would struggle with new ones that wanted to become regular.

i think its because i've been twiddling my thumbs this week (as everyone is in next week !) and just got me thinking.

You know the random one off's i never seem to get any of them !

 

[Bagpuss]

I have had a few this week but they all wanted next week so couldnt do them...i did give about 3 your number.

 

[Seraphine]

Some things I've done:

Flyers - delivering door to door in key areas rather than every single address in the village. I tend to do a flyer drop every few weeks in the larger estates in my area as they are filled with working moms who want a mobile tech. For every estate I delivery to, I tend to get one new client.

School fundraisers - set up a booth at a tabletop sale or fundraiser, with all your price lists, etc. I do mini-manicures (£5 for adults, £3 for kids), and I tend to make about £30 - 50 per outing, although sometimes there's a participation fee. Sometimes they waive that if I donate a Gift Certificate to the Raffle. This gets your name out to TONS of people! I've gotten the majority of my business this way.

Gift Certificates - I'm running a promotion right now where if you buy a Deluxe Service gift certificate as a present, you get an express treatment free for yourself. I'm not losing out much on the express treatment, and I usually get introduced to at least one new client out of each sale. I've picked up two new clients so far with this, although I anticipate it won't show up more until January.

Get some help! - Get some nice flyers printed and ask friends to put them on the bulletin boards or lunch rooms at their work. This month I have flyers going out to 2 hospitals, 5 high schools, 5 primary schools and 4 office buildings. You can cover a lot of ground, and generally no one minds pinning a flyer to a bulletin board. It gets your name out there.

Woman In Business - join your local WIB organisation. They are great for ideas, plus they are a great target group for clients!

Just a few ideas!
Dawn

 

[sj1973]

Some things I've done:

Flyers - delivering door to door in key areas rather than every single address in the village. I tend to do a flyer drop every few weeks in the larger estates in my area as they are filled with working moms who want a mobile tech. For every estate I delivery to, I tend to get one new client.

School fundraisers - set up a booth at a tabletop sale or fundraiser, with all your price lists, etc. I do mini-manicures (£5 for adults, £3 for kids), and I tend to make about £30 - 50 per outing, although sometimes there's a participation fee. Sometimes they waive that if I donate a Gift Certificate to the Raffle. This gets your name out to TONS of people! I've gotten the majority of my business this way.

Gift Certificates - I'm running a promotion right now where if you buy a Deluxe Service gift certificate as a present, you get an express treatment free for yourself. I'm not losing out much on the express treatment, and I usually get introduced to at least one new client out of each sale. I've picked up two new clients so far with this, although I anticipate it won't show up more until January.

Get some help! - Get some nice flyers printed and ask friends to put them on the bulletin boards or lunch rooms at their work. This month I have flyers going out to 2 hospitals, 5 high schools, 5 primary schools and 4 office buildings. You can cover a lot of ground, and generally no one minds pinning a flyer to a bulletin board. It gets your name out there.

Woman In Business - join your local WIB organisation. They are great for ideas, plus they are a great target group for clients!

Just a few ideas!
Dawn

good points raised here...thanks for that xxx

 

[dee]

get a website hun !! even if its a freewebs one , thats how i have got all my new clients (granted they arnt millions ) but it had done me a lot better than yp / thompson/ advertising etc.. ever got me :green:

 

[MINKUS]

Some things I've done:

Flyers - delivering door to door in key areas rather than every single address in the village. I tend to do a flyer drop every few weeks in the larger estates in my area as they are filled with working moms who want a mobile tech. For every estate I delivery to, I tend to get one new client.

School fundraisers - set up a booth at a tabletop sale or fundraiser, with all your price lists, etc. I do mini-manicures (£5 for adults, £3 for kids), and I tend to make about £30 - 50 per outing, although sometimes there's a participation fee. Sometimes they waive that if I donate a Gift Certificate to the Raffle. This gets your name out to TONS of people! I've gotten the majority of my business this way.

Gift Certificates - I'm running a promotion right now where if you buy a Deluxe Service gift certificate as a present, you get an express treatment free for yourself. I'm not losing out much on the express treatment, and I usually get introduced to at least one new client out of each sale. I've picked up two new clients so far with this, although I anticipate it won't show up more until January.

Get some help! - Get some nice flyers printed and ask friends to put them on the bulletin boards or lunch rooms at their work. This month I have flyers going out to 2 hospitals, 5 high schools, 5 primary schools and 4 office buildings. You can cover a lot of ground, and generally no one minds pinning a flyer to a bulletin board. It gets your name out there.

Woman In Business - join your local WIB organisation. They are great for ideas, plus they are a great target group for clients!

Just a few ideas!
Dawn

THANKS!

Haven't heard of the wib organisation off to look!

Amb x

 

[tinkywinky]

Here's my tips:

website
helping at schools pamper events
flier drops
shop window adverts
special offers

Can't think of anymore but these have helped me!
x
xx

 

[nail pro pinkie]

Give your existing clients an incentive to pass your number on etc........
I tell them if they recommend a friend I'll knock £3 off their next rebalance they're a lot more eager to pass your number on rather than just say oh "........." does them

....... LET YOUR CUSTOMERS DO THE HARD WORK FOR YOU.!!

This ALWAYS works for me!!

I find if you do a special offer then clients think you're doing something not your usual standard eg. using cheaper products or something:irked: but if you get your existing clients to pass your number and details on, then they're getting something out of passing your number on (one of my clients got me 8 new clients within 2 months- yeah i owed her 8 rebalances with £3 off each but in the long run it's paid off)

You've got to speculate to acumulate!!!:lol:

 

[saspeterson]

These are all good tips, which I myself have used too. At the childrens xmas play this year donated a couple of gift vouchers for £10.00 off any luxury treatment and a free taster facial which i put must be redeemed before January 31st and only available on my two quietest days... which as also been a great free advert for the salon as well as helping the school!

Word of mouth is the best way to spread the salon reputation (and is also the most damaging when it comes to negative comments), and as we are in a coastal resort which is to say the least looking like a very cold ghost town at the moment, offer all my clients a loyalty card which during the winter season i offer double points if they rebook within a limited time and for every additional client which they recommend to the salon they gain an extra point!

It is keeping my appointment book healthy and my clients are happy collecting thier points! Worth a try!

 

[hippy-chick]

Well I opened up 6 weeks ago, and am doing OK so far. I did do 2 leaflet drops about 2-3 weeks ago, but so far haven't had anyone come from that.

I am offering free 10 minute aromatherapy hand massage or Indian head massages to the hairdressing clients, and although most refuse and think that its a bit suspicious, the people that have come up have enthused about it and said that they would consider booking either for themselves or for someone in the family.

I've just ordered my Detox postcards for January and so far have sold about £200 gift vouchers which have to be used up by end of Feb. And about £300 worth in my other room.

I have donated 5 prizes to local schools and am waiting for those to come in to.

Still waiting to get my name put into the window, but am happy with how things are going so far.

I also wander in and out of the hairdressers downstairs and often get into conversations with the clients who are then more happy to ask my questions and talk to me.

thinking of giving all the hairdressers an incentive or a present as a thank you, as I know that they are promoting me to the clients.