Need some advice on Pricing /incentives etc

[ladyvic]

Hi,
I have just moved areas and am currently in the process having to re-et up my mobile business.
basically where i have moved too has a high number of military personnel (officers married quarters) so i am thinking of doing some kind of marketing activity to try and book all these lovely ladies who will have lots of mess functions to attend over the coming months and hopefully retain them a future regular clients.
I was thinking of offering a discount for armed forces personnel but on hindsight do you think that this might alienate other potentional clients from using me - if they think certain people are getting a reduced price on treatments?
im also not quite sure how to word it (dont like word discount) ive tried to explore the "models required" and introductory offer for limited period but not really sure if it gets the point accross?
i guess basically what i am asking is - would you do a reduced rate for service personnel as there is definately a niche in my area for this type of client ( i am sandwiched between 4 military bases)
any advice would be very much appreciated

Victoria xx

 

[brittone05]

I also live between bases - 3 main RAF bases and a land army base I belive but none close enough for me to corner the market

I don't think offering a discount would alienate people, lots of places actually offer discounts for those employed my the military and police. My old neighbour was a police crime recorder and her partner a Navy bomb disposal diver and both had cards to get their discounts.

xxx

 

[Karen Minx]

How would you know if someone was army personel? What i mean is how could they prove they are who they say they are? Will the discount inc the army wives aswell? Has not all wives have security passes if they live outside the wires so anyone could say 'yes im an army wife so would like discount, or im a soldiers girlfriend, does the discount include me?'
What im saying is think carefully about this and be careful or you could find yourself working at only discounted rates.

I live and work within army barracks too and when i first started working in the nearby salon, i was thinking of doing a discount for my hubby's Sqn wives but then decided against it because i don't know them all so how could i prove. Also, like you said, i didn't want to cause any upset to anyone outside our Sqn.

And a bit of advise from my expience, don't just concetrate on the officers quarters. I have done 2 leaflet drops on our officers estate and got absolutly NOTHING from it. I did really well with doing all the other quarters though.

 

[smooth]

From the sound of it you are trying to capture the women in the married quarters so not necessarily going to be in the forces themselves. I think this could be problematic as you would not be able to prove who was married to someone in the forces and then why discriminate against others who have not married a forces guy or is not married at all.

if you want to capture these people in time for their mess balls etc, why not get flyers printed up with a discount voucher on it (people know the word discount and generally love it, or use the word special offer). If you use models required they may think it will be free!

You can then offer these flyers around the married estates, the bases and other potential clients too.

Hope this helps

 

[ladyvic]

Thank you so much for the replies and the advice, I can definately see a clearer picture emerging (if thats the right words) of what i was trying to achieve / get my head around.

I understand completely what you are saying about the forces discount, i was actually only going to take their word for it - so yes agreed id probably end up working at a discounted rate, and in hindsight I dont want to get a repuatation for "consistantly" offering discounts as i do beleive cheap n nasty deals attract people of the like.

thanks Smooth thats a fab idea of a flyer with a voucher attached and i will use that it hopefully will bring in some business for the quieter months too

thanks Karen for your advice too - the estate i live on is a newly built estate so the MOD have bought some of the townhouses for the officers,(while they refurb Brize) its not "behind the wire" so to speak so unfortunately there are no other ranks MQ here.
i do agree that i think its best not to alienate people especilly when i am trying to build up a regular client base and attract as much interest as possible.
just wanted to say thanks for your replies and i am very grateful for the input
Victoria x

 

[Karen Minx]

Your welcome victoria and good luck with your business move. Im sure it won't take you long to build a new client base.

 

[smooth]

Thank you so much for the replies and the advice, I can definately see a clearer picture emerging (if thats the right words) of what i was trying to achieve / get my head around.

I understand completely what you are saying about the forces discount, i was actually only going to take their word for it - so yes agreed id probably end up working at a discounted rate, and in hindsight I dont want to get a repuatation for "consistantly" offering discounts as i do beleive cheap n nasty deals attract people of the like.

thanks Smooth thats a fab idea of a flyer with a voucher attached and i will use that it hopefully will bring in some business for the quieter months too

thanks Karen for your advice too - the estate i live on is a newly built estate so the MOD have bought some of the townhouses for the officers,(while they refurb Brize) its not "behind the wire" so to speak so unfortunately there are no other ranks MQ here.
i do agree that i think its best not to alienate people especilly when i am trying to build up a regular client base and attract as much interest as possible.
just wanted to say thanks for your replies and i am very grateful for the input
Victoria x

You're welcome. I had plastic business cards made up which included a 10% discount for first time clients and a loyalty scheme. I went for plastic as they look really good, are hard wearing but also people tend to keep them longer!

 

[ladyvic]

Hey,
Ive seen the plastic business cards and 1 design i saw that really stuck out was the clear perspex design they look brilliant , especially with a spalsh of colour and not too expensive either.
For my regular business cards i just have old faithful vista print just so i can leave them places on boards etc,
and then when i target areas for propmtions i can use the pricier ones exactly as you say

ive managed to get a top listing on thomson local today also and have spent days adding my details to the local town pages we only have a couple of nail tech round here when i first moved in i used the woman who advertised locally - and OMG instantly regretted it , she was using EZ flow products bought from ebay via Hong Kong and avon products - needless to say all my nails lifted next day and were off 24 hours later, as werent primed properly, and this set took her 4 hours to do - i thought well ive had decent quality training i use top products and if thats my competiton well its not really any competion tbh.