Putting prices down?

[mrslargelashes]

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[Verve Designs]

Rather than commiting yourself to putting prices down (and its VERY hard to put prices up once you've done that) why dont you have a "Winter Offer".

You can make a big song and dance about it marketing wise, put out leaflets and free vouchers and so on. Gives you an "excuse" to contact people at at time where its quiet (i.e. the first quarter of next year)

This will kill two birds with one stone, it'll create a marketing buzz and you'll be able to see if lower prices attract more people. If it does and you can live with the lower prices in terms of turnover- then you make another marketing campaign based on your lower prices!

 

[Terese]

Agree with the offers - People like to feel they are getting a bargain! but the other issue is that money is tight for everyone at the moment.

If you reduce your prices because they are. where would it end? Groupon??? or Wowcher? - and in the end you get £5 for a treatment?

Im told my prices are too cheap for what I offer but in the 18 mths I have put up once and am planning too in March albeit not much but my goods are constantly going up and if you are not passing it on to your customers in some shape or form you wont be in business for long . You have to think ahead in todays climate.

Offers are good :lol:

 

[Blue Rose]

There's no getting away from the fact that times are very tough at the moment.
I've been mulling over several options myself about what to do salon wise.

You only need to look at the High Street shops. Take cards for instance. We have a Hallmark/Thornton's shop which never seems overly busy. A few doors down there's another card shop (can't remember the name) & no matter what the time of year is, it's ALWAYS busy. Why? Their cards are a fraction of the cost of the Hallmark shop.

I'm normally dead against discounting & would much rather value add but hmm, sometimes you have to do what it takes to survive...

 

[VHunter]

I'm beginning to think the same Blue.
Am waiting for my xmas rush to start and be done with because I know they'll come anyway.
Then as of Jan, put on specials.
At the end of the day, a reduced hourly wage is better than none at all.
If our clients feel the pinch, we wind up feeling it too
:cry:

 

[Tigan]

Yeah things are difficult everywhere just now, if you really listen carefully to the general conversation from your clients you can just take your queue from there, things like "*** is a beautiful shop but i wouldnt buy from there at the moment" and "we went to *** the other day" you can get a real gist of what people are doing (leisurely etc) and why they are doing that, that way you know where you can fit in, having said that im still growing, so you can still grow through difficult times, i think we just have to listen more to the little things and also what you are doing yourself and why (leisurely)

 

[Ruth Mills]

Rather than commiting yourself to putting prices down (and its VERY hard to put prices up once you've done that) why dont you have a "Winter Offer".

You can make a big song and dance about it marketing wise, put out leaflets and free vouchers and so on. Gives you an "excuse" to contact people at at time where its quiet (i.e. the first quarter of next year)

This will kill two birds with one stone, it'll create a marketing buzz and you'll be able to see if lower prices attract more people. If it does and you can live with the lower prices in terms of turnover- then you make another marketing campaign based on your lower prices!

Excellent advice, Carl! Making the price reduction as part of a time-limited offer also gives people the incentive to book ASAP (to get the special offer pricing) rather than delaying by a few weeks, so bringing people in during what would otherwise be a quiet time, just like you say.

I would definitely throw the effort into getting one's marketing right, before thinking of lowering prices - also think about why what you are offering is better than the competition - and make sure you shout it from the rooftops - yes "Salon X" down the road may be cheaper - but *we* offer Shellac! In which case, don't mention Salon X's lower prices, but focus on why Shellac is so much better than what they are offering (for example)...

 

[Sonnythecat]

Another approach is to give added value rather than a lower price.

For example I give away a Solar oil pinkie with Shellac treatments; sometimes a homemade cookie with, say, a leg wax; a complimentary scalp massage with a facial, a little disposable mascara brush with a lash or brow tint etc etc.

Clients really like it and i think it kind of creates a generous, abundant vibe.

To get them in the door this could extend to 'complimentary eyelash tint with a facial' or 'comp foot massage with anything (lol)' and so on.

Much cheaper to the business than lowering prices.

 

[mrslargelashes]

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