HO, HO, HO!  HERE

COME THE HOLIDAYS!

While Santa’s up at the North Pole fattening up his reindeer, cracking his whip on the little elves, and checking his “Good Girls & Boys” list, what are you doing to get ready for the holidays?  If you’re a last minute shopper (like me) you may moan and groan at the thought of the holidays right now; but as a business owner, you need to tap into the holiday hype!  It’s time to make a list, check it twice, and gather your elves to kick off a successful and profitable season.

Many salon operators will decorate shelves with tinsel and lights, but will miss out on the “consumer conditioning” that the world has already created!  Whether I like it or not, it’s become a yearly tradition for me to gather with my friends at 5am the day after Thanksgiving in the long line of sale-crazed consumers outside of Best Buy or one of the other giant stores.  Why do we risk being trampled for a great price on a DVD player?  I still haven’t figured it out, but somehow there is great victory in an unbelievable deal, and great satisfaction in snatching it up “while supplies last,” or “only between the hours of 6am and 8am.” 

Is it holiday hype, or holiday hypnotism?  If these tactics generate millions of dollars for the giant stores of America, why can’t you create a little cash flow before the holidays and jump-start your busy season?  Here are some ideas….

Day-After-Thanksgiving Sale:  (Oh come on, why not?)

“Between the hours of 6am and 9am ONLY”…create an irresistible client-savings promotion!  Buy one year of tanning, get the second year free, plus a free bottle of lotion!  What would your daily sales total look like if 100 shoppers came through your door in those 3 hours?

All Day…Between 6am and 9pm…

Stocking Stuffers!

Gift Cards – buy 1 month, get 1 month free!  Wrap gift cards attractively in a little holiday bag or cute little Santa stocking, and stuff it full with eye protection, lotion samples, and bonus cards for free upgrade sessions. Display these great stocking stuffers weeks before the one-day sale as a teaser!

The idea is to create an irresistible client-savings promotion – so amazing, they know they’ll never see anything like it the rest of the year!

Give Your Elves “Holiday Hollywood Lines”

Scripting allows your team to offer your incredible holiday deal to your existing clients and potential holiday shoppers. It helps create excitement and spreads holiday cheer farther than any ad campaign.  But remember, scripting only works if all of your elves are on board.

Design a Checklist!  (Why not? Santa does!)

To every client, make sure your sales team offers:

•     Current tanning promotion (everyday)

•     Current lotion promotion (everyday)

•     Upgrade beds available (everyday)

•     After-Thanksgiving-Sale opportunities (start NOW!)

Pick up the phone!

When answering the phone, take care of the client’s needs, and then make sure to share the upcoming ONE-DAY-ONLY After-Thanksgiving Sale. Many more people will hear about your promotion this way than by seeing an ad in the paper.

Santa’s not the only one with many tasks before the holidays!  Start coaching your team of elves now in the possibilities of great seasonal profitability!  Ho, ho, ho!