subject: How To Get A Ton Of New Spa Clients [print this page] Dan Kennedy, the world's #1 small business marketing guru, when asked "Can you tell me one way to get a hundred customers?" He responded, "No, but I can tell you a hundred ways to get one customer, and I use them all."
There's no "magic" way to get a ton of new spa clients. But there are ways that are a heckuva lot more effective than the "usual" ineffective image-style magazine ads, billboards, and yellow pages ads you've probably spent way too much money on for very little results.
Before we stray too far into the "new" customer arena, first let me ask a question:
Q: What do you think would be more difficult to make happen; to go out on a date with a total stranger, or to be 'hooked up' on a date with a friend of a friend?
Here's my point: in the dating world, people are always trying to hook up their single friends with other single friends, right? And it usually works. It's a little bit 'easier' to go out with someone if you have a friend in common. Why? Because there's a certain level of comfort that both people have when they know that a common friend recommended the other.
-Focus next on referrals
The same is true in marketing. It's infinitely easier to get new clients when they are referred from satisfied clients - than to get a "stranger off the street".
And if you haven't noticed, so far I like easy money! So the next "easiest" client to get, after getting your current clients to come back - is to get someone who has been referred by a satisfied current client. So, that's why the next most important focus of your marketing plan - after marketing to your current clients - should be on getting referrals from your current clients. How?
Ask! And the best time to ask is right after you've treated a satisfied client. Don't be shy. Put a marketing sequence into place where new clients are asked immediately via email and direct mail who they know who would love to receive the same "pampering experience" they recently enjoyed at your spa. And it's okay (even encouraged) to bribe them. Give them a small reward for every name submitted, and the promise of a larger reward if the referred person comes in.
- What To Do When You're Given a Referral
When the client gives you a referral, get as much contact info as possible, preferably their full mailing address and their email address. Never assume email is enough. Send the referred person a compelling offer to come into the spa (preferably something free), say who referred them, and "so that's why you're getting such a generous free gift." But don't forget to put a deadline on it.
