Frequent Client Discounts

[Darius Alaric O]

Does anyone here offer discounts for clients who book again before leaving or who come frequently (1x a month or more)?

I currently offer $5 off the next visit for those who book again right after a session, (which nobody takes advaneforum.xxxe of) but I'm considering offering something else: a dollar amount off each session that saves clients more the more they come.

Example: Come 1x a month get $5 off, 2x a month get $10 off...

I understand the importance and rationale behind attracting clients that value your work at its full price, but I am still trying to build up my clientele. I'm hoping to encourge people to book more often by making it more affordable for them.

Has anyone done something similar, how did/does it work for you?

 

[PaulKnorr]

I understand trying to build your clientel.

Discounts are great, but you need to make them work for you AND your clients.

Why not offer your clients a discount when the refer a new client to you? This is what I do. I offer a $10 discount for each new client they refer. This way, the first client comes back to get the discount PLUS I have another client. My clients still get a discount.

I offer prepaid packages, buy 5 save 5% or buy 10 and save 10%. But not many of my clients take advaneforum.xxxe of this offer. It is in my brochure, but I dont push it. If someone asks, I tell them about it.

 

[Tada!(sparklesparkle)]

Thanks for your thoughts GreatttLakes.

I did have a referral offer for several months. I had it up on my website and mentioned it several times in my monthly email newsletter. NOBODY ever took advaneforum.xxxe of it. It was a generous offer too: Refer someone and receive an hour of massage for $35. Refer two people and receive a free hour.

I currently give clients a free bottle of water after every session. They all have stickers on them with my business name and an offer for $5 off their next session. All they have to do is mention the offer when they rebook the next time. Again, NOBODY, not even regulars mention it!

I also have a package offer, buy 5 get one free. The savings comes out to about $11 off the regular rate per massage. NOBODY has even inquired about it. The offer is in my brochure and online.

I can see why the package may not be a big seller, as it is several hundred dollars up front. That is why I was thinking that the pay as you go frequent client offer may be something that clients will be more apt to go for.

Re-reading all this, it looks like I really need to start being more vocal with clients about all the opportunities to save!

 

[curly]

Hmmm...

Are you sure people are reading the label on your water bottle? Perhaps it is becuase the bottles are a throw away item?

I discount a few ways.

1. New client discounts. Sometimes it is an ad in the paper, the yellow pages, but most of the time it is coupons I give to clients to give to their friends and family who have never been in by me before. Not all my new clients get this discount tho, they need the coupon. Generally it is a $15 savings on an hour or $20 on a 90 minute session. Coupons usually have a 5 to 6 week expiration date.

2. Referals. I give $10 referal credit to the client who referred in the new client even if the new client came in with the discount coupon. These are in the form of a postcard and again have a 5 to 6 week expiration date.

3. Package discounts, as listed in a previous post.

4. Occationally I will send postcards with special offers to clients who havent been in for a while. I will do this again when I move. I have my postcards from vista print already. Once I move I will send them out to all my clients. To those who havent been in for a while I will add a sticker for a special offer, probably an hour for a special price.

I dont have a problem getting clients to use discounts. Some of my clients ask for the new client coupons so they can pass them out.

 

[Sonnny.L]

Gessika as I read your post I did think, "are you verbally reminding your clients about your discounts?". Sometimes people read things and then promptly forget so a verbal reminder might jog their memory. I sometimes say to clients not to keep me a secret and to tell all their friends about me as I like being busy as it keeps me out of mischeif :

I started working for myself last year so I'm trying to find ways that I am comfortable with to get more clients. I am finding the advice on these boards very useful/helpful.

Good luck

 

[Little One]

As with what has been already written, it's true-- you have to remind clients vocally about your specials and rebooking.

I sell a lot of packages--mine is purchase 6 and recieve the 7th free. When a client re-books, I always bring up my package deal and pull out a calculator to show them what they are saving per session. Even if the client doesn't want it at the time, if they re-book again after their second appt. I do the same thing--pull out the calculator and show them what they'll be saving. Also, it's important to be vocal about creating a plan for them, tell them how important it is for regular work. Especially if they have a specific goal in mind for receiving bodywork in the first place.

That's the only discount I offer. I used to offer a discount for every referral but now I just send the usual thank you card.

My opinion is that discounts are good for when you're just starting out but after a time, they shouldn't be needed any more.

 

[headshotbobby]

Good advice everyone.

I think I will concentrate my energies on referrals vs. discounts for current clients. I really like the idea of having poseforum.xxxe paid postcards to give to clients that they can send to their family and friends as a referral. I've seen threads on here about that but I can't find them. Has this strategy worked for anyone?

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hi Gessika,

I'll tell you what I do and what feels good for me and is helping me build the kind of practice that I find satisfying and profitable. You can insert your bottom line prices/time into the appropriate slots and see how it works for you.

I've found that for me seeing a person once or twice just doesn't work for me, or just seeing them once a month doesn't work for me. The reason is that it seems I'm redoing/rereleasing the same issues over and over again. Not very satisfying since I like to see progress in my clients.

So this is what I do, I limit my practice to only 90 minute sessions. (I just don't get any satisfaction working less time, for me anything less feels like a fluff and buff.)

That being said I do believe everyone should have the choice to get bodywork whenever they want. For those clients I charge a standard rate of $100.00 for a nintey minute session. But if the client agrees to schedule at least two massages a month after the initial session I then charge a discounted regular client fee, for me its $75.00.

I've had great success in getting / keeping the type of clientel that I look forward to working on, i.e. regulars -people who believe bodywork should be a regular part of their life.

The above are just the prices that I've found work for me. If you live in New York maybe they would be $150.00 for the first session and say $100.00 for every follow up session as long as they do it twice a month.

I also base the prices on how much it takes out of me to do the first session, or a session whenever they feel like it. I've found they only come to me when they are in bad shape and quite frankly it just takes too much energy out of me.

If I was dealing with someone with serious health issues that tend to drain the body faster and require more work/energy on my part I probably would make the offer contingent that they visit every week instead of every two weeks.

I don't offer packages I'm a pay as you go sort of guy.

Anyhows good luck in building the type of practice that is both rewarding and profitable for you.

Jason