Summer Special

[How_Would_I_Know]

I am offering a special for July and August - "Receive 1/2 hour FREE when scheduling a one-hour massage."

How should I handle the clients who have been booked into July from their previous appointment (regulars) - do I offer the ones who have scheduled 1-1/2 hours the discounted rate? (Those who have booked their one hour massage wouldn't be able to receive the 90 minutes since other appointments are already scheduled without enough time for the extra 30 minutes.)

 

[inoffensive nickname]

Since it runs into August, couldn't they just take advaneforum.xxxe of your special with their August appointment?
Were you planning on everyone being able to take advaneforum.xxxe of your special twice (once in July and once in August)... or just planning on each person being able to use it once?

 

[Joseph Ducreux]

I didn't have a plan, per se. I have posted this special around town and on my web site hopefully to draw in new clients. As for my regulars, I don't want to slight them in any way, but the offer came AFTER they had scheduled their next appointment. I can see accomodating the already made 90 minute appts., but the others cannot be since I have scheduled other appointments based on the original 60 minutes. They then have the option to make an additional July appointment, but they certainly be able to take advaneforum.xxxe of the special in their August appointment.

 

[Jenn]

Now see, I offer specials too, but 99% of the time, it is for a new client and for their first appointment only. Your clients who rescheduled did so knowing your regular rate and were happy with your service at that price. To give everyone who already scheduled the special price on a 90 minute session is taking money out of your pocket and devaluing your service. Yes, taking money out of your pocket because instead of having a day with 4 clients getting their bonus 90 minute sessions, you have expended 6 hours worth of massage which could have been 6 clients each 60 minutes.

If you want to give your regulars a price break, give them something for refering clients to you. That way, 3 people benefit, you, your regular client, and the new client. This is what I do. The only time I give repeat clients a price break is if they havent been in for a while. Sometimes it's $5 or $10 off and sometimes is a package deal. My latest thing for this has been printing labels and sticking them on newsletters. But, only on the newsletters going to clients who havent been in for a while.

Christine

 

[a.s.a.p.]

Christine -

Since the summer slows down considerably for me, I thought this offer would bring in more new clients, and that was my thinking, but then I thought why not offer my regulars the same offer. I look at it like a reward to the regulars, and an incentive for new people.

I do have other offers, like packages that are reduced by $10 for a 4-pack. I offer other offers from time-to-time. My referral reward is an extra 30 minutes when booking a one hour massage, after the referral comes in.

 

[Fluffy]

If you already have a referal program, then you really shouldnt give freebies and add ons to your regular clients "just because." Why should they bother to refer people to you when you will offer them the same thing for them doing nothing?

Impress upon your clients that you need referals and that you will give them and their friends and family a deal as well as your client. Ask and you shall receive.

You could also take advaneforum.xxxe of your free time this summer and do some charity type work. Be sure to tell everyone you are an MT!!

Do you do any advertising? If you dont, perhaps you should look into it. If you do, are you doing something seasonal that is accounting for your summer slump? If you advertise on and off, you will have slumps. For me, my slump is January. After experiencing two slow Januarys, I will be running an ad for new clients in late december and early January. I do my best to have some kind of advertising working for me. Right now I have an ad in the paper. On Wednesday July 12th, I will be at a local shop offering a peppermint foot massage for $10. I will be working in the display window. My daughter and I made two big signs and they will be on the sidewalk. I am advertising this in a special section of the local paper dedicated to this special sale day (Krazy Daze Sale.) I am also giving 30% away to the local animal shelter (on advice from a different thread on this site.) You can bet I will be passing out coupons to everyone who gets on my table that day.

I plan on extending my special without putting a rather expencive ad in the paper again. I had some postcards made up. I will pass them out to clients later in the month and sending them out to clients who already came in for the special.

Another good and not to terrible of a price (at least not around here,) is to advertise in the program of a local theater group. The people who attend these type of programs are my type of client. I plan on putting a TGTR (too good to refuse) offer in one of these. FREE 15 minute chair massage or $15 off any service valued at $45 or greater. I am tossing around the idea of a free half hour table massage instead of the chair ... new clients only of course, with a short experation date of about a month. It is a great idea to do if you are marketing to your target group. Oh yeah, the price to advertise, the one I am looking at is $25 for a quarter page, $50 for half, or $100 for a full page. The show will go on for 4 days, probably for about 5 or 6 peformances.

Sorry to go a little off target, lol... I love marketing and had an idea in my head that wanted to get out.

Christine

 

[Dream Girl]

If you feel you'd like to extend the offer to your regulars (why not?... they might get addicted to the beautiful 90 minute timeframe?), simply tell them when you check them out that you have an advertised special to attract summer business & you'd like to extend it to them for their next appointment in either July or August. That way you don't have to mess with the timing of any of your set appointments.
I hope it helps you sail through the slow days with some increased momentum!
jill/sagetherapist

 

[Baby #2 Coming!!!]

Thanks for the marketing tips, Christine. I admit I am not as creative as some on this board!

And Jill, that was my intent - hoping the regulars would get hooked on the 90 minutes as opposed to the 60. Adding the verbage that it was mainly intended to attract new clients might jar their thinking into referring family or friends. For them to receive the offer as well would hopefully appear to be a kind gesture on my part (I hope!)

 

[brown9500.v10]

Duh!! I didnt think about that, about clients trading up to 90 minutes. I have done this in the past with that intention. For me it was hit or miss. I also mark down my prices as the time goes up. My 90 minute sessions are not 1.5 times my 60 minutes. 30 minutes for $28, 60 for $45, and 90 for $63. I raised my rates last September after being in business for 11 months and I am seriously concidering raising my rates again in November. I would offer my old rates to my current clients until the end of January. I want to bump up my rates to 30, 49, and 68.

Christine