Loyal clients – the ultimate free marketing tool

Loyal clients are often an untapped resource when it comes to gaining new clients and filling appointment slots, says business coach Jo Robertson. Are your loyal clients the ones who come in and get taken straight to the backwash without a consultation in a bid to save time? We’re all guilty of doing this but if you spent more time concentrating on your loyal clients, rather than trying to gain new ones, your business (and your clients) will thank you for it. Loyal clients are your raving fans – they love you, your services and your salon, which is why they continue to come back to you. How can you encourage your fans to tell more people about you?

The power of recommendation

Have you ever recommended a restaurant? Think about how the person described the food, the waiter or the most amazing selection of gins. They may have said: “You need to go there it was amazing, honestly one of the best meals we have had for a long time”. You can’t buy this type of recommendation because 78% of us are more likely to try somewhere that’s personally recommend as opposed to booking through paid media.

The power of 20

You may feel like you have a good marketing strategy, but did you know it can take up to 20 times of showing/telling your client about a new service or product before they will buy into it? Based on this statistic, consider how many times you have told or shown your client all of your services and products. Does your client know all of the services you offer and the latest products you stock and when was the last time you discussed the list with them? Not everyone will take 20 times of being shown or asked but think about your salon’s buying journey. On the first and second time you offer your client a new service they may take no notice. On the third time they may remember you mentioning it before and on the fourth time they may start to consider it.

The power of relationships

If you want to keep a loyal client, you need to constantly remind them why they should continue to come back to you. A lot of salon owners say they are embarrassed to boasting about themselves, but this is business and you need to be telling them why you spent all of those years studying and why you are on a continual learning journey. If you don’t, there are plenty of competitors who will. The secret is to make sure that you are featured in the reason why a client should come back to you. On social media a picture featuring an individual gets more likes because people buy into other people. You clients love to know what is going on behind the scenes and the stronger you make your connection to your clients, the longer your relationship with them will last.

The power of experiences

Think about the client experience your salon gives your loyal clients. Focus on the small things because it’s the experience that will not only differentiate you from your competitors, but it will also give you sales. Ask your team about the best customer experience they have received recently and to write down how it made them feel. What can you and your team do in the salon that will make your clients feel the same way during their salon appointment? Consistency seems to be the buzz word of the moment for social media and customer service. Make sure you are promoting yourself to your clients through emails, social media and by providing fantastic customer service. If you’re not sure whether your clients are aware about the services you offer, the best way to find out is to ask them to fill in an exit questionnaire after their next appointment. This can be two or three quick questions to see whether they know about a particular service you provide.

Three ways to get more from your loyal clients

1. Never stop reminding your clients about the services you offer through all of your avenues of communication.
2. Feature yourself in your marketing and make it personal. The stronger the bond with a loyal client, the longer the relationship.
3. Measure your customer experiences – what can you offer your clients that no-one else can?
4. Most salons offer a loyalty card so consider how can you add more value to this. Could you work with other local businesses and make a combined loyalty card for your loyal clients?

Jo Robertson coaches hair professionals and uses her brand experience to achieve results quickly. Visit her website  for more information.