Suite Success Secret #76

THOUGHT PROCESS
Word of mouth can be one of the most effective and at the same time least expensive ways to grow a Salon Suite client base.
 
ACTION STEPS
Brush up on your knowledge of Salon Suite client referral marketing and get ideas ideas to build a continually-producing client acquisition tool.
 
A referral is defined as the act of referring someone or something for consultation, review, or further action. People make referrals every day, sometimes without even realizing it:

• A photo of delicious-looking food or yummy drinks shared on any social network is a word-of-mouth referral to a specific restaurant, especially when the business is tagged in the post or the customer has checked in on Wi-Fi.
• For that matter, every Wi-Fi check in is a word of mouth referral, too, with the implied endorsement of the person checking in.
• Answering the question: “Who does your hair?” when asked by friends, family, co-workers, etc.

 
And referrals come in proactive forms, as well as passive ones; such as when people actively promote brands or businesses:

• When doing so makes them feel like they look authoritative or good to others
• They feel personally passionate about or connected to
• That incentivize referrals (and meet one or both of the two bullet list items above, at least to some extent)

 
What is Referral Marketing?
 
Referral marketing includes tactics that motivate people to promote your Salon Suite in both active and passive ways. It’s defined as “a method of promoting products or services to new customers through referrals, usually word of mouth. Such referrals often happen spontaneously, but businesses can influence this through appropriate strategies.”
 
Let’s take a closer look at a few referral marketing statistics as reported by Marketing-Schools.org:

• There are 2.4 billion (BILLION!) brand-related conversations happening in the U.S. every day (WOMMA)
• 65% of all new business comes from referrals (New York Times)
• People are 4x more likely to buy when referred to a business by someone they know (Nielsen)
• On average, referred clients spend more than 10% more than clients that came to your book of business another way 

​We’ve already brushed up against some referral marketing tactics, but let’s spell them out as they pertain to Salon Suite marketing.
 
1 – Client Photos
 
It only takes a few moments to take client photos at the end of an appointment. Make it part of the experience every time you turn clients around with a mirror in hand to see their results or set up a Salon Suite client selfie station and snap a quick picture for social media sharing before your client walks out the door. Share the photos on social media during the day or at the end of the day and (with permission) tag your clients to extend the social reach of your brand’s posts.
 
2 – Wi-Fi Check-Ins
 
Every time a client checks in on your location’s Wi-Fi it’s another chance for people in your area to hear about your brand. Post a sign near the entry or even on the mirror facing clients encouraging them to check-in on Facebook.
 
3 – Referral Incentives
 
Based on what you know about your clients, design a referral incentive program that motivates them to rack up recommendations. For instance:
 

• If your clients are likely to be motivated by an opportunity to save money, referral incentives could be geared toward credits applied to their bill.
• If your clients would respond to freebies, tie referral incentives to free add-ons or retail products.
• If your clients like change, tie referral incentives to a time-limited prize (like a prize of the month or quarter)
• If your clients are in it to win it, tie referral incentives to an opportunity to win a larger monthly or even year-end grand prize.

 
And if you have clients in all three categories, there’s no reason you can’t tailor rewards to individual client preferences and let them further personalize their experience with your Salon Suite.
 
4 – Tie Your Brand Identity to a Common Cause
 
Tie your brand to a good cause – a charity, community interest or an organization that makes clients feel good about recommending your Salon Suite to their friends, co-workers, social connections, etc. You could do this by donating a portion of proceeds, participating in or holding a benefit event, volunteering, donating gift cards or retail products, using your Salon Suite as a collection center, etc. 
 
5 – Build on Your Accomplishments and Abilities
 
Do clients know about all the investments you make on their behalf outside of the Salon Suite? We’re talking about the classes and shows you attend, work you do as a platform artist or when mentoring, skll-sharing or training others, and certainly about any awards you win as a beauty or business professional. Use social networks, email marketing and in-salons-suite signage to let people know about your accomplishments and your investment in continually adding new skills and refining your craft. This gives them reasons to talk about your Salon Suite to people they know and to feel confident and proud in recommending you to their friends and people they want to impress!