Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/691743
52 july/august 2016 1. WELCOME BACK EVENT Review your database and determine which clients have taken a summer skin care break. If you have a large group, you might want to host a Welcome Back event. Imagine how delighted and honored previous clients will feel when they receive a handwritten note from you saying you missed them and would like them to share in an invitation-only evening of refreshments and special services. Taking the time and effort to reach out to those who have visited you in the past will renew their interest in your spa and create a loyal following for fall and winter services. 2. PRODUCT LAUNCH EVENT Many product manufacturers launch new items for year-end profits. New technology and updated formulas are of interest to many clients who are constantly reading about these topics in consumer magazines. Clients love to feel special and want to be the first to see and try something new and innovative. If the launch item appeals to a certain client segment, such as women with aging/mature skin, you might try a small luncheon or similar intimate gathering. A beautiful, printed invitation followed by a personal phone call can inform your customers that a new product or service is coming to the spa and you want them to be the first to hear about and actually sample the product. Because the first shipment will be limited, you can highlight the fact that invitees are part of an exclusive preview group. Even if product has not yet arrived, your manufacturer's representative can give a presentation and share samples. Then you can pre-sell your order before it even arrives. 3. GLOWING SKIN EVENT Chances are high that your clients are soaking up summer and are less than consistent about sunscreen use. What better time to write a blog or newsletter article about ways to repair the damage? The advice ends, of course, with an invitation to your Glowing Skin event that offers specialized products (chemical exfoliants, lightening agents) and services (peels, laser treatments). This type of event is ideal for both clients who have received exfoliation/peel treatments in the past and those who are unaware of the options available to them. You might want to create a lecture or classroom format where you, or one of your therapists, discuss the benefits of receiving a peel treatment and why a series is beneficial. The therapist can discuss the ingredients in your customized peel that make it special and explain why you have chosen this peel over others on the market. Feature a demonstration on a model, so clients who have never experienced a professional peel can see how it is done and have their questions answered. You can offer specials on a series purchased that night, as well as a stock-up sale on relevant home-care products. This way you will increase your service bookings, as well as your retail sales. 4. VETERANS EVENT Veterans Day is Friday, November 11. What a great opportunity to give back to the military men and women in your community! There are a number of ways this type of event can be coordinated. You can donate a percentage of all services during Veterans Day or during that entire week to Disabled American Veterans, Fisher House Foundation, or the USO. Announce the event by decorating your spa in red, white, and blue and send out an eblast telling every client in your database that you will donate a portion of what they spend on services and/or retail to your military charity of choice. Consider organizing the event with complementary businesses (massage therapists, wellness centers) and make it a true community celebration. Another option is to ask clients for donations of items the VA tells you would be good to include in care packages for service members. Create a festive atmosphere for staff members, volunteers, and military family members to assemble care packages. If you are near a military base, offer services at no charge or at significantly reduced rates to soldiers and their families. Focus on the specific purpose for your event— building brand awareness, increasing retail sales, or filling your schedule.