Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/716901
www.ascpskincare.com 59 Long-term client retention and relationships also create stability with each return client. This is important from a relationship or rapport standpoint, as well as an income- forecasting perspective. When you can accurately predict the number of appointments you'll have each week, you can better determine the expected income from them and be in a more informed place to plan future marketing eff orts. When you retain clients, you also have a greater chance of giving clients better results. By developing trust—the trust and rapport that comes with long-term relationships— your patrons will have more faith in all you do. They'll be more likely to follow your suggestions for at-home care and additional treatments or visits. Thus, they are more likely to have better experiences with faster results, making them happier clients (who tell their friends all about your genius). However, it's important to understand that not all clients are going to be lifetime clients, nor would you want them to be. Before you begin seeking ways to create long-term or lifetime relationships with your skin care or waxing patrons, start by getting a clearer picture of your ideal client. Here are three key questions to consider: 1. Who is going to be best served by the services you off er? 2. Which conditions and problems do you excel in addressing? 3. What characteristics or qualities do the people you enjoy working with possess? Begin by making a list under each of these areas to get an overview of exactly who you are looking for as a lifetime client. From there, you may want to write out something more descriptive, like I did when I was seeking new lifetime clients for my massage practice: Example 1: My ideal clients are intelligent, genuinely nice, positive-minded people who enjoy life, learning new things, and getting a great massage. They value getting weekly or monthly massages for stress reduction, pain relief, and pure enjoyment. They are compassionate, understanding, and loyal to those who meet their needs, win their trust, and gain their friendship. Example 2: My ideal clients live within a 5-mile radius of my offi ce and are between 40 and 80 years old. They're well- established in their careers as executives, professionals, or entrepreneurs; comfortably retired; or homemakers with fl exible schedules, preferring appointments between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or the occasional Saturday. Example 3: My ideal clients enjoy some conversation, are open- minded, and think of me as a professional and equal. They also appreciate "the good life": travel, good food, wine, spas, etc., but are down-to-earth, kind, friendly, and generous. They refer freely, tip well, arrive on time, and are a joy to work with in every session. Most of all, they appreciate me as much as I appreciate them! Once you defi ne your lifetime clients, you'll not only have a better idea of who you want to market to, you'll also begin to see opportunities to reach out to them. Obviously, fi nding these folks is only half the job; you'll also have to meet their needs and show them the value of coming back. Strive to provide the results your ideal clients want and a high-value, positive experience they can't get anywhere else. Doing so will help pave the way to a healthy long-term relationship. In short, keeping clients for a lifetime isn't just about the money. It's also about giving clients what they need and want, so they feel happy with the relationship and themselves. Likewise, it's about creating career satisfaction, stability, and joy for you, which, at least in my experience, translates into success for a lifetime. Parts of this article are excerpted from Felicia Brown's new book, Creating Lifetime Clients: How to WOW Your Customers for Life (Spalutions, 2016).