Attracting New Clients to the Salon and Spa – 3 Components of Client Attraction
I’m studying up on attraction – specifically, the topic of customer, or client attraction. In fact, the focus of my 2013 Salon and Spa Marketing Calendar for each and every month is different means by which you can attract new clients to the salon or spa, using a variety of online and off line marketing tactics.
Attracting New Clients to the Salon and Spa – 3 Components of Client Attraction
Attraction is a topic that people have studied up on since the first single person wanted to attract another and it’s something that you need to get really smart about if you want a healthy, growing salon or spa business, or if you want to be a successful professional in the beauty industry.
Wondering whether the components of interpersonal attraction were relevant to the subject of attracting new clients to a salon or spa (or any other type of business), I went online to find out what some of the experts on the topic have to say about the components of attraction when it comes to interpersonal attraction. My search landed me on a site titled “pick up artist forum” which purports to provide advanced pick-up artist techniques and tactics. While that’s not providing me with any peace of mind when it comes to using this site for research as an authoritative source, I did find something worth exploring.
The author of this post on the 3 components of physical attraction listed projection, approval and atmosphere as the three factors which influence attraction between people. And I say influence because I think it’s safe to say that there are people that we simply aren’t attracted to, for whatever reason, that no amount of influence from these 3 components of physical attraction can change.
These 3 factors that influence interpersonal attraction are not all-powerful. But there are principles at play within them that can and should be applied to the topic of client attraction when it comes to the salon and spa.
Let’s first acknowledge that there are some people, even some people that lie within your basic client demographic profiles, who simply won’t be attracted to your salon or spa. You can’t be everything to everyone when it comes to your salon or spa, that’s why having a clear definition of the type of clients which would be your “ideal client types” is essential. If you’re out there trying to attract everyone you run the risk of either projecting a chaotic brand or one that is too generic to effectively attract anyone.
So assuming that you are working to attract the types of clients to your salon or spa that represent your ideal client types, here are three components to physical client attraction that you should keep in mind.
1. Projection, or projecting attraction from your salon or spa.
This has everything to do with the branding process, from the inside out. To confidently project attraction, and so attract the types of clients you want to attract to your salon or spa, you have to have identified and defined specific characteristics that you want to be true about your brand, and your business, and you have to have done what it takes to make them true about your business.
2. Salon or Spa Approval. And more specifically, the approval of other people who are influential to those clients you want to attract to your salon or spa.
You probably already believe and readily state that “word of mouth marketing” is your best marketing when it comes to referrals and new clients. And I hope that this is true – because as Elizabeth Arden said, “Repetition (or projecting attraction!) makes reputation. Reputation makes customers.”
When people influential to us tell us that a restaurant, boutique, church, or that a salon or spa is “the best,” that holds weight with us. When people we aspire to be like recommend products or services, as human beings, we can be persuaded that we love them too. It’s just human nature.
Social proof can cause us to try businesses we might not otherwise have been attracted to, and it can even cause us to give businesses we weren’t crazy about a second look, or a second chance, based upon the rave reviews, recommendations and experiences of others.
3. And last but not least, the atmosphere created by your salon or spa influences attraction.
You can take this at face value and think about the atmosphere of your salon or spa, but you can also take it further and think about “the atmosphere” created for a web site visitor on your salon or spa website. On your social media pages. On your blog. The “atmosphere” created by the messaging and visual appeal of your direct and email marketing.
Atmosphere is about more than visual appeal, however, atmosphere is about being in the right place at the right time. You can equate this to the art of establishing brand awareness in the minds of prospects, so that when they are looking for a hair stylist, or a salon or spa, your salon or spa has a share of their top of mind awareness. You can’t do this, however, unless you are actively marketing your salon or spa online and offline. You simply can’t get mindshare without marketing!
And atmosphere is also related to emotional connection. It’s about your salon or spa being in the right place at the right time for the client. It’s about your ability to communicate to that prospect that you can meet a need or desire that will make their life better in some way. That you understand a problem and have a solution. That you care about them first as people, not prospects. That you will put their best interests first. That you will make them feel pampered. Or safe. Or beautiful. it’s the atmosphere that you create within them, so to speak – the feelings that you evoke that cause them to choose your salon or spa.
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These 3 factors are really effective. They have been tested for many years. If I may just add another factor, it would also be helpful if salons and spas take the time to understand their environment so they would know better services to offer. By understanding the geography, demographics and other data that may affect their business, they can tailor-fit their services to particular needs of their community… and that would make them more likable.
Well said – how can you attract your ideal client types if you don’t know where they are? Demographic research can help us to target our marketing to the audiences (a) we most want to attract and/or (b) who are most likely to respond to our marketing or a particular type of marketing campaign – happy Friday!