Using Makeunder Makeovers to Build Business in the Salon and Spa

“Makeover” is an interesting word.

Commonly used as a noun, it can refer to changes from simple to drastic—anything done to change the appearance of someone (or something) in order to improve it can be referred to as a makeover. While it often brings to mind projects that result in radical alterations (like the ABC Extreme Home Makeover series) in reality, even small, subtle changes like highlights, an updated fringe or changing cosmetic color palettes can also be considered makeovers.

When you think about the many makeover options salons and spas can offer—with all the possible variations based on age, gender, lifestyle, profession, region, transition to college, career and changes from the subtle to radical—the possibilities are endless. Makeovers can range from incredibly simple, such as a new haircut, to more extreme (and costly) measures such as cosmetic surgery, the implantation of dental veneers, eye-color-changing contact lenses, or even surgeries that change the appearance by causing weight loss (such as gastric bypass), and other procedures.

According to Wikipedia, a makeover “is a term applied to changing one’s appearance, sometimes through cosmetics.” By definition, then, “a ‘makeunder’ is based on the opposite principle; removing artificial enhancements to a person’s appearance to give a more ‘natural’ look.”

Offering makeunders by way of your services and products could be a less intimidating prospect for your clients because it does not imply radical change. Instead, it implies turning the volume down, returning to a more natural (and therefore easier to maintain) state, or creating subtle effects to counter or camouflage features that the client might view as a flaw.

Think about some of the services or retail products you can identify (or add to your offers) in order to provide ‘makeunder’ assistance that provide clients with solutions for common problems. Items that come to mind include products or services that help cover or camouflage blemishes, flaws or features that clients consider to be unattractive or distracting, that correct skin tone, that allow clients to revert to natural haircolors or discontinue coloring their hair in order to gray naturally, etc.

Almost all of these types of ‘makeunders’ would require both professional services and products in-salon and products clients should use at home. Here are some ways to promote and expand these types of offers:

• Create shopping checklists or use ‘prescription forms’ that make specific product recommendations and include instructions for product use at home as well as tips for getting the best results. There are free, downloadable prescription forms for salon, spa or dayspa and nail salon available on the resources page of my website [click here]. Contact me if you want help to create a salon or spa-branded customized prescription form.
• Consider creating a bundled service/product package at a special price to offer in conjunction with commonly-requested makeunder services.
• Promote makeunder services on your website, Facebook page and in e-mail marketing. Include product recommendations and educational information, or post links to other expert articles on the web.
• Create signage to post in your retail area that talk about your makeunder services and the home care products that help optimize outcomes.
• Create “Ask me about…” station talkers, tent cards, signage for the point of sale and flair buttons for staff to wear in order to stimulate conversations about makeunder services and related retail products.
• Send a direct mail piece to targeted portions of your clients (such as gender or age-based, depending on the service) to be sure that your clients have the opportunity to learn more about your makeunder services.
• Invite an expert (such as a cosmetic medical or dental professional, an orthodontist, dentist, skin care specialist, dermatologist, etc.) to be the guest speaker at an event at your salon or spa in order to give your clients more options and to connect them with more resources in your community. This helps to reinforce the role of you as an expert in their lives and shows them that your business has more to offer them than just basic services. It demonstrates to them that you have influence with important people in their community and that you have the ability to connect them with other services and products they need and want. These types of activities help you build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients.

  Give event attendees the option to book appointments for makeunder services, series of services or bundled service/product packages at event-only pricing or for a limited time. Collect contact information of all attendees (holding a drawing for door prizes, gift baskets or gift certificates is a great way to do this).

  Create goodie bags for attendees with manufacturer product samples, branded pens and/or other tchotchkes. Ask any other businesses that will be featured at your event to contribute or to provide additional products for goodie bags. Include 2-3 copies of your business card (so they can give some away to family or friends in the future) and a copy of your menu as well as a card or brochure with education information about the services and products that will be featured at the event.

  After the event, follow up with attendees by e-mail. Send a survey to request feedback about the event that gauges not only how well you did and whether they liked the event, your salon, etc., but also asks them to tell you what interested them most and invites them to ask questions or request more information. Send a ‘thank you’ e-mail or direct mail piece and give them a time-limited opportunity to purchase the series or service offers extended at the event at a special price. Tell them about your next event or any other follow up opportunities that you will be holding. Send them educational information about the services or products featured at the event, or in which they indicated an interest in survey forms.

• If you have makeunder services or packages that can be targeted to a specific group (based on age, gender, lifestyle, etc.) or where you can think of another service provider to partner with (such as someone who removes tattoos, a permanent makeup artist, a cosmetic dentist or surgeon, etc.), work together to create an offer that can be cross-marketed to both sets of clients (or whom you desire to work with in general cross-marketing offers).

Do you want more marketing know-how specifically for the salon or spa? Check out Make Over Your Marketing: 12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa, available on amazon.com or 12monthsofmarketing.com.

Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.