5 Ways to Get More Customer Referrals

Finding new customers for your spa, massage, or wellness business is the lifeblood of its success and sustainability. Without new clients, there is no way a business can endure. Therefore, it is imperative that you retain existing customers and mine those customers for referrals. How is this done? Well developing referrals from people who have a need to like, know, and trust you should be relatively easy and effective, as long as you have a system and you are consistently earning that trust. Here are five things you can do to develop referrals from your current client base:

• Develop relationships instead of business transactions - People do business with people they like, know, and trust.  Build a relationship and you build referrals.


• Use Testimonials - Keep updating your testimonials on Facebook and put them up on your Websites.  Need some inspiration?  Check out the ones Scandle has posted on our testimonial page.


• Ask People - Identify key people that you can ASK for referrals, a testimonial, or recommendation and do it!


• Network, network, network - Meet people in person and use the social media platforms as a bridge


• Develop A Referral Habit - Make developing and getting referrals an integral part of your daily activities not a one time deal.

Put these referral tips into practice and see what they do for your practice!  Know of any other ways to get good client referrals?  Please share!:)

Enhance Nail Profits with Add-ons

With the changing of the seasons...dry hands, brittle nails, and hang-nails can be a real problem for your clients.  If you're looking for a way to lend a helping hand to your spa profits, try adding these top manicure services to your lineup!

 

 

1) Massage by the Minute:  Offer a relaxing massage for the arms and hands.  Check out our blog post on "Helping Hands for Manicure Profits" for ways to incorporate a warm, soothing Scandle Lotion Candle massage to your nail services along with hand massage techniques!

2) Nail Design/Bling Fingers: Add to either a specific finger or to every nail. Charge either per nail or $1.00 per minute for more time consuming art.

3) Hand Facial: The face isn’t the only skin that should get a facial, enhance any service with a hydrating or anti-aging mask for extremely dry hands.

4) Anti-Aging Hand Treatments: Invest in a serum to fight brown spots, wrinkles, or even a vitamin C bleaching serum—the hands on a woman show their age more.

5)  Paraffin Dip

6) Nail Whitening Treatments: Offer a nail soak in whitening solutions to get rid of yellow nails such as polident, or water mixed with baking soda and scrub with a nail brush.

7) French Manicures: Offer this manicure in a different way by reversing the smile line and creating a white moon at the cuticle area.

8) Waxing: Offer to remove extra hair on your client’s hands and/or knuckles.

9) Custom Blend a Nail Polish Color: Invest in empty polish bottles and blend a couple colors to warm or cool a polish to match their skin tone. Just by adding a drop of blue will cool or yellow will warm.

10) Mini Spa Treatment Service for the Client On-The-Go: Massage in an intense moisturizer treatment and place the hands in heated mits. Massage the clients’ shoulders while their hands are being treated.  Many of our spas use our Scandle Massage Lotion Candle in Warm Vanilla Sugar to create a fall themed spa mani/pedi treatment with other complimentary products like our Scandle Dead Sea Salt Soak and Scrub or Scandle Turbinato Sugar Scrub.

Source: "Top Ten Nail Upgrades!"  by Lauren Salapatek

 

Scandle Business Mentor - Creating Effective Spa Promos

Putting together a successful promo campaign for a new service or product for your wellness biz can be a challenge if you don't know exactly what will catch a customer's eye. Check out this awesome promo put together by one of our newest retailers/service providers Cleise Brazilian Day Spa (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleisespa) in Chicago, IL. Their promo utilizes The Scandle Lotion Candle (Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/scandle)  in conjunction with several key components to create a spa promotion that has created quite a buzz! Try incorporating some of these elements in your next spa promo for maximum sales and profits:

• Product/service description - Answers what is the new product/service being introduced concisely.


• Product/Service differentiation - Answers what makes this so unique? Why should I buy it?


• Call to Action - Why should I buy now...not later? This is done through special pricing for a limited time and provides a discount to new customers.


• Design - Effective communication of message by highlighting important promotional details and using high quality graphics.

What other key elements have you incorporated in your promos that you have found to be successful?

 

Scandle in "Big Beauty Watch Product List"!

Check out Scandle Body Lotion Candles in The Fall issue of Beauty Consultant Magazine

 

[caption id="attachment_4206" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Check out Scandle Massage Lotion Candles in The Big Beauty Product Watch List in Beauty Consultant Magazine[/caption]

Do You Know What Your Clients Really Want?

Do you know what your clients really value? Many spa and wellness clinic owners think that customer value only boils down to PRICE, when in fact, your prices only become an issue when it is presented as the only benefit of your treatments or products.

If you are wanting to increase profit margins in your business, you and your staff must establish real value and partnership with clients. This can me done by asking prospective clients PURPOSEFUL questions that will enable your practice to sell on true value and not price. Here's how:

1.) Write down your questions to show clients that you really do care about their needs and desires.

2.) Help the prospective client understand what makes you and your spa's treatments and products successful by highlighting value. For instance, if you currently use The Scandle Lotion Candle in massage treatments and sell the candles retail, point out that the candle provides an all natural aromatherapy treatment and skin soothing massage lotion/moisturizer in 1 multi-functional product.  By doing so, you are focusing on the product's value over traditional candles and not the price point.

3.) Practice makes perfect! Practice value marketing daily!

What other tips do you have for determining what your clients value most?

Don't tell me lies!

There's an old saying, "Actions speak louder than words." And when it comes to your clients...nothing could be more true. The truth is revealed through microexpressions, subtle changes in the face that happens for only a fraction of a second. A microexpression is just like any other facial expression, it's just expressed quickly before the person “recovers” to a lying expression that matches their lying words.

Once you understand how facial cues work, you can match your clients' words to their actions and “hear” the truth every single time and adjust your service/retail sales strategy accordingly to get the maximum amount of business for your spa or clinic!   Here's the beginner's guide to reading facial cues and what your client is really telling you.

source:  5 Ways to Detect Lying Clients by Reading Their Facial Cues - Mike Michalowicz

The Hairy Business of Hair Removal

Getting "fur-free" is big business for many spas and translates into one of the most lucrative services available. 

For the most part, hair removal methods basically have remained the same for some time, with the most popular ones usually being waxing, electrolysis and laser hair removal.

Because of the increasing popularity and presence of these techniques, you must identify ways to distinguish your business and its hair removal treatments from the spa’s down the street. What it boils down to is offering the "extras" that make all the difference.

One of the best ways to differentiate, ensure an better overall experience for the client, and boost revenue is to be diligent about caring for the skin after the service. One of the most common complaints from clients is how their skin suffers following hair removal treatments.

According to Lori Nestore, (aka "The Wax Queen"), “The technician must educate the client on normal and expected reactions, and how to minimize them with home care.  Home care prolongs the effects and makes the results better.”

She recommends encouraging before and after exfoliant use, as well as the use of face and body creams, smoothing lotions, AHA products to prevent ingrown hairs and products that prevent red bumps like Scandle's Eco-Shave & Shower Foam which provides an all natural skin soothing & prolonged results for hair removal clients.

By making all of these products available in your spa’s retail area and refering your clients to them after a service, you'll be sure to keep customers happy and coming back for to you instead of the competition! 

What other ideas have you used to differentiate hair removal services in your spa?

*Source - "Hyping up Hair Removal," Skin Inc.

Does Craniosacral Bodywork Have Therapeutic Value?

[caption id="attachment_4166" align="alignleft" width="300"] The craniosacral system is based on the knowledge that the bones of the skull are movable, flexible, and adjustable.[/caption]

Craniosacral therapy (also called CST, also spelled Cranial Sacral bodywork or therapy) is an alternative medicine therapy used by many massage therapists, naturopaths, and chiropractors.

A craniosacral therapy session involves the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which allows them to "tune into the craniosacral rhythm". Craniosacral therapists claim that this treatment modality has the ability to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migraines, TMJ Syndrome, and chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.

The results of craniosacral therapy remains controversial and is actively being researched.  CST has been characterized by some as, "pseudoscientific and as lacking a biologically plausible mechanism." Do you or have you used Craniosacral Therapy in your practice?  How would you evaluate its effectiveness?

*Source - Wikpidia

Increasing Spa Revenue with Private Labeling and Branding

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200"] Private label Scandle Lotion Candles can be a unique and theraputic treatment and retail product for new and existing spas.[/caption]

Retailing is a neccessary evil for spa businesses.  But revenues don't always equal profit, and it may be time to look for some margin leverage and some exclusivity in the marketplace via your own private label brand?

Private label products have become more prevalent in the marketplace and requires a well-thought-out strategy.  Your products should be connected to the vision and mission of your spa, perhaps including a signature aroma or using packaging with messaging consistent with your spa's philosophy.

A common misconception about private label is that it will involve research, chemists, long lead times, and a whole lotta money.  However, as with Scandle's Private Label Program, nothing could be farther from the truth!  Sure, you could spend money on developing amazing products, but many companies that offer private label have a wide array of stock formulations or can tweak existing formulas (i.e. if your spa utilizes a signature aroma, those can easily be incorporated into a private label lotion candle).

Here's a list of important questions to ask ask if your thinking about private labeling:

1.)  What are your minimums?

2.)  What are my options for packaging, product, and label customization?

3.)  What kind of customer support is available?

4.)  What kind of marketing support are provided?

5.)  How log have the products been on the market?

6.)  What is the top selling fragrance?

7.)  Can I speak to any active customers?

8.)  Do you offer help/advice on logo and label development/design?

Increasing your spa branding, image, and value are all benefits big benefits of a private label line.  Although many owners hesitate selling a product without instant name recognition, private branding can be equally successful and significantly more profitable in the long run!

Interested in starting your own private label line?  Contact us today for help on developing your own line of private label massage candles and other eco-friendly spa  products.

*Source "To Brand or Not to Brand" American Spa, July 2012

Botox for Treating Depression?

Has the changing of the seasons got you feeling a little blue?  No fear...Botox is here!:)  If your spa already offers botox injections, you might be able to add treatment for depression to your list of services.  The increasingly popular wrinkle-reducing muscle relaxant may hamper your ability to to convey emotion but researchers are finding that to be a good thing when battling depression.

For the study, researchers selected 30 participants suffering from major depression and gave half of them 5 injections of Botox between and just above the eyebrows while the other half were given placebo injections in the same places.  During the 16 week study, researchers found patients who were injected with the placebo had a 9 percent reduction in depressive symptoms, while patients injected with Botox had a 47 percent decrease in symptoms.

This  study suggests that facial muscles do not only let others know how you feel, but are also instrumental in regulating your own mood. How? The study's author, M. Axel Wollmer, a psychiatrist from Switzerland's University of Basel, says that facial muscles might not just tell other people how you feel — they might tell your brain how you feel, too. And because Botox relaxes those muscles, it may prevent your face from telling your brain that you're blue.

*Source:  The Week, "Can Botox Treat Depression?"

Welcome Fall with These Spa Treatment Ideas

Today is October 1st and the nip of fall is already in the air here in Texas.  Although I love the break from the swealtering heat, what I don't like is how the change in temperature causes instant changes to my skin and I'm sure I'm not alone...many of your clients are, or will be, experiencing the same.  Autumn is a time of transition, and the best autumn skin care routines will correct any summer damage that has occurred and prepare skin for winter.  Here are some things to focus on with treatments and product recommendations:

• Ditch the soap. Fragrant soapy scrubs might feel (and smell) wonderful after a day at the beach, but they leave skin dry. When fall arrives, switch to a soap-free hydrating cleanser.  We recommend our plant based Scandle Eco-Shave & Shower Foam, a soap-free shave foam and body cleanser in one.


• Exfoliate with an oil-based scrub. The summer sun and chlorine may leave skin feeling dry and flaky. Have your clients start the new season off with a full-body exfoliation session with an oil-based scrub.  Try our Scandle Hawaiian Turbinato Sugar Scrub or Scandle Dead Sea Salt Soak & Scrub , which utilizes the warm soothing oil of The Scandle Body Lotion Candle as a luxurious treatment option to exfoliate and hydrate for fall.


• Switch from light-weight lotion to a cream or thick lotion. As the air becomes drier, skin needs a thicker moisturizer to produce a stronger oily barrier.  To reduce water loss from the outer layer of skin and provide hydration to this layer of skin at the same time we recommend cream or thick lotion with a soy, shea butter, and jojoba base like Scandle Lotion Candles in our limited edition fall fragrance, Autumn Harvest.


• Protect your lips. Start moisturizing now to prevent dry, cracked lips this winter. We recommend a non-petroleum based lip balm for best results.


• Invest in hand cream. Hands often become dry and cracked during fall and winter. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. Try offering up a Scandle Hand Treatment as an add on service (check out our article on "A Helping Hand for Massage Profits" for treatment techniques).  This involves massaging hands with our moisture rich Scandle Lotion Candles and slipping on warming mitts during a treatment session or wrapping hands in hot towels for soft, supple hands.

What other treatments/products can you recommend for fabulous fall skin?