What You Should Be Doing, That Your Competition Already Is
Understand the difference between cost and value
Every Tanning Salon Owner and Sunless Technician needs to learn to appreciate the difference between “cost” and “value”, and to not confuse the two. Cost is, of course, a huge factor in today’s economy, but it’s not the sole factor. Many businesses think that by simply lowering the “cost” of their services, they will win new business, but what they should be focusing on is increasing the “value” that clients place on your business and your services. If they believe that the service you provide is of higher quality, that the atmosphere in your salon is nicer, and that you’re better at what you do, they won’t care if the business down the street is $10.00 less.
Don’t overlook the little things
I know it sounds silly, but so many times clients will overlook the tiny details in their business, and that can spell disaster. What is the atmosphere of your salon or spa? Are your employees friendly, or just “okay”? What kind of music is playing? How do you respond to reviews on social media, Yelp, Yahoo, etc.? Do you offer any cute little extras like a chocolate with their spray tan, or a free glass of wine while they wait for their turn? These little differences can spell the difference between a customer, and a loyal customer—and I think that adds up to a pretty big difference.
Social media is your friend.
Not just Facebook. Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, YouTube, and the list goes on. If you are going to ramp up your social media presence, don’t just post once in a blue moon: you have to actually interact with your customers. Don’t let your feeds go stale: that’s when your followers get bored, stop checking in, and start looking elsewhere. If your business isn’t growing, it’s shrinking.
And social media isn’t just about getting out in front of people, it’s also about finding answers to your questions—there are tons of forums and communities of fellow spray tan business owners, and even if they don’t use the same products as you do, they are all always willing to help regardless!
Appreciate the power of reviews
Many tanning professionals are not aware of how powerful reviews can be for generating new interest in their business. With current technology, you can find out practically everything about a business before even walking through the door, and many people want to know they are not wasting their time when trying out some place new. The more positive reviews you can accumulate, the better. Get people talking about how great you are, how wonderful your services are, and how you “feel just like family”, and you will see an increase in newcomers.
Go the Extra mile
If you find that your business is slowing down, don’t fall back on excuses, don’t accept that there is “always a slow season” or that “everyone is suffering”. Those are just stories you’re telling yourself, and they are not solving the true problem. To overcome the slump you’re experiencing, you need to take action.
- Write out an action plan to reveal the causes of your business slump
- Identify the obstacles that are preventing you from resolving these causes
- Establish a list of goals to overcome each obstacle
It’s hard work, but that extra mile could be the distance your competition didn’t go.
