MissTNbeauty

Getting the customer to physically come to
our salon is our #1 priority. We assume that the Free Tan
we offer is the easiest/fastest way to get people down here.
Whether or not they "liked" the Free Tan isn't the issue.
We manipulate (I like to say 'convince') them afterwords
into buying SOMETHING ; As we try to NEVER
let them just leave without a purchase.
The customers figure they might as well
purchase something after making a trip to the salon.
This is why we simply don't say rates over the phone and
just mention the free tan to exclude customers
not coming down here period because of our prices.

TanningEmporium

Tried the free tan thingy our first year, we know charge for it, $1.00 this way I am at least getting up to 6 bucks before they leave, goggles, lotions and session. I have gone back the first year and you would be amazed at the folks who come in for the freebe and you never see them again, even had 3 clients to try and get it the following year.
We all have our own way that works, and I say if it works, keep it up.

tanu01

Gary,You can babble on all you want to sell your products,The truth is cheap salons use cheap methods. In 14 years I have never given free tans as a come on.
I do give away alot of tans though, To established,money spending customers! I have been known to walk in the store and give a whole week away! Buts it always to a customer that I know is back year after year. Its called building a relationship. You cant do that with someone running from salon to salon for their 1 or 3 free tans.
If you want to give away 500 postcards for every hundred someone buys go ahead,Its your option!
Flick

engfant

word to that.

gripmarketing

Flick:

Some of those salons you are labeling as cheap who give away free sessions are doing better and making more profit than you are. Be aware. Keep an open mind. Test, test, test.

Not every offer works universally, but you must constantly test to find out. It's not a once-and-forever process.

I.E., don't be so sure.

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Gary[ This Message was edited by: gripmarketing on 2004-08-05 11:31 ]

tanu01

Dont bet on it!!
Flick

ALOHATANCA

Gary I agree with you 100%.............

Nothing crappy about this Salon in fact we are considered the "Northstroms" of Tanning......

We run a free Tan ad every other month and it hits up to 5 miles radius of my Salon, I have got more new clients this way that did not know about us, and as far as the muchers go, we let them use the coupon once and that's it.....

TANUO1.....I don't see Gary pushing anything off on any of us, HOWEVER he sure does give us alot of free information that I personaly consider invaluable..........
Being open minded is the only way to go in this dog eat dog world we live in.......

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[ This Message was edited by: ALOHATANCA on 2004-08-05 15:20 ]

engfant

"We run a free Tan ad every other month and it hits up to 5 miles radius of my Salon, I have got more new clients this way that did not know about us, and as far as the muchers go, we let them use the coupon once and that's it..... "

I think what Flick and I are trying to point out is that if you changed your ad to $1 TANS! or even 25CENT TANS you will mostlikely get the same response and are still making something. Some of us little guys are already taking a HIT just from running the ad NEVERMIND all the free tanning.

ALOHATANCA

The free ad page is sponsered by local business, so I PAY NOTHING FOR THIS AD...guess I should have said that above..I am a little guy(well girl)also.....

The other ad that has worked well for me is the "buy one get one free ad" that I pay for and run weelky in season and bimonthly out of season.......

gripmarketing

I understand the need to make "something" with the offer itself instead of with upselling, cross-selling, and selling more, however, free will regularly outpull a dollar amount in almost every market.

According to a Yale University study, the word "Free" is one of the 13 most powerful words in the English language. The words $1 or even $.25 isn't among them. And there's the challenge!

If you could figure out a way to use the word free, improve sales inside the salon, deal with the few freebie vultures easily, and be constantly adding super customers who spend big $ with you, then wouldn't you do it? Of course, you would.

Don't know how to do it? Figure it out. You can do it - but you got to want to. We figured it out long ago and loads of salons have, too. That's all I've been trying to tell you.

I'm here to help. BTW, thanks for the kind words, Aloha!