parrot head

Let me just say a few words about our grand opening which we had yesterday. We had 5 employees there just to handle what we thought would be a great influx of new customers. We had a radio remote there for two hours and flooded the local newspapers and also the college newspaper with splash ads about our grand opening. We had free lotions, free tans, free packages, free T's and many other promo items supplied by ditsys. Our salon is geared mainly and located near a college campus, so the 18 to 23 crowd is 99% of our business so far. We have been open a week and a half and business, with a soft opening, had been really great. But, with all this, the grand opening was a total bust. We should have saved the money and bought and bought another tanning bed. Little did we know that the college crowd, after partying for 3 days, doesn't get out of bed until late afternoon.

DWhite6872

Remotes have never been my favorite they usually just draw a couple of groupies that follow the Radio Station! Running on your top CHR/HotAC station in your market would really help. I like all of your plans and it sounds like you are ready for instore marketing, I would add Radio in your mix, just pick the top one and run heavy for 3 days if that is all you can afford.

Brandy1

Parrot Head, from what you wrote you are just 1 salon. Being one salon, raido is not your best option. (Sorry Dwhite. Use the money you would spend on radio and do more direct mail pieces, cross promotions and special events. In my experience as a 1 salon owner, those are the things that have worked for me.

sunsally

I am so sorry for you Parrot head, but EXCELLENT post and thanks for sharing for all to learn from you!!

I was going to say something similar. To "lovetotan" that is "keeping it all under wraps until a week before opening" in March - that may keep your COMPETITORS from knowing what you are planning, but it will also keep potential CUSTOMERS from knowing! The "risk" is that by the time you open - they already have packages elsewhere.

Same advice to all. When we are heads-down, knee-deep in trying to OPEN - we start thinking everyone is as aware of us as we are!!! I think parrothead's experience can be pretty typical! It takes a LOT of "views" of your message/place etc - before we really "see" it. How may of the "veterans" that have been open for years still have people coming in saying "I didn't know you were here!"?? So the "big splash" that any of us think we make the week before opening a brand new place - may fall on deaf ears!!

The key is it has to be an INCREDIBLE offer!! Best ones I've heard do a free week (not day) or Month unlimited for $10 or something really NUTS!!! Drawings, lotion samples, t-shirts --- yea, those are nice, but what I really want is TANNING. Cheap. Lots of it! LOL Still - even with this - need to let them know it is happening! Direct mail, posters in your window, radio, your website (see "Open Forum" thread re. "rocking websites"), etc

Parrothead - use your leftover prizes as "incentives" now for a referral contest in the salon. Most referrals in Feb gets a free month of tanning. Everyone with more than 10 referrals gets a free week. Drawings for the other prizes for anyone that refers more than two in the month. Etc

Also - have a friend on a college campus. BIG salon. Ran a free week of tanning - SPRING BREAK week! March - middle of the "season". Crazy??? Had 700 take advantage of the week!!!! Oh my - think of the cost!! But - in the end - signed up 400 NEW customers to packages! Plus - all those they upgraded/sold lotions to during the "free week". Crazy or crazy as a fox??

The good news? Once you have been "around" for awhile, your yearly "annversary" sale can be one of your best weekends/weeks of the year!! Once they know who you are, they WILL flock in and you'll have the success on this that you hoped for in your Grand OPening sale. So something to plan for and look forward to next year!!

Also - for Parrot head - now that you know the nocturnal habits of your customers, have your next promotion be a "Midnight Madness" sale where you set your lobby up with non-alcoholic margaritas, dance music, etc and have it run from 8pm - 2am!!

DWhite6872

Radio can work even if you only have one salon. If you are in a smaller town and there are not a lot of options as far as radio stations. I think with the heavy population of students radio would be a good mix but it depends on your market. It is hard sometimes to market to College kids because traditional coupon mailers do not include students in their drop. I would find out what the students get directly. Is their a local Pizza shop that would share their box tops with you? We have done this is the past offer to pay for the flyer for them with their coupons and yours!

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[ This Message was edited by: DWhite6872 on 2005-02-07 19:09 ]

parrot head

Sunsally, That's a great idea. Our salon is, as you can probably tell by my name, has a Jimmy Buffet theme with tin shacks and thatched roofs, etc. I forgot to mention that we also did do a direct mailing. We purchased our beds from Soltron, and they gave us a free direct mailing worth $3000 to cover our area. The only problem we had with that, was they got the zip code wrong on one city and that city happened to be where we are located. But, maybe this will turn out ok, because they will remail a new mailing for us to our city only. We will time that mailing to hit about a month before spring break and we can really promote some specials then. Also, you needn't feel sorry for us because we are doing far better then we expected and our customers just love our salon and our fun atmosphere and our great equipment.

sunsally

LOL - maybe not "feeling sorry for you" Parrot head as much as 'feeling your pain'! It is disappointing to go to that much work, have that much anticipation and then have it be only...so-so. But as you said - the soft opening is going well, and today is another day and another sales opportunity!

My first day open was a Sunday in late April. Pouring rain, cold, nasty. Had 10,000 flyers that went out that day in the newspaper "coupon" section.

FOUR people showed up!! Of course, we were still putting things together, so that was ok!!

Interestingly, 4 MONTHS later I still had people bringing in that flyer for their free tan! (that was my ENTIRE offer - 1 free tan - along with a LOT of "text" about our equipment - so much for a "killer" attention getter!). I hope I've learned a thing or two since then!!!

Sounds like you have a great concept, great equipment, great location! Think seriously about really doing a "crazy" offer with your next free mailing! Month of tanning for only $1 with purchase of a lotion bottle. $1/day until school lets out in June (e.g. about $90 total - not $1 each time they come in!). Buy a month now, get spring break week FREE (not everyone gets to go away somewhere). Your population DOES tan - just make sure every one of them is doing it at your place!!!

Congratulations!

movieking

CHR/HotAC ???

TotalEclipse

You could always get William Hung to sing at your grand opening! Just a joke of course...I think Willie singing at one tanning salon's grand opening is enough to last the industry a lifetime!! Sounds like you have some great ideas....I wouldn't go too overboard because it will get too hard for you to keep track of everything you have planned. The giveaways with purchase are always a good idea...that way you're not just giving things away for free. Let us know how it goes!!!!

DWhite6872

Contemporary Hits Radio or Hot Adult Contemporary/ also do not be affraid to advertise on the Urban Station, people think I am weird but young white women always like rap . When you are young you are either a rapper or a rocker!

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[ This Message was edited by: DWhite6872 on 2005-02-07 19:10 ]