Christiestan

Ok so here the scoop, Im opening a new salon and I need help.
What are good promotional ideas, radio flyers, I have a salon in my town that totally sucks and there is a need for a new sexier/sleaker looking one, how do i get people to go from hers to mine...idea please>>>>>and other ideas for promoting would be awesome

Radio
Flyers
girls in bikinis waiving signs

this is what i have come up with, what else

BEAUTIFULLY BRONZED

Offer a free tan Friday for new customers only...it wont cost you too much and it will give you the opportunity to have face to face interactions with your clients, showing them why you are the better salon

sunkissedtan

I did the Free Tan Day when I first started too, I had alot of people come and and I kept them as customers, but you haveto know that you will have alot of people that will just come for the free tan and that is it! Participate in any community function, give gift cerificates at school function or whatever, advertise as much as you can. Good Luck!!

howardtheduck

Check with your distributor also. Most of them have the capability to get free products from the manufacturers if you give them enough notice (usually 3 weeks in advance)and an ad that mentions what lotions you carry. Good luck!

brit-in-florida

Be careful about a radio and movie theatre advert; they are expensive, I didn't get much response.

Offer lotion bottles for 50% off for every month unlimited bought. When tanners who buy lotions (especially the expensive brands) hear of it they will often swap salons because it means quite a lot of cash to them, but it essentially costs you nothing. If they use your salon for amonth and get good results they won't swap back until the other salon offers something better. EG my monthly unlimited on reg bed is $39, Lots took up Smolder at half price saving them $26 dollars so they feel they have a great deal. This soemtimes gets regulars to buy more expensive lotions than they would normally buy and they don't go back when the offer expires.

Pallan

The free tans should be on your base beds only. Your beds will be booked with people wanting something free. If they are booked, offer someone an upgrade for a couple of bucks. You could also offer free bottles of lotions with every full price tan. For example, a single tan on my Matrix L33 and L22 is $35. So if you offer a bottle of lotion that might cost you $20 and you get $35 from them to tan, you have just made $15 less your cost to run the bed which is about $3. The customer looks at it as if you are losing $5 in the whole deal.

Jancy

Remember, bottom feeders are coupon clippers, and they'll go for every freeby you got and when the free ride is over, it's has-ta-la-vist-ta-baby!

TRTS

When we opened, we ran awesome specials for the opening week. On the first day we opened, we gave door prized to each individual, included in the gift was a "Thank you" card for making our grand opening a success. As part of the thank you, we extended a $5 off coupon to be used toward a future purchase.

JohnnyComeLately

You're going to have to do the "teasers" to get your initial volume coming in. If they're bottom feeders, great. Get a 24 bulb bed with old lamps to keep them sucking the $19/mo unlimited bottle. Use direct mailers with "too good to be true" teasers. Once you get to your desired sales level or the season kicks in, drop the loss leading teasers, but keep the direct mailers so they're thinking of you when seasonal tanners decide to start tanning.

For most markets, radio is just too much. In San Diego you're looking at an easy 1500 a month. Look for cheap ways to cross promote (neighborhood wedding planners, bridal gown stores, cosmetic or fashion related biz)

sunsally

In my opinion.....

If you put in a 24 lamp bed (should be home bed, not commercial) with lousy lamps then the first impression people get of your salon is..........Low Quality. Or "bait and switch".

If that is the type of salon you WANT - then great. There ARE ones like that and they CAN make money. But sounds like your competition already has that market sewn up and you wanted to go the route of "slickier, sexier".

There are many, many,many posts here with great ideas. Search under things like "grand opening", "free tan weekend", "Anniversary", "Open house" etc.

In what sounds like a smaller town, word of mouth will travel quickly. Give them a free tan or upgrade for each referral or hold a referral contest.

Your best "strategy" will be to have a well-run, clean salon with educated staff!

Good luck