Keep clients coming back to you through personalized experiences

Have you noticed that a lot of businesses whether product or service based are becoming more and more focused on personalizing their offers. Just this weekend my husband made an order on Amazon Prime for a gift for our son who had done well in school. It was amazing when the order came in, that it was personalized. My 4 year old was elated to find a note with his name and a sweet little message on it (btw thank you to Mr. S. for the inspiration today 🙂 ). One of the biggest and growing trends in the Beauty and Spa Industry is personalization. We are probably the one industry that has the ability to take personalization to a whole new level, elevating our client experiences from basic to extraordinary.

The client’s experience begins right from the moment they make an appointment with you. From there each and every interaction they make with your brand, that is your salon/spa, adds or subtracts to their entire experience. Maya Angelou said ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’. This stands true for our clients as beauty professionals, its the experience that really determines whether or not they will come back to you. You could be excellent as a make-up artist or give the best facial treatments but what truly matters is how you made the client feel from the moment they walked in until they left the door. From the first greeting to the last goodbye, the entire experience holds power. As beauty professionals we want clients to keep coming back to us this means we need to work hard to ensure that every visit they make to us is a memorable one. I strongly believe that treatment personalization is a powerful tool that guarantees a winning client experience. Today I will share some tips to add personalization to your work to enhance client experiences.

START WITH A MEMORABLE GREETING

Beyonce sang ‘You had me at hello’ 🙂 As soon as your client walks in you need to have them at hello. Always greet your clients with a genuine warm smile and where possible with their name. There is nothing as beautiful as the sound of one’s name. Your client should find you ready and waiting for them at their set appointment. If its the role of the receptionist to welcome clients then he/ she should be trained to exude warmth, charm and cheer. But I would suggest that even if there is a receptionist within your establishment always try to be at the reception to meet your client when they arrive, that in itself is a personal touch. The client will appreciate not only finding the receptionist there but to find you, their therapist, smiling cheerfully when they arrive.

NAIL THE CLIENT CONSULTATION

To be able to give a personalized experience you must know your client and establish their needs. In my previous post on unlocking the magic of client consultation, I explain in detail how to carry out a great consultation. During the consultation find out all the small little things that would make your client’s treatment much more enjoyable. Zone in on the client, remember you want them to remember how you made them feel. We once had a client who came in for a pedicure and after the treatment I asked the client how the treatment was and she explained that she wasn’t satisfied because the therapist had done the treatment as a standard pedicure should be done but had not worked on the areas the client wanted her to concentrate on ,which for her was rasping. The reason being that the therapist did not take the time to ask the client what area she would have loved to have more time spent on, she just went through the motions. The treatment then was generic rather than being personalized.

TAKE NOTE OF THE ‘LITTLE THINGS’

During the consultation take note of what the client likes, areas she feels you need to work on, her favorite parts of the treatment or her favorite movements during a massage. Ask her what music she would love to hear during the treatment and ask her how she is feeling, genuinely. If for example she’s feeling low, maybe you could spray a citrus aromatic oil / or burn a citrus scented candle in the room to lift her spirits up and if she’s feeling anxious/ stressed, you could spray or infuse lavender to calm her spirit. If she feels extra cold, make an effort to make the linen warmer or an extra pillow added to make your client with a slight backache feel comfortable. If she loves her tea, make sure her cup is ready as soon as she enters the salon/spa. All these things are small thoughtful extras that make a big difference to the client experience. In the end if two clients came in for the same treatment, at the end of it they both should feel as though the treatment ‘was made just for them’- same treatment, but two unique amazing experiences.

PERSONALIZE YOUR SERVICE, ADD YOUR OWN ‘MAGIC’

You want to stand out as beauty professional, there should be something about how you do your work that keeps clients coming back to you. Something unique only to you that makes client experiences amazing. These are small little tweaks you could add to your treatments that make you stand out. I have a few ideas to inspire you:

• Fresh flowers in your treatment room/ workspace
• Little positive notes that you give to your clients at each visit
• A quick extra treat you give to your clients like a hand massage or foot massage. I had a therapist who after a waxing treatment would give clients a beautiful soothing massage , no wonder she was always booked.
• Surprise your client by remembering their birthday, anniversary or any important event in their life…..even asking about her loved pup at home.

LET THE END BE AS VIBRANT AS THE BEGINNING

Its very common to be excited and enthusiastic at the beginning of a treatment, but when you’re nearing the end, thinking of your next client and how quickly you will have to turnover, the temptation is to lose the vibrancy. Unfortunately even if you had done a great treatment, if the end is any bit negative, that is what the client will remember about the entire experience. Do not take for granted how you end off a treatment, maintain your professionalism and energy. You client should still feel as valued at the end just as at the beginning. When my mother opened her first beauty salon , one of the reasons she grew her clientele and how her reputation spread was in the small thoughtful actions she implemented. I remember her insisting that at the end of a pedicure the therapists had to not only wipe the client’s feet to ensure that all excess oils were removed (to avoid a slip) but she insisted that they go the extra mile of cleaning the client’s shoes, and clients loved that. She would walk clients out were possible and ensure they drive off well. I thought that was special.

Once the client leaves always remember to follow up. Give your client a courtesy call to check in on them. How they are feeling after the treatment and how they are finding the recommendations you gave them. This shows clients that you care for them far much more than the money they bring in and that wraps up an amazing personalized experience. I hope you are inspired to make your client experiences more personalized and much more memorable so that they keep coming back to you.

Stay inspired!!