A question was submitted to Spas2b:
We have a very expensive customized facial and it is amazing. Now more than ever it is very hard to sell this treatment, but once they have it, they want it again. What can we do to help sell this treatment?
Our Response:
First let's investigate the possible (real) reasons why this facial isn't selling:
1. Price- Are your clients failing to see the value in the price?
2. Demographic- Is this expensive treatment really what enough of your clients want?
3. Marketing- Are your existingmarketing efforts well positioned and attracting enough attention?
4. Staffing - Are your staff well trained experts and excited about this treatment?
5. Front Desk- Do you front line personnel know how to sell this service?
Wait...is this service positioned for profit?
But before you go to all the efforts of promoting this treatment, make sure that it is positioned for profit, by doing a service margin analysis. If it turns out that your costs to administer this treatment are too high, you'll either have to adjust them down, or consider all marketing initiatives extra carefully. If this treatment is not profitable, it should at the very least be helping to create awareness and/or boosting your image in an effort to increase revenues in the future.
There are all kinds of marketing and promotional approaches that you can take; paid and free. I would suggest you set up a campaign that encompasses a well balanced assortment of ideas that can be easily mixed up and rotated periodically for the best coverage and highest appeal to your top tier demographic.
Pick and choose your selections In advance of launching the campaign
· Investigate the likes and dislikes of your target demographic and cater the name, look and feel of the campaign to them
· Fully integrate both your print and broadcast marketing initiatives to this target demographic
· Create a story around this treatment that will please this demographic's desires and sensibilities
· Develop a whole-spa signage and broadcast initiative for this treatment; both inside and out (I2O); online and off (O2O)
· Train your top tier staff rigorously to deliver an unrivaled experience
· Cross-departmentalize all inside promotional initiatives
· Put it on your staff "push" list and set up corresponding internal campaigns and rewards.
If it truly is an exceptional niche service, don't shy away from promoting it as such
· Promote it at special times of the year specifically to men for the women in their lives
o Start a client "Wish List" program for personalized gift giving ideas
o Promote it as "A gift to oneself"
o "Our most luxurious treatment"
o "For the person who has everything"
o "The Cadillac of services"
· Have a draw on this treatment only for those who have reached a minimum dollar spend; make it a big spectacle
· Offer a demonstration and educational workshop with a bounce-back coupon for this select demographic
· Reposition it on your menu to take prime real estate
· Give a free gift with this elite service purchase
· Have a purchase opportunity only with this elite service purchase.
Broadcast
· Ramp up social networking efforts with a YouTube video
· Run the video inside and outside of your spa doors
· Have a recorded on-hold message about the treatment
· Use that recorded message for (telephone) voice-broadcasting to your client base.
Print Advertising
· Write a blog on the service story and answer questions live with a ustream account
· Create a popup on your website pages
· Do an eNews blast; fax blast; text message; mobile advertisement.
Supplement and draw in peripheral demographics
· "Try Me" coupons
· Mini-service introduction
· Product samples
· Featured Weekly Promo
· "Staff Pick" of the month - have staff t-shirts made (walking advertisements).
Keep interest high and begin to reap rewards once the service is established
· Follow up with thank you's and special occasion acknowledgements
· Solicit on and off-line testimonials
· Suggest signing up to your Spa Blog via RSS
· Ask for Facebook recommendations
· Reward FB likes; Twitter follows; Pinterest pins; LinkedIn contacts.
When (if) it becomes a "mature offering"
· Sell treatment series
· Start a service referral program with clients and staff
· Add new value incentives within the service (if you can afford to)
· Bundle one of the treatment products with the service
· Reduce service price
· Put it on the extinction list and replace it with a fresh offering.
Eventually, if you stick to it, this treatment will succeed (if it truly is amazing), but the words here are FOCUS and FOLLOW.