In-house signage will help you and your staff do your jobs even better. If you are opening or renovating a Spa, put signage on your task list…and in your budget.
An effective signage program shouldn’t be an afterthought
Signage is important from both a guest’s perspective and a business’s point of view. And it’s never too late…when you are ready to enhance your signage program, there are just three simple rules to remember:
1. Maintain the value of your messages by avoiding overuse
2. Keep them catchy and concise
3. Have them begin at the front door.
Whenever your guest’s hand is not being held, signage should be able to effectively take over everything from guest navigation, to acceptable behaviours. So perhaps you need to take a walk around with one of your VIP guests to get their input; while at the same time, putting yourself in your guests slippers. Your signage should reinforce your guest’s feelings of welcome, safety and value.
As you take on this task of ensuring that your guests are properly taken care of, you will notice that in tandem with this, you are also taking care of the business. Signage is an important piece of the puzzle and just one more way to ensure your business is getting noticed, appreciated and rewarded for all of your hard, beautiful work.
Use signage as the jumping off point for the results you want delivered
Here are 10 great ways to use signage to benefit your guests; continually improve business processes; and ultimately increase sales:
1. Return and Cancellation policies– These policy signs can serve as short and sweet reminders for your clients to: Help avoid misunderstandings; possible losses in spa revenue; and even provide backup when you need to enforce your fee policy.
2. Available daily appointments- In the spa, we sell time. Everyone should know what’s for sale, and when. Post service openings to help sell every available time slot you have that day, every day.
3. Signage that ’departmentalizes’ the retail items in your Spa Boutique -A mass of products that are all shelved together without enough delineation confuses, frustrates and turns away potential sales.
Categorize your display shelves and point your guests in the right direction with elegant little shelf talkers. Consider having these signs made: Testers, For the Face, Bath & Body, Hands and Feet, Hair Care, Men, Teens, Baby, Gifts under $20-$50-$100, On Promotion, Clearance Items (always have clearance items in ONE go2 place).
4. “Please visit our Spa Boutique” - What gets spotlighted, gets noticed.Now that your retail products are fully merchandised and your signage is up, it’s time to shine. Make it your mission to let every single guest know just exactly what is in that spa boutique of yours!
5. “Ask about our…” - Do you have a revolving ’push list’ you want your guests to know about? What about Spa Membership deals, or that under-used Wish List Program that comes with free gift wrapping and delivery? Pique guest interest with your signage, and then have support materials and staff readily available to handle the interest.
6. “Tell a friend” - The only way to actively promote your referral program, is to actively promote it on multiple levels.
7. “Not sure? Choose a Gift Certificate” - Everyone is a gift-giver and your guests should be repetitively reminded that your variety of offerings, are their gift-giving solutions.
8. “We specialize in…” - Maybe you cater to wedding parties and offer a gift registry, or you offer event planning with rental space. Know your niche and use signage as one of the ‘plenteous’ platforms to market it on.
9. “Did you know…” - Rotating signs that provide little hints, pointers and tidbits to bring about awareness and even educate your guest, can prompt a sale that otherwise might never happen.
10. “Book your next appointment…” - This should be a given, but if you’re not using signage to help out your front desk with their many tasks at checkout, this could be a great place to start.
These 10 are just the tip of the iceberg, but as you put together your spa signage program, remember that signage should:
Draw attention; direct traffic; and MAKE SALES!
Are you opening, renovating or re-inventing a spa?
Check out our Spa Start Up Business Manual for concise, comprehensive spa opening details!