As the beauty industry gets set to reopen after the lockdown, our Beauty PR Team shares their thoughts and tips on welcoming back your beauty clients.
A Waiting Game
No doubt, many of you will already have a full and waiting list with clients eager to return for your services. However, long term client retention and attracting new customers isn’t going to be just about your waiting list.
Organising your clients and keeping them informed and updated could make the difference between keeping them or losing them to an organised competitor.
Make sure you have reached out to your clients, created your waiting list and discussed treatments with each of your beauty clients, updating them as you approach your opening date.
Best Practices
In light of COVID-19, you may find that some of your clients are nervous about returning to the treatment chair. Have you informed them of your safety protocols? Have you adopted new hygiene procedures? Factored in social distancing and generous appointment spacing between clients?
Communicating these and reaffirming your standard hygiene practices with your beauty clients ahead of the governments’ proposed opening date will not only ease nerves but establish you are as a professional in your field.
Virtual Consultations
At a time when the video chat platform Zoom added more users to its platform so far this year, than it did during the whole of 2019, it’s highly likely that your beauty clients will probably be well versed in video calls. Booking in initial virtual consultations will not only take away any wellbeing risks but could save you time, given that these won’t need to be restricted to ‘opening hours’.
Communicate
Your website content, your social media channels and email marketing are all going to be an essential lifeline to your business. Social media and digital use grew with the lockdown. Those online habits are now formed and established, making online visibility even more crucial to your business.
Word of mouth will always be a strong sales funnel for your business. However, having a strong social media presence and carefully crafted website content (written for search engine optimisation) is going to be critical for your business.
After all, what’s the first thing you do on any business recommendation? You ‘Google’ it.
It is essential to consider that the current situation could change at any given time and even the best-laid plans undone by the return of the virus. However, keeping your beauty clients informed and following government guidance alongside a variety of associations and societies including the JCCP and regulatory bodies including the GMC and of course the World Health Organisation has to be part of your ‘return to work’ policy.
