Tis’ The Season!
The holiday season is a time for giving thanks and celebrating all that has happened because of our industrious and purposeful work. It is also a time to celebrate those who have been a part of the journey throughout the year and throughout our life. When we think of the holidays, we tend to naturally think about our friends, family, and our spiritual relationship.
However, the holiday season is also a great time for business owners to share the joy of the season with their clients. Afterall, our clients certainly warrant a place at the thanksgiving table. If it were not for them, realizing our purpose and passion would not be possible, nor would we be as well equipped to express our gratitude and appreciation to those who are closest to us.
While there are several ways a practice owner can express appreciation during the holiday season, it is important to be sincere and not appear transactional. Holiday themed flash sales and promotions are not going to be viewed by a client as an expression of gratitude and appreciation. They’ll be viewed as exactly what they are, a money grab during a very competitive season for business.
Don’t get us wrong, holiday specials and promotions are necessary, as they are a critical part of the business operating model. However, they are not anything more than that, specials and promotions designed to provide a lift at a given point in time. Yes, the client does benefit, but the intent of the sale is not for the benefit the client, and they know that. As such, taking sales and promotions too far may actually harm the relationship and leave you being viewed as a selfish and greedy Scrooge.
If you want to take advantage of the gift giving spirit that is the holiday season, promote the practice, and demonstrate a sincere appreciation for your clients, there are other, more innovative approaches than sales. Approaches that will leave you and your clients feeling good about the relationship and the year ahead.
Below is a list of some creative strategies for demonstrating client appreciation during the season, while at the same time promoting the practice and benefiting from the season of giving.
Personal Invites: Send direct messages (DMs) from your social media accounts to personally invite followers to come to a special holiday event. This feels more personal and more in the spirit of the season.
Private Parties: Offer your clients the opportunity to host private parties that are holiday themed for a small group of their friends and family (i.e., Botox and bubbly holiday party).
Holiday Gift Cards: Promote the sale of gift cards for your services. Encourage your clients to share their wonderful life-changing experience with their friends and family through the gifting of to purchase gift cards.
Problem Solver: We all struggle to find the right gift for that special person in our life. Have your front desk team guide your clients by asking, “Who’s on your shopping list that you are struggling to find a unique gift? A babysitter, teacher, hairstylist?” Offer suggested gifts, such as skincare products or gift cards to receive a facial.
Gift Sets: Consider offering prepackaged gift baskets wrapped for the season. Create gift sets or beauty bundles with skincare products, candles, masques, etc.
Holiday Cash: Offer “holiday cash” that grow in value as their purchases grow. Holiday cash would come in the form of an internal voucher with a specified value that increases as certain spending tiers are met. The client could then either gift them or keep for themselves…no judgment here!
Holiday Specials: Develop holiday-themed promotions and bespoke packages that cater to the needs of your clients during the holiday season. Offer special pricing, bundled services, or limited-time treatments that align with the spirit of the holidays. Consider doing a “twelve days” themed event (i.e., the “Twelve spa-lidays of the holidays”) Promote these daily specials internally with your clients, on your website, social media, and through email marketing campaigns.
That Jolly Ole Retail Shelf: Stock up on retail products for holiday season because they will be the easiest sale and require little additional labor after the sale. Make sure you focus on products that are easy to gift and not specific to a skin type (i.e., gentle cleanser, sunscreen, etc.). Create a visually appealing retail product display with all the “festive” feels! Reach out to your reps to offer a GWP (gift with purchase) with select services or products!
Share the Joy via Email and Text Blast Marketing: Keep your clients up to date on your holiday specials, events, hours, and open appointments throughout the season. Send holiday newsletters, update your website, and post regularly to your social media pages. By consistently putting yourself in front of your clients you will become top of mind when they are in a pinch for a great gift or when someone inevitable asks their gift giving opinion.
Holiday Event: Invite your clients to a special holiday themed open house with light bites and cocktails (or holiday mocktails). Create “event only” pricing and giveaways. Request the support of your sales reps and business besties by asking them to be involved by attending and gifting items to your clients, which can be in the form of sample skincare products or free service. Holiday events serve as a great opportunity to meet + greet new potential clients and offer quick mini consults! Consider creating a free Eventbrite event and promoting it heavily on all social media, through email, via text blast, and personal invitation. Create an RSVP list and ensure your spa concierge is asking everyone who walks through your doors, “Have you heard about our holiday event? Who do you want to bring? Who else?” Be assertive and excited!
Schedule Early Success: You will be competing for the attention of your clients. Every business in your area will be vying for their business. As such, you need to be one step ahead. This is a little easier for a medical aesthetics practice than most businesses, because your clients will want to use your services before the events of the season as much as gift your products and services. As such, you will want to be sure that you start marketing your holiday events and promotions early in the season (NOW), so that your clients can get themselves prepped and ready to sparkle and shine at every party they attend. By doing so, you will ensure your clients have time to book their services before social events and family photos!
Bouncing Back: The season is an incredible opportunity to drive revenue after the holidays are over. Bounce back certificates can serve as a tool for getting clients back into your spa after the holiday fever has subsided. They can also help you avoid that post-holiday revenue dip. A bounce back offer could be as simple as $100 off any new service, in house cash to be used toward any service, or a discount on retail product. Be sure to put a timeline for use (i.e., Valid January 1-31). This will set an expectation and help create a sense of urgency. Don’t forget to send out reminders to use the bounce back certificates throughout the month.
Black Friday: We would be remiss to leave out the benefits of a Black Friday sale. As you know, everyone does one and everyone expects that every business will have one. Therefore, you should be prepared to offer a sale on Black Friday. It is also important to promote the sale at least one week prior on all your marketing platforms. This includes in house, social media, and email.
Sales and Event Strategy: A great strategy for generating interest for your sales, promotions, and events is to market the sale, promotion, or event as one day only. When you employ strict adherence to a policy of “today only” your clients will value the sale, promotion, or event more, take your sale, promotion, or event seriously, and be more likely to participate because they know that if they miss it they miss out. Failing to do so creates an expectation that you’ll give them the special anytime, which then makes all your pricing subject to negotiation all the time.
The holidays are a joyous time of year and are meant to be celebrated with those who mean the most to us. Let’s not forget those that allow us to provide for our families and live the lives we do. Clients want to celebrate the season with you. They value you and all you do for them throughout the year. Embrace that feeling of appreciation by showing you appreciate them as well. Events, personal communication, unique offers, and parties designed to give thanks mean so much more than a transactional promotion that has little meaning other than generating revenue.
💌 Are you ready to take on an investment partner to help you grow your medical aesthetics practice? If so, we are here to partner with you every step of the way. Fill out the contact form or send us an email at info@baraesthetics.com and we will schedule a call to discuss the possibilities.
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