Let’s face it. 2020 is difficult on many levels, but certainly high on the list are the difficulties faced by Salon owners in re-opening, staying open and getting clients in the door. You’re already doing everything you can from email marketing to remind your guests that it’s been a while since their last appointment to posting specials and deals across social media–what else can you possibly do?
There is hope! Let’s not forget the incredible power behind a personal referral.
The last time I had my hair colored was because I fell immediately in love with my friends hair.
“Where in the world do you get your hair done!?” I asked her.
“I scheduled a date with my stylist right through my phone! She’s phenomenal, friendly and her work is always on point! Look at her social media. You can book right from a link on her page!”
It took about 10 seconds of scrolling through Instagram before I was hooked, and just like that, my friend’s stylist has a new, regular referral guest, my friend has some referral cash towards her next service and I am happy and—dare I say it, look fabulous!
Let’s Look at the Math for Referrals.
Businesses across the globe rely on referrals to bring in steady income, so why shouldn’t you?
One of Aura’s most phenomenal business building features is the built-in referral system. Salons can pair the practice of asking satisfied guests to refer friends with an automated digital referral program that can grow a salon’s client base 10 – 15% per year.
How?
Well, let’s assume that you have 1500 monthly clients.
Now, each one of those clients has the ability to send a referral to a friend while in your chair, on their couch or at the park directly from within their Mobile App. Each customer in your database has their own unique referral code to send to their friends.
Now. Say just 1% of your total clients sends out a referral to a friend or family member: that’s 15 new clients in the month. With an average ticket cost of $150 you’re looking at $2,250 in additional monthly revenue. For the year?
That’s $27,000 in annual revenue.
| 1% of Client Base Sends Referrals Monthly | |
| Additional Clients per Month | 15 Average |
| Average Ticket | $150 |
| Increased Monthly Revenue | $2,250 |
| Annual Revenue | $27,000 |
| New Guest Returns Every 6-8 wks. | $189,000 |
And because we all know that one client is going to fall in love with your work as quickly as I fell in love with my stylist’s work, should that new guest return every 6-8 weeks? You’re now looking at $189,000 in automated revenue. The only work you had to do? Help your current guests feel and look spectacular enough to refer their friends to you.
This leaves you with extra time to handle those email marketing campaigns and social media blasts that buried you before.
Hear from The Collective.
Ashley Brecken, owner of Studio Six Two Four in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, is one of many salon owners who is currently experiencing the benefits of Aura’s automated referral system.
The referral program is amazing, especially as a new salon. With having everything touch-less with Aura, the client has the portal right in their own hands. They can use it to share their own specific code to their friends. It makes the tracking of it easier, too. We’re not hunting down if someone forgets to put a referral in the system or who referred them over. It allows us to get more clients in the door who see the benefit and it makes them so happy when they see how easy it is to check out on their end with their referral code. It’s seamless. Before, we put in appointment notes and tracked it manually in the system: did someone get their discount? Did they not? Having it tailored to each person and automated takes all of that out of the equation.”
How Does it Work?
The way Aura’s referral system works is simple—every guest who comes into your salon and sets up their personal profile has their own unique referral code. This code populates in their Salon Wallet, an Aura feature which allows guests to store their personal credit card information, gift cards, series and, of course, referrals. Within the Salon Wallet, guests can see which of their friends they’ve referred who have set up appointments using their code and keep a running tally of how many referral credits they have. Stylists and operators can also view this information within the administrative functions of Aura to not only track who has been referred, but to follow the chain and see how many referrals the new clients are bringing in as well.
So, stop fretting over getting more clients in the door and let your guests and Aura’s automation do the heavy lifting. With the COVID-19 health crisis weighing so heavily on our new normal, it is still possible to engage with new customers through the most powerful tool on the market: word-of-mouth.
