What clients want from their salons during COVID

Your business is going to change as it reopens - there's no avoiding it. Between new guidelines and safety protocols, to price increases and a shift in hours (and possibly priorities), it's going to be a whirlwind couple months as you get back in the swing of things. 

It’s understandable, then, that clients’ needs are a little different these days, too. The psychology of consumer culture is changing as the world evolves into a 'new normal'. In order to feel comfortable booking with a new hair stylist or esthetician, there are 5 things clients are looking for: safety, trust, value for money spent, community and lasting relationships. In order to get the attention (and business) of new clients, you need to ensure your salon is encompassing these five values. 

I’ll be breaking down each of these aspects, and how you can easily incorporate these values into your interactions with new and past clients alike. 

I'll also be covering the number one way to attract exactly the type of client you're looking to serve. It's super easy and so effective, and I'll show you exactly how to do it!

Clients are looking for safety and security

New eyes are checking out your business every day - and one of the most important things they need to know before they book an appointment with you is how you plan to keep clients and staff safe. 

It's not enough to put up one single social media post or send out one lonely email addressing safety measures - you need to repeatedly drive home the point that you take the safety of your clients very seriously.

How can you do that? Quite simply, talk often and lots about your safety protocols and what you’re doing to go above and beyond for the hygiene, safety, and comfort of each client. Whether by social media post, a video, a blog post on your website, or an alert on your booking app, make sure each client that is planning to book with you knows with certainty that you are taking all necessary precautions to protect their safety and well-being. 

After they’ve booked, remind clients of these precautions in their appointment confirmation email, and once again during their appointment reminder email. 

You might feel like it’s too much and turns people off, but rest assured that you’re doing the right thing by stating and restating the steps you’re taking. 

It’s a great idea to do a video tutorial of what their ‘new’ salon experience will look like with precautions in place (masks on!) to get clients comfortable with what their appointment will include, as well as details on what your cleaning standards will be going forward.

If you are sure to let all clients - past, present, and potential - know how you will keep them safe, they will feel confident to book with you.

Your clients need to trust you 

It’s important to trust the person who is taking your hair, nails, skin etc into their hands - especially now! Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard a lot about ‘social distancing’ (staying 6ft apart from others to avoid the spread of COVID-19), and after months of practicing social distancing, getting close, personal attention from someone can feel a bit awkward or foreign.  It is therefore very important to develop a strong personal rapport and gain the trust of a client before they sit in your chair. 

People like to feel familiar with the person providing them personal care - to feel like they can relate to you and talk to you openly about their lives. 

Personal branding is the perfect way to establish a strong, personal rapport with clients before they visit you. Share the things that make you special and great at your business, and customers will respond positively and want to trust you with their money and personal care. 

A fantastic way to do this is to make a video introducing yourself and giving a tour of your salon. If you’re not comfortable with doing a video, use social media to share a photo of you smiling warmly, and tell visitors about yourself and your business. 

When you’re advertising your business (more on that coming up!), make yourself the star - be memorable and approachable. 

During this time especially, open up to clients on social media, and be transparent and vulnerable about your experience with everything that’s happened. 

Another great way to promote personal branding and establish trust is to write a detailed 'About' section on your website. In this area you can flesh out the story of your business, and share the history and hard work you did to get to where you are now. Clients can access more of your personality and charm here, and will feel more inclined to trust you after reading your bio. 

If you take the time to earnestly connect with visitors to your social media sites, they will feel much more comfortable and ready to trust you with their personal care. 

Create great value for your guests (especially new ones)

After months of being closed, it’s almost a given that you will want to change some price structures for your services to help make up some of the loss. You may also have taken these past few months of down time to reflect on how to price your services for what you’re actually worth, in order to build a strong and sustainable business in this new economy. 

But how do you sell your clients on this? If you are raising your prices post-lockdown, clients still need to feel like they’re getting good value for what they’re spending. Now is the time to create value-based ‘care packages’ - bundle together some of your best pampering services and throw in a few small extras for a great price! 

There’s no need to discount these services - instead, focus on marketing the value of the experience your clients will get with these packages. Of course, you’ll need to make sure that the price points for these packages are very profitable and worth it for you. Share these promotions everywhere your clients can see them. It will make their choice easy - one package for all the pampering they can handle! 

Clients want to feel connected to their community (and they want to see that you are, too)

We’ve been so removed from each other and our communities during lockdown. We yearn for human touch and connection. In order to help clients connect with you, make your interactions with them both on social media and in person as personal as possible. Talk about other local businesses that you support, and how you’re giving back to your local community. It’s always a good thing to be reminded of the fact that we’re all in this together! Clients respond very well to a locally-owned, locally-focused business that cares about the neighborhood. 

Clients want long-lasting relationships

I talk about this all the time - staying in touch with clients is so crucial to keeping their business. Many clients will be shopping around for new businesses to support, and many of them didn’t hear from their favorite salons at all over the past few months. How do you think those businesses will fare with their clients when they reopen?

It's important to create a space where you and your clients can touch base outside of your salon, especially if you've been away from your business or had to shut down for any length of time. 

The best way to do this is with a weekly, biweekly, or monthly email campaign! Keep that connection with your clients going strong after their appointment, and until the next time they see you. 

Here are some resources and guides about email marketing if you’re just getting started: 

The 6 types of emails you need to be sending to your salon clients

How to make THOUSANDS of extra $$ a month with email marketing

All things email marketing related for your beauty business

The best way to connect with new clients right now

Now that you know what clients want to see from you, let’s talk about the how. How do you get in touch with them and introduce yourself to new clients?

Don’t just wait for new clients to come to you - go out and find them! My favourite way of doing this is with Facebook and Instagram Advertising. Specifically, I love video ads! Showing off your beautiful face and speaking to the people directly is so great for connecting with potential new clients.  Make your videos really personable and add a charming caption to draw in your audience and increase trust in you and your business. 

Instagram and Facebook are amazing for targeting the clients you want in your chair! You can target your ideal clients, even down to specific neighbourhoods. 

People know that social media is great for likes and followers, but what about the actual bookings? 

You can translate this targeting into actual bookings from people, instead of just followers and comments. 

Many people are out there looking for new businesses. Maybe they aren’t able to get in with their current salon because they’re booked up for months. Maybe they feel like their salon didn’t do a great job communicating during the shutdown, so they want to try somewhere new. Maybe they just want to get their lashes done for the first time ever to celebrate coming out of quarantine. Whatever the reason, let them find you! They’ll be thrilled to discover a new salon full of great value and the best part of all - you! 

If you want more information on social media marketing, I’ve got an ebook for you! It’s called the The Ultimate Facebook Ads Starter Kit For Salons and Beauty Businesses. I show you exactly what it takes to bring in ideal clients every single day using Facebook and Instagram ads. Download it here: