Have you ever had a client come in for a service and then disappear, never to be seen again? Have you lost a client to a competitor in your area? Have you wondered why that happened?
According to Adobe, repeat customers are nine times more likely to convert than first-time visitors. As a lash artist, if this study is anything to go by, you know how important it is to have a few loyal clients rather than acquire many new clients who don't come back. To grow your business, you must focus on giving your clients exceptional service and experience that would lead to client loyalty. So, how do you ensure your clients come back to you seeking your assistance and expertise?
Here are a few key points you can include in your strategy to retain your clients to grow your lash business.
8 Strategies for Better Lash Client Retention
1. Have excellent lashing skills
To ensure your clients return to you, you have to do a darn good lashing job! A certification in lashing is an essential part of convincing your potential clients that you are the expert you claim to be; however, lashing skills come from immense practice, patience, and perseverance. Regularly updating your technical skills also helps provide your customers with the service they expect from you. There are always opportunities to add training and skills to your repertoire. In this digital age, there are many high-quality online courses that you may not have been able to access once upon a time due to funds or geography. You never stop learning. Remember your quality of work is what will set you apart.
2. Have Client Consults Before Their Lash Appointment
It could be a client who has never had extensions before; it could be a client seeking a new lash artist to do their lashes or someone who has come to you to fix their less-than-ideal lashes done by another lash artist. Before getting on with the lash application, it's super important to have a detailed consultation. This is your moment to provide them with a deep understanding of your expertise and skills. Listen to what they want to achieve from their look, be open to understanding their desires, and offer them honest advice on what lashes would work for them. This would provide an excellent impression to your customer that you are a business that cares and are here to provide a solution to their problems.
3. Provide a great salon experience
Lash extensions are a premium service. When clients walk into your lash salon, they don't just want to have beautiful lashes, but they also want to de-stress and unwind. So, you want to make sure your salon is aesthetically pleasing. Good lighting and interiors representing your brand's style can create a good impression on your clients. Keep it clean and tidy at all times. Invest in good lash beds, and complement them with a soft pillow and a luxurious throw to make your clients feel comfortable and relaxed. Gauge your clients and see if they are introverts or extroverts; engage with them if they like chatting or let them be while you do their lashes. If they are interested, you could inform them about your hygiene practices while doing their lashes to warrant them they are in good hands. These small gestures can go a long way to help your clients decide if they want to come back.
4. Educate clients about the importance of Lash Refills
Unlike many other services in the salon industry, lash extensions appointments are pretty frequent. Inform your clients about lash aftercare and encourage them to book their next appointment on the spot; educate them about how their lashes will ideally be refilled within 2-3 weeks. Keeping them informed about what entails during and after the lash sessions also helps them build trust in your service and the importance of booking their next appointment.
5. Interact with your Lash Clients on Social Media
If there is a medium where you can engage with your clients or potential clients in the most transparent way, it has to be your social media pages. Speckle your social media feeds with client reviews, testimonials, or photos of your work. Build your brand on social media, and engage with your clients. If you have provided your clients with the best service, social media is a great way to reinforce those values through your posts. This builds trust and confidence in your work.
6. Create a Loyalty Program
A discount on their second booking, for coming in multiple times, or even for referrals are some great incentives to coax your client to come back time and time again. Jot down special events in your clients' notes that you maintain in your system, like birthdays or anniversaries, and offer them customized packages on those days to pamper themselves. Don't miss any opportunity to make your clients feel special. Every time they feel special, remember you are earning a loyal client.
7. Retail Lash Products
Studies show that retail sales help client retention. If you are a sole entrepreneur operating from home or have multiple salons, dedicating a retail space is essential to increasing your revenue stream. Apart from the various hats you are already wearing; it is time to smarten your salesmanship skills. Educate your clients on the importance of lash hygiene and how looking after them with the right products will help them retain their lashes longer and save them money. Prolong Lash aftercare products are loved worldwide and are specially formulated for eyelash extensions. Oil-free and approved by lash artists across 80 countries. When your clients see proven results using these products, it will increase their trust in your expertise, products, and services.
8. Ask for Feedback
Asking for feedback on your clients' experiences is one of the best ways to review your business and improve your strategies. When you ask for reviews, you are not guessing but are confirming what your clients want; at the same time, your clients also get a sense of how important their opinion is to you and your business. This also allows you to rectify any errors you may have unexpectedly committed and retain your client.
Quoting W. Edwards Deming, "Profit in business comes from repeat customers; customers who boast about your product and service." So be that brand and business that your clients can't stop talking about, and create your tribe of clients that swear by your service.
Find more helpful hints and tips from the Prolong Lash blog and learn how to partner with us for your lash business now.
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